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Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Does Carter matter?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jimmy Carter has been shunned by Israel and criticized by the White House for a private “peace mission” to the Middle East that has him placing a wreath on the grave of PLO leader Yasser Arafat and meeting with Hamas, a group designated by the U.S. as a terrorist organization.
He plans to meet Hamas’s top leader, Khaled Mashaal, in Syria on Friday. He’s the guy who praised Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for saying that Israel should be “wiped off the map.”
“What Iranian officials say may not please some people,” said Mashaal, who is based in Damascus, “but these are just courageous declarations.”
What Carter does as a private citizen and certainly what he does as a private citizen during the administration of George Bush has no consequential policy implications. If Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama is elected the symbolism of a former American president meeting with a terrorist organization would — or could — take on some significance.
“Since Syria and Hamas will have to be involved in a final peace agreement, they have to be involved in discussions that lead to final peace,” Carter explained by way of justifying his meetings.
Does his trip matter? Not to the extent that it affects U.S. policy. Carter does, however, redefine the role of ex-presidents. He’s criticized U.S. foreign policy while standing on foreign soil. And he meets with leaders of a terrorist organization determined to see the destruction of America’s staunchest ally.
At some point, after Carter, I do hope the U.S. reestablishes the protocol that we have one president, one foreign policy, and one place to voice criticism — on this side of the water’s edge.
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