Former President Carter is meeting with representatives from Hamas in Egypt today in hopes of being able to negotiate a peace deal for the middle east. This action contradicts the Bush administration’s policy of not negotiating with Hamas unless it recognizes the existence of Israel and forsakes terror. The Bush administration currently does not recognize Hamas as an actual government, but considers it a “terrorist organization”.
The Whitehouse has been vocal in its
criticism of Carter’s trip. US National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said, "We do not think that meeting was useful. As we can all see by the recent violence in Gaza, Hamas is a terrorist organization." White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said,"The president believes that if president Carter wants to go, that he is doing so in his own private capacity, as a private citizen, he is not representing the United States."
Even though Former President Carter is acting on his own, Hamas officials said Wednesday that
Carter's meetings with its leaders will boost the group's legitimacy despite criticism by Israel and the U.S. government of the former president's personal peace mission.
This trip has also boiled over into
the presidential race. Obama has drawn flack from both Clinton and McCain for saying he would meet with foreign countries that are hostile to us. With the critical Pennsylvania primary coming up, Obama has opposed Carter’s trip. Obama says we must maintain an “unshakable commitment” to help protect Israel from “its bitter enemies.” "That's why I have a fundamental difference with President Carter and disagree with his decision to meet with Hamas. We must not negotiate with a terrorist group intent on Israel's destruction. We should only sit down with Hamas if they renounce terrorism, recognize Israel's right to exist and abide by past agreements. Hamas is not a state. Hamas is a terrorist organization,” said Obama....
hmmmm...wait, isn't that the Bush administration's policy?
Don't get your hopes up there. I highly doubt Obama's wishy washy foreign policy stance has changed at all. It's called bending to political pressure, and the reality of it is, no one wants to be caught saying that they are going to negotiate with terrorists...well, no one but former President Carter, I guess.
Posted by C. Dalton and W. Deutsch 
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