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Carter, Hamas, and the Bush Administration

Apr 15 2008

Carter, Hamas, and the Bush Administration

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Political Views

By MWC NEWS

Translation

The Saga Continues
by Alex Thurston
http://www.theseminal.com/

Among the many critics of Carter's decision to meet with the Hamas leadership-in-exile is the Bush administration.

"I find it hard to understand what is going to be gained by having discussions with Hamas about peace when Hamas is, in fact, the impediment to peace," Rice said at a press event with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Rice was responding to a question about Carter's plans but did not mention him by name.

"Hamas is a terrorist organization," she said, repeating the Bush administration's explanation for why it will not meet with members of the group.

You have a PhD, Condi: you're capable of more sophisticated answers I'm sure. What could be gained from having discussions with Hamas? I don't know, that's why you have them. What have we gained from not talking to Hamas?

Or you could listen to what Carter was saying a year ago:

"This effort to divide Palestinians into two peoples now is a step in the wrong direction," he said. "All efforts of the international community should be to reconcile the two, but there's no effort from the outside to bring the two together."

Carter was pessimistic this would happen soon.

"I don't see at this point any possibility that public officials in the United States, or in Israel, or the European Union are going to take action to bring about reconciliation," he said.

Hint: he's going because you've failed, and he's not apologizing for it. Moreover, unlike you he has clear objectives in mind:

"I feel quite at ease in doing this," Carter said. "I think there's no doubt in anyone's mind that, if Israel is ever going to find peace with justice concerning the relationship with their next-door neighbors, the Palestinians, that Hamas will have to be included in the process."

Although he said the meeting would not be a negotiation, he outlined distinct goals.

"I think that it's very important that at least someone meet with the Hamas leaders to express their views, to ascertain what flexibility they have, to try to induce them to stop all attacks against innocent civilians in Israel and to cooperate with the Fatah as a group that unites the Palestinians, maybe to get them to agree to a cease-fire — things of this kind," he said.

And you know, one thing that all of this confirms is that it takes at least two to have talks, indicating that not only does he want to talk to them, they want to talk to us. Are we so insecure now that we can't hear what our adversaries have to say?

For all the cowards out there, four words: Nixon. China. Reagan. Gorbachev.

Let's wait to pass judgment till we see results, eh?

Alex Thurston is currently a student in the Master's Program of Arab Studies at Georgetown University. He graduated from Northwestern University in 2005 with a BA in Religion. He can be reached at alex@theseminal.com.

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