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Damascus, Syria - Carter: Mideast Peace Not Possible Without Hamas |
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His comments came shortly before he met with the militant group's Syrian-based leader, Khaled Mashaal. Carter met with Mashaal twice under the Bush administration, angering some in the U.S. government who said he was legitimizing a group the U.S. considers a terrorist organization.
But this was his first meeting under the Obama administration, which has launched a fresh quest for peace in the Middle East, and came as Obama's Mideast envoy, George Mitchell, was less than 400 miles away in Cairo preparing to visit Syria Friday.
Carter, who went to Syria after observing elections in neighboring Lebanon, stressed that he was in Damascus as a private citizen and not representing the Obama administration.
Speaking to reporters after meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad, Carter said Hamas and its more moderate Fatah rivals must reconcile so they can negotiate effectively with Israel.
"I don't believe there is a possibility to have any peace between the Palestinians and Israel unless Hamas is involved directly in harmony with Fatah," he said.
Carter said Obama's pressure on Israel to freeze construction in West Bank settlements is an essential step toward restarting peace efforts.
He said Israel is "very eager to avoid any serious disagreement or confrontation" with the U.S. and that Obama's push for a two-state solution would be seriously considered by Israel.
Carter also plans meetings in Israel and the West Bank over the weekend.
Syria's official news agency reported that Assad discussed with Carter ways to reactivate the peace process and stressed that Damascus is committed to peace that guarantees the return of Arab rights.
Syria wants Israel to relinquish the Golan Heights it captured in the 1967 Mideast war.
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Read Comments (19) — Post Yours »
1
Jun 11, 2009 at 07:46 PM cool masmid Says:
What did 'meshugene' would do to make himself in the news..... He would go almost anywhere, meet withh almost anybody and say almost anything, as long as he is the story...... mumish a rachmones.
2
Jun 11, 2009 at 07:38 PM Fed Up Says:
When is the old peanut farmer going to finally realize that noone really gives a hoot about who he meets with or what his opinions are???
3
Jun 11, 2009 at 08:34 PM Anonymous Says:
Carter, shutup already. The worst president of modern day times. What a fool.
4
Jun 11, 2009 at 08:20 PM Anonymous Says:
Is anybody really going to listen to a person who is responsible for today's iran quagmire we are in? 1979 when he was president, under his watch, and his incompetent forign police brought the ayatolas to power to begin with, yeah he will lecture us on Peace, he thinks that every evil terorist guy is good only if isreal will stop fighting them. He is a disgrace and the country booted him. Yeah and isreal is an aprtheid government in his book. The only difference is that the blacks in africa didn't bomb and kill white people, while the palistinians do just that. The guy never gets old, hey jimmy, calm down and go to the nearby senior citizen center and play some card games. I can't believe this guy is still with us and the great ronald reagen is not.
5
Jun 11, 2009 at 08:11 PM ZR Says:
Why bash him?
If people can say that Israel must make "peace" with Fatah, then why not with Hamas?
Fatah is NOT more "moderate" then Hamas when speaking to its own People in Arabic.
The real sin is the West beleiving Fatah is interested in making peace when all one has to do is read Fatah's ARABIC propaganda, which calls destruction of Israel - NO DIFFERENT TO HAMAS.
6
Jun 11, 2009 at 07:56 PM Anonymous Says:
what a smart man this carter is I think he should be the vice president so we will have obama as president and carter as vice president!
7
Jun 11, 2009 at 07:55 PM Anonymous Says:
Here we again - another round of Carter interference. Jimmy: You were one of the poorest presidents in US history, and you have not improved. You are getting suckered into the same gibberish that the Muslim countries, who are all committed to destroy Israel, are feeding you. Obama ain't much of an improvement. Listen here - instead of negotiating terms to settle differences, we just observe the Arab enemies of Israel dictating terms of concessions, not as bargaining chips, but as pre-requisites to negotiation. I would have hoped you gained enough intellect to not fall for that, but apparently I was over-estimating you. We do not have two entities that can sit at a negotiating table. First create that, without discussing what shape table should be in the negotiating room. Get a Palestinian entity that can participate in a process, who must recognize the other entity, swear off violence, and do all the other things that render someone a partner in a process. Then we'll discuss the terms. I ain't bargaining with an enemy who wants me off the map. Is that too difficult to understand? If you cant comprehend this, return to your plantation and tend to your peanuts.
8
Jun 11, 2009 at 09:26 PM Milhouse Says:
“ Here we again - another round of Carter interference. Jimmy: You were one of the poorest presidents in US history, and you have not improved. You are getting suckered into the same gibberish that the Muslim countries, who are all committed to destroy Israel, are feeding you. Obama ain't much of an improvement. Listen here - instead of negotiating terms to settle differences, we just observe the Arab enemies of Israel dictating terms of concessions, not as bargaining chips, but as pre-requisites to negotiation. I would have hoped you gained enough intellect to not fall for that, but apparently I was over-estimating you. We do not have two entities that can sit at a negotiating table. First create that, without discussing what shape table should be in the negotiating room. Get a Palestinian entity that can participate in a process, who must recognize the other entity, swear off violence, and do all the other things that render someone a partner in a process. Then we'll discuss the terms. I ain't bargaining with an enemy who wants me off the map. Is that too difficult to understand? If you cant comprehend this, return to your plantation and tend to your peanuts. ”
And with that you've already given away the farm. Even if a "Palestinian entity" were to say all the right things, what could we give it? The Arabs have no rights to any part of our land. And we can't risk giving any territory to another Arab state, from which it can threaten us.
We certainly can't trust them to actually not attack us the moment they get the chance. Anybody with two brain cells to rub together realises that Egypt has been preparing for war for decades, and the moment the Arabs decide it's time to take Israel down Egypt will join the attack. And so will Jordan, whether Abdullah likes it or not, just as his father joined the attacks in '67 and '73. Any settlement with the Arabs must be based on the assumption that their word is worthless, that they will attack as soon as they're ready, and that all we can buy is a few years' more time to prepare. With that assumption in mind there is NO territory Israel could give a "Palestinian" state that would not weaken Israel's chances of survival when the war eventually breaks out.
9
Jun 11, 2009 at 09:40 PM Anonymous Says:
Next thing he will recommend is that Israelis line up in an orderly fashion so that Hamas can kill them with greater efficiency than shooting inaccurate rockets. Then we will have peace.
10
Jun 11, 2009 at 09:15 PM Milhouse Says:
“ what a smart man this carter is I think he should be the vice president so we will have obama as president and carter as vice president!
”
Why bother? Obama is serving Carter's second term.
11
Jun 11, 2009 at 09:13 PM Milhouse Says:
“ Is anybody really going to listen to a person who is responsible for today's iran quagmire we are in? 1979 when he was president, under his watch, and his incompetent forign police brought the ayatolas to power to begin with, yeah he will lecture us on Peace, he thinks that every evil terorist guy is good only if isreal will stop fighting them. He is a disgrace and the country booted him. Yeah and isreal is an aprtheid government in his book. The only difference is that the blacks in africa didn't bomb and kill white people, while the palistinians do just that. The guy never gets old, hey jimmy, calm down and go to the nearby senior citizen center and play some card games. I can't believe this guy is still with us and the great ronald reagen is not. ”
Yes, they did. Nelson Mandela wasn't in prison for nothing, you know.
12
Jun 11, 2009 at 10:12 PM Tali Says:
Jimmy must have eaten to many of those pesticide contaminated peanuts on his farm. What else could explain the utter stupidity that constantly comes out of his mouth.
13
Jun 12, 2009 at 06:35 AM Anonymous Says:
"Mideast Peace Not Possible Without Hamas"
Then there will be no peace.
14
Jun 12, 2009 at 04:20 AM merkin Says:
Actually, Hamas would not be possible without Carter. the Peanut Farmer enabled the Islamic nut jobs of Iran to take over which led to Hamas. Carter will have a lot to answer for in the next life.
15
Jun 12, 2009 at 09:07 AM A masmid isn't cool Says:
“ And with that you've already given away the farm. Even if a "Palestinian entity" were to say all the right things, what could we give it? The Arabs have no rights to any part of our land. And we can't risk giving any territory to another Arab state, from which it can threaten us.
We certainly can't trust them to actually not attack us the moment they get the chance. Anybody with two brain cells to rub together realises that Egypt has been preparing for war for decades, and the moment the Arabs decide it's time to take Israel down Egypt will join the attack. And so will Jordan, whether Abdullah likes it or not, just as his father joined the attacks in '67 and '73. Any settlement with the Arabs must be based on the assumption that their word is worthless, that they will attack as soon as they're ready, and that all we can buy is a few years' more time to prepare. With that assumption in mind there is NO territory Israel could give a "Palestinian" state that would not weaken Israel's chances of survival when the war eventually breaks out. ”
For your information Jordan did not participate in the Yom Kippur war.
But I agree with you 100%
16
Jun 12, 2009 at 10:41 AM Anonymous Says:
“ And with that you've already given away the farm. Even if a "Palestinian entity" were to say all the right things, what could we give it? The Arabs have no rights to any part of our land. And we can't risk giving any territory to another Arab state, from which it can threaten us.
We certainly can't trust them to actually not attack us the moment they get the chance. Anybody with two brain cells to rub together realises that Egypt has been preparing for war for decades, and the moment the Arabs decide it's time to take Israel down Egypt will join the attack. And so will Jordan, whether Abdullah likes it or not, just as his father joined the attacks in '67 and '73. Any settlement with the Arabs must be based on the assumption that their word is worthless, that they will attack as soon as they're ready, and that all we can buy is a few years' more time to prepare. With that assumption in mind there is NO territory Israel could give a "Palestinian" state that would not weaken Israel's chances of survival when the war eventually breaks out. ”
milhouse you must have read the lubavitcher rebbe's sichos
17
Jun 12, 2009 at 11:08 AM anonymous Says:
“ When is the old peanut farmer going to finally realize that noone really gives a hoot about who he meets with or what his opinions are??? ”
I don't know how many give a hoot about his statements but the tzore is that he is the ex-President of the U.S. and draws attention
18
Jun 12, 2009 at 12:56 PM Milhouse Says:
“ For your information Jordan did not participate in the Yom Kippur war.
But I agree with you 100% ”
For your information, yes it did. If you're too young to remember, go look it up.
19
Jun 15, 2009 at 06:23 PM Anonymous Says:
“ what a smart man this carter is I think he should be the vice president so we will have obama as president and carter as vice president!
”
America Will Be A Churban. In This Case There Is An Exepciton in The Rule That Two Are Better Then One. Both Anti-American Idiots Should Get a Life in Afgahnasahn , Or Blow Themselvs Up In Iran.