Jimmy Carter: Rice "Not Telling Truth" About Hamas Meeting

Jimmy Carter caused a storm of controversy when he met with Hamas during his Mideast trip. Secretary Rice has said the Bush Administration 'explicitly warned Carter' not to meet with the exiled leader of Hamas, but Carter insists that Rice is "not telling the truth":

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on Wednesday accused Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice of not telling the truth about warnings she said her department gave Carter not to speak to Hamas before a Middle East trip.

"President Carter has the greatest respect for ... Rice and believes her to be a truthful person. However, perhaps inadvertently, she is continuing to make a statement that is not true," a statement issued by the Carter center in Atlanta said on Wednesday.

"No one in the State Department or any other department of the U.S. government ever asked him (Carter) to refrain from his recent visit to the Middle East or even suggested that he not meet with Syrian President (Bashar) Assad or leaders of Hamas," it said.

Barack Obama has slammed Jimmy Carter's meeting with Hamas, calling it "a bad idea."

Comments

[FirstShirt]

Alrighty then, the terrorists are telling the truth and the americans are liars. typical Jimmy Carter spin.

[ChristianEcon.com]

"Alrighty then, the terrorists are telling the truth and the americans are liars. typical Jimmy Carter spin."

You sound very confused.

[kae]

No No! Not "the americans"

Ms.Rice IS a LIAR!
Proven by 2 independent studies.....remember? She is a proven liar.

Talking is better than bombing so if the neocons want to further embarass themselves by trying to spin peacefull intentions into something that causes us danger...go ahead you sound like fools, I'm enjoying it.

[Kenny2k]

The Bush Admin. has torn this country apart. Divided us and betrayed us. We are not one Nation any more. Right wing , left wing, blue state, red state, Oh how I wish for "One Nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all".

[munimula]

I applaud Jimmy Carter for talking to the democratically elected leaders of the Palestinians. Diplomacy means talking to your enemies, not completely ignoring them or talking at them. I hope he talks to Hezbollah and Iran next. Somebody has to do Condy's job!

[ChristianEcon.com]

Wow--lots of hatred for Carter here (all baseless of course).

You would never hear anything like that come out of *his* mouth.

I can think of no one with more intellectual and moral grace than this man.

[FirstShirt]

You are right. Probably no more gracious and honorable and moral man ever inherited the WH.

And, one of the worst presidents in history. there's a lesson there.

[ChristianEcon.com]

"And, one of the worst presidents in history. there's a lesson there."

That some people aren't very good at evaluating history?

[Arethirtypercentinsane]

Yes, there is. Have liars, scumbags, silverspooners and pious hypocrites as our Presidents and everything will be hunk dory!!! Oh, I almost forgot, torturers too!

[ann1]

I believe President Carter but who I don't believe is Rice. I don't believe anything that comes out of that administration. And shame on all of you who are so judgmental.

[Truthmeter]

Carter was a useless President, period. He has no business doing these things and ought to stick to Habitat. He doesn't represent anyone, and I hear that many contributors are pulling their funding to anything Carter because of this stunt. Poor thing, trying to repair his legacy...he's only alienating himself further. He needs to sit home, or build a house, but he needs to mind his own business.

[IneptitudePrideB4Fall]

It wasn't very long ago that we were all forbidden to talk with the PLO and then Palestinian National Authority. Soon it will be seen as reasonable to talk with Hamas and Hizbollah - when we wise up and see how it's to our advantage (Israel's, too) to talk with them.

___________________________________

[Christopher1]

Carter is a traitor and should be tried for treason, he was told and is suppose to have a brain which he doesn't...............

[pizzmoe]

Condi lying? Heavens, No!!

[AnneOlivia]

Hmmmmm . . . let's see . . . if I have to choose to believe the word of Jimmy Carter or Condi Rice, who am I going to choose? . . . hmmmm . . .

How about the one who has NOT lied the country into a stupid war!

[huffposeur]

where would the middle east be today if the fecklessness of jimmy carter didn't lead to the fall of the shah and the seizure of 400 americans for 444 days?

.... and i bet you're too young to remember this, but where would we be today if jimmy carter did NOT do what happened 28 years ago today in the iranian desert?

[S1m0n]

"where would the middle east be today"

South and east of Europe, as usual.

[blooddoc]

No question the Carter administration had its problems. But compared to the current administration - including Condisleeza Rice - Carter is a saint. Take your pick - 400 captive for 444 days, or 3000+ dead, i.e., for eternity. And Condisleeza was right there in the thick of things, lying just like everybody in Bush's cabal. Carter, feckless? Bush, reckless, with the country and the Constitution.

[Podewumun]

Oh, yeah. The Shah and his Secret Police were a real barrel of laughs.

Our very own CIA started the shit in Iran in 1953 when they helped to overthrow Iran's democratically elected SECULAR prime minister, Mossadegh.

Try reading a book, fool.

[castlerider]

It wasn't 400 Americans, it was something around 59, Mr. Smartypants.

Carter would have had to send troops in to kill or contain the Islamist radicals and the confrontation would have also meant collateral killing of innocent civilians.

A military rescue was put forth that turned disastrous. There have been rumors that this rescue was sabotaged by CIA operatives that were in cahoots with Casey who later became Reagan's NS chief, an extreme warhawk who engineered the trade off for the hostages (October Surprise) that helped get Reagan elected. If this sabotage rumor is true, it sure wouldn't surprise me.

[huffposeur]

"try reading a book, fool"?

you're barking up the wrong tree, sonny.

How fitting for this story to appear on this day since, again, it was on this day in 1980 that jimmy carter did...did...did what.... anybody here know?

no, i didn't think so.

[BPCentrisAmerican]

Abu Peanut is an embarassment to the US and especially the Democratic Party.

Another ignorant toll speaks, your always welcomed here to lighten up the conversation. Remember empty barrels make the most noise.

[Chavez08]

Rice is from the same neocon network that made a deal with the Iranian rebels to hold on the hostages until the 1980 elections were over. That , in addition to the fact that this administration has not said anything truthful in the 8 years it has (illegally) maintained power. should speak volumes.......

Besides, - why in the hell would anyone believe people who use the teacings of Leo Strauss for inspiration?

How can you tell if a Neocon is lying?..........

[lobear00]

How can you tell if a Neocon is lying: They all look like Bush!!

[REAGANRIGHT]

Just remember Jimmy Carter gave us 444 days of Americans held hostage in Iran, It took less than an hour of Reagan being in office to get them released.

Also it was all over the press before he left, that the Bush admin. did not want him to do this, and as a former Pres. he should not have done it.

Even though I believe he (Jimmy Carter) spoke to no one in the state dept. about not going, his people spoke to them and the message was relayed to him. So it is him and not Condy who is lying.

[cobraxus]

the hostages were released before Reagan became President.Also Ronnie Reagan is the guy who sold weapons to Iran so he could fund his pet death-squad the Contras.Read A F*cking Book Once in Awhile!

[REAGANRIGHT]

too many kool-aid fingerprints on that book to read...

[realpolitic]

You only read the Bill O'Reilly approved books. The list is getting smaller and smaller.

[spokensoftly]

It was another October Surprise "enterruptus." Reagan people did a dance behind Carter"s back to put the release on hold until the inauguration. It was choreographed down to the final minutes. Look up the time line.

[byrdlegs]

REAGANRIGHT! Well this is about the dumbest comment I've read except for Hillary Clinton's new math that shows she is winning the primary election against Obama.....It was great of Mr. Reagan to trade arms for hostages with terrorists, and to cut and run from the killings of 241 of my former Marines in Beirut...Reagan should make you proud !

[REAGANRIGHT]

if you count the MI and FL votes she is... oh thats right the Dems get to decide when to, and when not to count the votes.....

[pizzmoe]

Except you CAN'T count FL and MI since, um, they don't count!

[23000Days]

If you believe this, you know nothing about history. Truth is, Raygun, throught Shrub 1, negotiated secretly with the Iranians to hold the hostages until after the Nov.elections. That's known fact.

Secondly, you have no way of knowing that the state dep't warned anyone other than the media.

A lie coming from the W administration? whod'a thunk it........

[REAGANRIGHT]

REAGAN woluld have handed Iran its ass in a small basket, is why they let them go.

and secondly put down the kool-aid, we all know that both sides talked before he left, J.C. is just trying to make his failed admin. look a little better, and failed.

[ChristianEcon.com]

"REAGAN woluld have handed Iran its ass in a small basket, is why they let them go"

Reagan himself wouldn't have done jack; he'd have had young Americans go and do the killing and dying for him, in typical Republican fashion.

Reagan was the original Chickenhawk Republican.

[Podewumun]

Bulls**t! Reagan was screaming like a little girl when he pulled what was left of our Marines out of Beruit, @sshat.

[Horst]

Abu Peanut is an embarassment to the US and especially the Democratic Party. His current "mission" is a failure. I'm certain he is basically a very decent man...it is just that you don't win the respect of people like Hamas by showing weakness. In the end he was just a mailamn - delivering the letter of the captured Isareli.

[WinslowLeach]

Americans are so stupid. Someone is doing something good right before their
eyes and they just don't have the brain power to process it.

[cobraxus]

and by invading Lebanon and killing innocent Lebanese citizens Israel has made heroes out of Hamas giving them greater credibilty both in the mid-east and beyond.If you support the Iraq War so much go fight it yourself.If you love Israel so much why don't you go live there.Sooner or later somebody is going to have to sit down and talk with our enemies(of which we've made so many these last eight years).Carter is simply paving the way for the next secretary of state to actually do their f*cking job!

[REAGANRIGHT]

Fine let him sit down when the next Pres is in office, if that is what the next Pres wants. but doing it now is a low class way of trying to make his failed admin. look better... It did not work

[Podewumun]

HEY! Rush Limblah is on. Run along now or you'll miss your fix.