Jimmy Carter |
JERUSALEM – The Hamas terrorist organization has confirmed to WND plans are in the works for former President Jimmy Carter to meet the chief of Hamas on a trip this month to Syria.
Sources in the Gaza Strip office of Ismail Haniyeh, the deposed prime minister of the Hamas-led Palestinian government, confirmed Hamas is in talks with Carter's representatives about setting up a meeting during his trip, scheduled for later this month.
The Hamas sources said no concrete date has been set but that Carter has expressed interest in meeting Hamas chieftain Khaled Meshaal, who resides in Syria.
In a statement to Fox News today, Carter's press secretary, Deanna Congileo, did not deny the former president was slated to meet Meshaal.
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"President Carter is planning a trip to the Mideast next week; however, we are still confirming details of the trip and will issue a press release by the end of this week," Congileo said. "I cannot confirm any specific meetings at this point in time."
Earlier, Ahmed Yousuf, Hamas' top political adviser in the Gaza Strip, claimed to WND he wasn't aware of any Carter-Meshaal meeting.
"I don't know anything about any such meeting," said Yousuf, who advises Haniyeh.
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Khaled Meshaal |
Israeli security officials say Meshaal is responsible for coordinating all elements of Hamas and for calling for many of its major terror attacks.
Hamas is listed by the State Department as a terrorist organization. The group is responsible for scores of deadly suicide bombings, and thousands of shooting attacks and rocket firings against civilian population centers.
Just today, Hamas-allied gunmen took part in the deadly shooting of two Israeli civilians near the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
FoxNews.com quoted a State Department spokesman in Washington stating the U.S. government is concerned about Carter's unsanctioned trip to Syria, which the Bush administration has been trying to isolate.
"The State Department has expressed our concerns and advised President Carter that past engagement with the Syrian regime has not produced positive results," the spokesman said.
If the meeting with Hamas takes place, Carter would be the highest-level American to meet with Hamas.
According to the London-based, Arab daily Al-Hayat, which first broke the story of Carter's planned meeting, the former president will represent his Carter Center foundation during his visit to Syria and will not travel in his capacity of former U.S. president.
John Bolton, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, balked at that distinction.
"Maybe he'll give up his pension, but he's always a former president," Bolton told FoxNews.com.
The Fox News website reported it tried numerous times to reach the Carter Center for comment, but calls and e-mails were not returned.
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