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Carter Hugs Hamas Official at Meeting

By JOSEF FEDERMAN,
AP
Posted: 2008-04-15 17:06:18
Filed Under: Politics News, World News
JERUSALEM (April 15) - Former President Carter angered Israel's government Tuesday by embracing a Hamas politician during a visit to the West Bank, ignoring Israeli and U.S. designation of the Islamic militants as a terror group.

Israel accused Carter, the broker of the first Arab-Israeli peace accord, of "dignifying" extremists. But Carter vowed to meet Hamas' supreme leader this week in Syria.

Carter, a Nobel Peace laureate, also laid a wreath at Yasser Arafat's grave, another break with U.S. policy during a private peace mission to the Middle East that includes stops in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Syria — where the virulently anti-Israel Hamas movement has its headquarters. Carter returns to Israel on Monday.

Carter has been shunned by Israel this week, and the White House has criticized him for his willingness to meet with Hamas leaders. Carter says the U.S. and Israel should stop isolating the group, whose control of the Gaza Strip threatens to undermine Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.

"Since Syria and Hamas will have to be involved in a final peace agreement, they have to be involved in discussions that lead to final peace," Carter said in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

During the graveside ceremony, a two-man honor guard escorted the 83-year-old Carter and his wife, Rosalynn. Carter placed the wreath on the grave, then solemnly nodded before turning away. Later, a Palestinian host told Carter that Arafat's resting place was temporary, and the Palestinians hope to move his remains to Jerusalem one day. Carter did not react.

President Bush blamed Arafat for the breakdown of peace talks and subsequent wave of violence and cut off of contacts with the longtime Palestinian leader before he died in 2004. Bush did not visit Arafat's grave when he visited Ramallah this year.

Carter also attended a reception organized by his office for Palestinian dignitaries in Ramallah. At the gathering, Carter embraced Nasser Shaer, a senior Hamas politician, meeting participants said. Embraces between men are a common custom in Arab culture.

"We hugged each other, and it was a warm reception," Shaer said. "Carter asked what he can do to achieve peace between the Palestinians and Israel ... and I told him the possibility for peace is high."

Shaer, who served as deputy prime minister and education minister in the Hamas-led Palestinian government that unraveled last year, is considered a leading member of the Islamic militant group's pragmatic wing. After a stint in an Israeli prison last year, he is now a professor at a West Bank university, teaching comparative religion.

Palestinians say Shaer, an academic, was not involved in Hamas attacks against Israel, and Israel has never charged him with violent activity.

Carter's office refused to comment on the closed meeting.

Carter is scheduled to meet Khaled Mashaal, the group's exiled leader, in Damascus on Friday.

"The official Hamas position until this day is that it won't negotiate with Israel or recognize it under any circumstance," Israeli Foreign Ministry official Yigal Palmor said. "Jimmy Carter has dignified this position with his presence, and one cannot but wonder how this attitude is supposed to promote peace and understanding."

Carter's comparisons of Israeli policies in the West Bank — such as separate roads for Jews and Arabs — to apartheid in South Africa also have angered Israeli leaders.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is not meeting with Carter this week, and the only Israeli leader to host him, President Shimon Peres, criticized Carter for the planned meeting with Mashaal.

Carter has offered to serve as a conduit between the militant group and the U.S. and Israeli governments.

Associated Press correspondents Dalia Nammari and Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah contributed to this article.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2008-04-15 15:01:04
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3476 comments

woofandmeow 01:23:56 PM Apr 22 2008

Report This!

HANG THAT LIBERAL SCUM FROM THE NEAREST TREE!

NO WONDER HE SUPPORTS THAT OTHER TERRORIST SUPPORTER OBAMA!

giuliann2 09:32:08 AM Apr 21 2008

Report This!

pugwah4 08:58:15 AM Apr 20 2008
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
PG?? please tell me, show me ONE post were I show hatred toward any one??
please........ i you reacareflly.. my posts showing te facts te ZONIsT Israeli goverment is doing to other nationalities/people!
THEY hATE not me!

as for loving PEACE.. YES! YES! i do!
and all those who work tiredlessly toward PEACE.. got my support and blessings!
and YES I am against this war.. arent you??
OUR troops are dying for LIES!
why dont YOU do your research?? like the trans afhgan pipeline, or the trans caspinan pipeline?? go back couple of decades. find out what is the real reason for this war...i did.................put 1 and 1 together...........................
I support them, by wanting them HOME, where they belong!
arent you??
and , in my little i do small things to those i know..and are in this war based on LIES!
how about you?
On the contrary.. in y posts I make p

giuliann2 09:31:56 AM Apr 21 2008

Report This!

pugwah4 08:58:15 AM Apr 20 2008
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
PG?? please tell me, show me ONE post were I show hatred toward any one??
please........ i you reacareflly.. my posts showing te facts te ZONIsT Israeli goverment is doing to other nationalities/people!
THEY hATE not me!

as for loving PEACE.. YES! YES! i do!
and all those who work tiredlessly toward PEACE.. got my support ad blessings!
and YES I am against this war.. arent you??
OUR troops are dying for LIES!
why dont YOU do your research?? like the trans afhgan pipeline, or the trans caspinan pipeline?? go back couple of decades. find out what is the real reason for this war...i did.................put 1 and 1 together...........................
I support them, by wanting them HOME, where they belong!
arent you??
and , in my little i do small things to those i know..and are in this war based on LIES!
how about you?
On the contrary.. in y posts I make pe

giuliann2 09:31:22 AM Apr 21 2008

Report This!

pugwah4 08:58:15 AM Apr 20 2008
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
PG?? please tell me, show me ONE post were I show hatred toward any one??
please........ i you reacareflly.. my posts showing te facts te ZONIsT Israeli goverment is doing to other nationalities/people!
THEY hATE not me!

as for loving PEACE.. YES! YES! i do!
and all those who work tiredlessly toward PEACE.. got my support ad blessings!
ad YES I am against thiswar.. arent you??
OUR troops are dying for LIES!
why dont YOU do your research?? lie the tras afhan pipelie, or the trans caspina pipeline?? go back couple of decades. find out what is the real reason for this war...i did.................put 1 and 1 together...........................
I support them, by wanting them HOME, where they belong!
arent you??
and , in my little i do small things to those i know..and are in this war based on LIES!
how about you?
On the contrary.. in y posts I make people li

giuliann2 09:18:13 AM Apr 21 2008

Report This!

pugwah4 11:37:53 AM Apr 19 2008

Report This! guilliann2- You have been taught such garbage that no one will ever change your mind! I do not know how old you are and you have probably attended one of our "fine" Universities that spew that "Liberal Hatred" to the students! I know because my son attended one! Our Universities are a disgrace-They were a disgrace when I attended college and they have sunk to an even lower standard! I have found that if you want to know the truth that you set out on a journey! You start your own research-you will spend hour upon hour researching the subject, you will take many notes, and you will not take one or two opinions or your professors logic as God's true word! You will take all the data and it will reveal the truth! America has "dumbed down" and we have let it!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> How rght you are...
and do Al those things you metionedabove!
do MY Own research.. dont accept one person's view/convctions.. I am curious, i look at BOTHs sides

giuliann2 09:11:42 AM Apr 21 2008

Report This!

pugwah4 11:24:24 AM Apr 19 2008

Report This! GuilIann-You have still not answered the question? How far back in history have you travelled to get your answers! Can you not look past the trees to see the forest? Go BACK in TIME- WAY BACK in time and come forward- Who had control of the land before the Israel took control of the land they are on now? Who owned it? Answer me that one! Who did they purchased their land from which was illegally stolen from them? Got any ideas?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
lol pug.. how far you lke to go back??
give me a timeline..
the Romans? or closer??
or just last century??

pugwah4 09:08:03 AM Apr 20 2008

Report This!

Carter should keep his hind end at home. There are Terrorist that hate us and want to destroy us and Israel. If the Terrorist want to strike us on our soil then they will and there is a good chance a draft will occur! My question is what are the Liberal Democrats going to do then-Dodge! I hope not because a lot of people have given their lives for you to spew the way you and others do!! If Terrorist start here, and given the chance they will, then I want you and all your University taught Liberals, America hating, Middle East loving cohorts to fight that fight because my solider needs a break! Yes, my son attended one of these so called higher education institutions in Psychology and his wife in Biology/Forensics and they totally rejected the crap that was shoved down their throats-THEY thought for themselves! America does not have a chance-GOD HELP AMERICA!

pugwah4 08:58:15 AM Apr 20 2008

Report This!

guiliann2-I now see where your hatred for Christians and Jews come from! You are one of the College students who have bought into their universities liberal thinking "hook, line, and sinker"! That is truly sad that you have not researched the whole truth, without being biased or bigoted, towards other people! I am going to take it that you are a Liberal Democrat and that is fine but I think you should open your eyes and your mind and explore other options! I am also going to assume that you oppose the war, which is totally your option, but I do hope that you have the decency to stand behind our troops! I have found in my life that those that take their freedoms for free and whine the most have never given anything for their freedom-Do not take that for granted! If the liberals are wrong and the Terrorist start their attacks here then you are going to need my soldier so yes, I am for peace but I do realize that Hamas and Iran are Terrorists and that Carter should keep his hindend at hom

giuliann2 01:09:56 PM Apr 19 2008

Report This!

here is something more....

http://www.talmudunmasked.com/

giuliann2 01:08:36 PM Apr 19 2008

Report This!

http://www.talmudunmasked.com/

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