Jimmy Carter Willing to Meet with Hezbollah (Wizbang)

Jimmy Carter, the former president who apparently hasn't met a terrorist he hasn't liked, said that he would be willing to meet with the terrorist organization Hezbollah if they were willing to meet with him. He made his comments in the context of the upcoming elections in Lebanon.

Former US President Jimmy Carter said Tuesday he is ready to meet with Hizbullah officials if the Lebanese militant group agreed to see him.
Carter made his comments upon arrival in Lebanon where he will assess whether his Atlanta-based Carter Center would take part in monitoring next year's parliamentary elections.

Asked whether he would meet with Hizbullah officials during his five-day visit, Carter told reporters that it was up to the militant group, which the United States considers a terrorist organization.

"I am going to meet with all of the political parties as possible," Carter said. "I understand that several leaders of Hizbullah said they were not going to meet with any president or former president of the United States, so I don't know yet."

A Hizbullah official told The Associated Press the group had no immediate comment on Carter's remarks but said it might issue a statement, most likely on Wednesday.

The US classified Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, unless Obama decides to change that, so no one from the US government is permitted to meet with them. For a former president to do so is a clear contradiction and violation of US policy and gives the impression the current US government condones the meeting. That probably won't mean anything to him since it didn't back in April when Secretary Rice told Carter very clearly not to meet Hamas. He did anyway.

When he was president, he governed our country weakly and erratically, two characteristics of his personality that have only gotten worse in the past few years. However, now you can add hostile to that list, as that's how he seems to feel toward his country. It makes me wonder: has there ever been a former president in our history that has been more antagonistic toward his own country than Carter?

Comments (15)

Jimmah'd do us all a favor ... (Below threshold)

1. Posted by GarandFan | December 9, 2008 7:41 PM | Score: 8 (8 votes cast)

GarandFan:

Jimmah'd do us all a favor if he'd fuckin' stay over there.

Posted on December 9, 2008 19:41

Dammit, GARAND FAN... (Below threshold)

2. Posted by irongrampa | December 9, 2008 8:09 PM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)

irongrampa:

Dammit, GARAND FAN, ya beat me to it!

Posted on December 9, 2008 20:09

Well just over a month from... (Below threshold)

3. Posted by Baron Von Ottomatic | December 9, 2008 8:10 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)

Baron Von Ottomatic:

Well just over a month from now Jimmy will be the turd in Obama's punch bowl. Watching him try to keep tabs on Jimmy, Hillary, and Bill ought to be good for plenty of laughs. Too bad the Middle East isn't a laughing matter.

Posted on December 9, 2008 20:10

Maybe he is shopping for re... (Below threshold)

4. Posted by LaMedusa | December 9, 2008 8:42 PM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)

LaMedusa:

Maybe he is shopping for real estate.

Posted on December 9, 2008 20:42

Jimmah should be put on the... (Below threshold)

5. Posted by Bullwinkle | December 9, 2008 9:22 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)

Bullwinkle:

Jimmah should be put on the 'no-fly' list the very next time he leaves the country. And left on it. Forever.

Posted on December 9, 2008 21:22

I'm with GarandFan o... (Below threshold)

6. Posted by Wanderlust | December 9, 2008 9:32 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)

Wanderlust:

I'm with GarandFan on this one too.

I think Obambi will only be too happy for Jimmah to meet up with his terrorist pals. After all, Obambi can silently condone the meetings with a wink and a nod, all while pretending that *he* hasn't blessed the meetings.

And Jimmah, who has been wandering around the planet for the past 27 years like a crook trying in vain to convince the world he's an honest man, is just as happy to do it. After all, he's got to earn his pay from his Wahabbist friends...

Posted on December 9, 2008 21:32

Hey now, Wanderlust, Carter... (Below threshold)

7. Posted by hyperbolist | December 9, 2008 11:45 PM | Score: -7 (7 votes cast)

hyperbolist:

Hey now, Wanderlust, Carter might be an asshole but is he as tight with the Wahabbists as George W. Bush and his dad?

I look forward to the day when your President doesn't have to eat Saudi shit.

Posted on December 9, 2008 23:45

"I look forward to the ... (Below threshold)

8. Posted by Marc | December 10, 2008 12:37 AM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)

Marc:

"I look forward to the day when your President doesn't have to eat Saudi shit."

And presumably also looking for the day when obama gets his heapin' helpin' of same.

It's comin', and you won't have to wait long.

Posted on December 10, 2008 00:37

Maybe he wants to offer cam... (Below threshold)

9. Posted by Oyster | December 10, 2008 6:38 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)

Oyster:

Maybe he wants to offer campaign strategies...

Posted on December 10, 2008 06:38

Just what we need in our po... (Below threshold)

10. Posted by Dave Noble | December 10, 2008 9:49 AM | Score: -1 (1 votes cast)

Dave Noble:

Just what we need in our political discourse at this time of internal and external crisis - more scatological references.

Hey, I thought it was the liberal elites who made fun of Southern accents and nicknames - So how come you guys called Bill Clinton "Bubba": and call Jimmy Carter "Jimmah." And where do I go to get the list of the proper derogatory nicknames for Democrats. Oh, that's right - right here. Congratulations on the changes you've rung on Obama's name. If you had put that much creativity into developing a set of policies that the American voters trusted, maybe you might have done better last month.

Posted on December 10, 2008 09:49

Let him go. Maybe they'll ... (Below threshold)

11. Posted by Tammy | December 10, 2008 11:05 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Tammy:

Let him go. Maybe they'll keep him. They can have the crazy peanut.

Posted on December 10, 2008 11:05

Carter is a democrat so he ... (Below threshold)

12. Posted by BluesHarper | December 10, 2008 11:14 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

BluesHarper:

Carter is a democrat so he can do whatever he wants. Rules, schmules.

Now on the other hand if a Republican were to do that the tongues would be clicking.

Just kidding of course.

Posted on December 10, 2008 11:14

Spare me the sanctimony. O... (Below threshold)

13. Posted by galoob | December 10, 2008 11:54 AM | Score: -1 (1 votes cast)

galoob:

Spare me the sanctimony. Ollie North and Robert McFarlane sold weapons to the Iranians who trained and funded the Hezbollah after Hez killed fellow Marines in Beirut in 1983.

Talking to someone is a lot less than selling them weapons.

North and McFarlane should burn in hell for betraying their fellow Marines.

Posted on December 10, 2008 11:54

-It makes me wonder: has th... (Below threshold)

14. Posted by Bill Johnson | December 10, 2008 5:00 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Bill Johnson:

-It makes me wonder: has there ever been a former president in our history that has been more antagonistic toward his own country than Carter?

Well, based on his philosophical background (Alinsky, Ayres, Wright et al), I hope there will be one in about four years.

Posted on December 10, 2008 17:00

Talking to one's enemies: 0... (Below threshold)

15. Posted by Ben | December 23, 2008 2:43 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Ben: