TAfter writing his book full of inaccuracies and lies, Carter now goes to meet Mashal, the leader of a terror organization which has one goal only, the destruction of the State of Israel.

What a pathetic little man Carter has become.

Too bad he didn't feel that way about an Olympic boycott in 1980 when he destroyed hundreds of athlete's dreams.

February 2, 2006 former President Jimmy Carter said " Hamas deserves to be recognized by the international community, and despite the group's militant history, there is a chance the soon-to-be Palestinian leaders could turn away from violence"
so it is not a stand that he is taken today "quite easy " Former President Carter said he feels "quite at ease" about meeting Hamas militants over the objections of Washington because the Palestinian group is essential to a future peace with Israel.

The critics can say what they want but one thing is clear: to not talk to Hamas means that nothing will change. They control Gaza and they have been legally elected by a large part of the Palestinian people. Hamas is not going to just magically disappear just because Israel and the US are ignoring them. Carter has the political bravery that the current US and Israeli administration should have, and he deserves credit for that.

I suppose his next stop is Osama Bin Ladin.

Au contraire! Carter is a great man for having the courage to making "politically incorrect" history. Go back and study your history, and you will see that the facts support him.

Unlike the Clintons who have done nothing but profit from their presidency (20+ million to date!), the Carters have done nothing but contribute to trying to make the world a better place - building homes, supervising elections, creating charities, etc.

The U.S. labels whoever they do not want to engage in dialogue with and who stands in the way of their geo-political interests as "terrorists", while many real "terrorists" who destroy their own countries and people are kept in the their good graces for political and economic expediency. To name a few:

Idi Amin
Pinochet
the many military dictators in Brazil in the 70s/80s
Mugabe
Manuel Noriega

Even Stalin was given an honoured place at the Yalta conference, and he murdered over 10 million of his own people, far more than even Hitler!

Saddam Hussein has been maligned as a terrible dictator, for killing his own people and ruining his country, but what about all the others? Why does the U.S. do nothing about the Sudan and Darfur and Liberia and Zimbabwe and Haiti and Tibet and all the other places where human rights are trampled and chaos reigns? Because there is no oil there, no strategic interests!

Wake up and smell the historical coffee.

Good for Mr. Carter, I fully support what he is doing.

It's completely coincidental that we share the same home state (GA!) and, to be honest, I voted against him in '76 but I have to say that the way that President Carter has acted in the years of his post-presindency has been a constant source of pride. The issue at hand is no exception. That peace in the Middle East cannot be achieved without the engagement of Hamas goes without saying. This is merely common sense and the fact that Jimmy Carter sees things as such serves to prove how level-headed and forward-thinking he is. I say: RIGHT ON!

donny in japan

It's completely coincidental that we share the same home state (GA!) and, to be honest, I voted against him in '76 but I have to say that the way that President Carter has acted in the years of his post-presindency has been a constant source of pride. The issue at hand is no exception. That peace in the Middle East cannot be achieved without the engagement of Hamas goes without saying. This is merely common sense and the fact that Jimmy Carter sees things as such serves to prove how level-headed and forward-thinking he is. I say: RIGHT ON!

donny in japan

Only the US and Israel sees Hamas as a terrorist organization...to the rest of the world they are simply a resistance group trying to gain what was forcefully taken from them 80 years ago. I say hurray for Carter...

I think it's time we change our view about Hamas and other freedom fighters groups. Mandela was once labeled a terrorist and today he is praised for standing up against apartheid. Until we look at things differently from what the US and its puppets allies wants to call whoever goes against their politics of false democracy, we will never achieve peace on this earth. The recent demonstration about the Chinese Olympic torch relay was just an example of how we let ourself manipulated. The same way we reacted against China, the same way we should react against Israel treatment of the Palestinians. Let's not just pick one bad guy because he is different from us. This Israelo-Palestinian conflict would have been over long time if the US and its allies were not biased and easily bought by the blood money injected in the world market by pro-Israelis organizations.
We should encourage any initiative to talk to either party and hear their views, bring them together. We are all human being with feelings, love and happiness. We all deserve to be heard and find a compromise. No life is better than other. Peace will only come once we start communicating and not seeing the other as a blood hungry demon.

Leave alone the "defensless" poor muslims on their own way

As an American (born and raised int he midwest) living abroad who has been trying very hard to get friends and family in America to better understand the Iraeli/Palestinian context, I am glad to see the comments above in support of Carter. I have been labelled everything from a racist c***, skinhead to anti-Semetic. I simply say that Israel is not a democracy. It has a ruling race which dominates the lives of another race with its policies.

To stretch an earlier comment, Mandela would be fighting in the same position which Hamas/Hezbollah now stand. They are legitimate freedom fighting organisations.

I hope Israel wakes up to the reality of what will happen when the US opens its eyes. Make a deal now, because when the US shifts its support, you will not have much to work with.

Expat Yankee

Carter would meet the Devil to bring him the message of Peace and Love. Very intelligent person the former president is. Always has been, it seems

Carter brought a lasting peace between Egypt and Israel, and he knows how to do this. I'm sorry, but move over Condi and drop your self important calls for a stop to the violence on the Palestinian side, when these people are at WAR. We don't demand Iraqis stop their violence. We'd like it, but we can't force them to stop. Noone can stop the Palestinian violence until some of these horrible grievances are addressed.

Carter should now meet with Osama Bin Laden, the head of ETA, and every terrorist organization and negociate with them.

Remember Naval Chaimberlain "Peace in our Time", he was the Carter before WWII, the result, Germany conquered Checkoslovakia. There is EVIL in this world, Face the facts. Hamas, Hezbolla, ETA, the IRA, Osama Bin Laden, Al Qaida, They are EVIL. Talking to them gives them a Forum and a voice to spread their hatred, and that Makes Carter an EVIL man.

Beono

you say Hamas was legally elected. True.

But it is also true that Adolf Hitler was legally elected.

I guess Carter would have talked to Hitler as well with your full blessing?

Why is it that very few pro-Israelis make any mention of the millions of Palestinians that were ethnically cleansed from their lands and properties over 60 years ago by the very same Israelis who now refer to the Palestinians as terrorists.

Remember that both Hamas (Palestinians) and Hizbollah (Lebanese) were formed as an armed response to Israeli occupation. They were not created at the same time as the bith of the State of Israel but it took years of Israeli violations for armed resistance to transpire....and now those that dare resist Israel are terrorists.

"There is EVIL in this world, Face the facts. Hamas, Hezbolla, ETA, the IRA, Osama Bin Laden, Al Qaida, They are EVIL. Talking to them gives them a Forum and a voice to spread their hatred, and that Makes Carter an EVIL man."

Evil doesn't grow on trees my friend.

All of these so-called terrorist organisations you mentioned had/have legitimate greviences.

Hamas (Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory); Hizbollah (Israeli occupation of Lebanese territory); ETA (Spanish takeover of their lands); IRA (British and Irish loyalists taking over their lands and property); OBL/Al Qaeda (US invasions, interference and propping up of dictators and "royals" in Arab/Muslim countries).

There is a "cause and effect" for everything in this world. Unfortunately, people like you are blind to the fact that the "cause" is perpetrated by policies of our governments and the "effect" is the smaller guy picking up arms/bombs because they're fed up of being stepped all over. Unfortunately, all people like you see and read about are the smaller guys picking easy targets. But what makes the guy tick? One has to understand an enemy in order to defeat them or avert all out war.

So, my hat goes off to President Carter for his effort(s).

Thank you Mr. Carter. You a brave and smart man. It would be nice if there are more people like you in USA.

Mario

I voted for Mr Carter. He was a huge disappointment as President. His judgement then was poor and it seems to deteriorate as he desperately seeks to create a positive legacy.
Maybe it is time to go home and spare himself and his country further embarrassment.

Dear Expat Yankee,
You reaffirm my admiration for the values of ordinary Americans. Unfortunately voices of rational and critical people like you have not reached the ears of your current leaders. Instead they are listening more to financially powerful lobbying groups such as AIPAC. But it will just be a matter of time. Efforts by people like Jimmy Carter will slowly and surely expose the real truth behind the Israel-Palestinian conflict. I take my hat off to you and to Jimmy Carter!

JIMMY \CARTER should be givent the NOBEL PRIZE of stupidity