Helena Cobban, at IPS, reports that Jimmy Carter briefed George Mitchell yesterday at White House:
They [Obama Administration officials] have been supported in [peacemaking] effort by another
quiet but very effective envoy, too: former Pres. Jimmy Carter. Carter,
like Mitchell, has just returned from an intensive fact-finding tour of
the Arab-Israeli region.IPS has learned that on Thursday, Carter briefed Mitchell on his findings.… J On Wednesday, the 84-year-old former
president wrapped up a grueling two-week tour that took him to Lebanon,
Syria, Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza.
One day after his return he had his meeting with senior administration
officials here in Washington. That event underlined the change in
Carter’s relevance and status in the Obama era. The visits he made to
the Middle East while George W. Bush was president were barely
tolerated by the administration, which kept him at arm's length.
While in Lebanon on the latest trip, Carter headed a team of
60 monitors sent by the Atlanta-based Carter Centre, which he founded
and still heads, to monitor the country’s Jun. 7 elections.
Carter is amazing. Ms. Cobban's short article tells why; these are good signs Obama knows what
he's doing. Given the limits of any US President and the current configuration of congress and the bent of the MSM, seems Obama is wise beyond his years.
Former President Jimmy Carter is one of the champions of seeking peace in the I/P conflict. Along with Edward Said, Norman Finkelstein, Archbishop Tutu , Art Gish and others. Carter has been focused on the International Courts decisions that the Wall is illegal as well as the ever expanding illegal settlements. His book " Palestine Peace Not Apartheid" is a must read
I can now reveal– and it's on the updated version of the IPS story– that the officials Carter met with included George Mitchell himself. I have more commentary about Carter's role– and about the decades-long campaign to discredit, mock, and marginalize him– on my blog here: http://justworldnews.org/archives/003629.html Than G-d that era of disrespecting this great man is now coming to an end. (Hey, thanks for postng this, Phil!)
The era of revealing the true Jimmy Carter has just begun. Woe to the democrats who ever lauded the jerk.
I noticed that Jimmy Carter and his recent trip to Gaza and his comments there have been completely ignored by HuffPo.
Gerry Ford became best friends with Jimmy Carter in the last 20 years of his life. I remember seeing Ford on TV one day a few years before he died saying that he knew seven or eight presidents, and that without a doubt Jimmy Carter was the smartest of the bunch. He said Carter's intelligence towered over the rest.
Excellent Helen.
This is good. More credit to Obama for using Carter,the President (man) I admire the most for his moral character. I think we are entering a new era of foreign policy with Obama..so far so good from what he is saying…the hard part is yet to come,actually implementing it.
The true Jimmy Carter is one that does not push Zionist lies and hasbara. He is speaking out against the Satanic State of Israel and is revealing his courage and morality in doing so. The world is with him. The ignorant and stupid are with Israel.
I agree; I just wish Obama was showing us as much wisdom with our banking system–why is he keeping and appointing to key slots the same people who got us into the bailout situation? His latest, he just appointed the former head of Fanny Mae as bailout chief.
Helena, thanks for this exclusive story. Carter is a man of great integrity, and his role as a gamechanger in the I/P situation cannot be overemphasized. I'm astounded that a man of his standing, a former President of the United States has been attacked, smeared and delegitimized by the Israel-first cabal. It's wonderful to see him taking an "unofficial" role in talking with Hamas. Obviously, we do have to engage Hamas to make any progress in Middle East peace, and Netanyahu is intentionally preventing that dialogue to stall for time. Only Jimmy Carter could break this impasse. Wonderful reporting on a great development.
Yep, and that's why we completely ignore HuffPo as a source of objective and insightful reporting in the Middle East. Carter's progress with Hamas must be killing MoZuck.
I had the impression that Carter did not really know much about the Palestine question when he took office and only realized the scope of the problem after he studied the issue while he was president. Unfortunately, I do not have the impression that he has ever undertaken a similar study of the nature of E. European ethnic Ashkenazi politics and culture even after the Israel Lobby put him in its gun sights. This unwillingness of American leaders and officials to study Jewish historical political economics the way they might study that of Russia or of China has always baffled me: Why Study Yiddish Culture?
… the Satanic State of Israel … What exactly is a 'satanic' state? Give it a rest Strahl.
Israel is not a Satanic state. A Nazi shithole–yes.