Tuesday, April 22, 2008

sounds like rice is mad that Carter was able to accomplish something


Rice says Carter was warned against meeting with Hamas

KUWAIT CITY - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Tuesday the Bush administration explicitly warned former President Jimmy Carter against meeting with members of Hamas, the Palestinian faction that controls the Gaza Strip and which is regarded by the U.S. as a terror group.
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Carter said top Hamas leaders told him during seven hours of talks in Damascus over the weekend that they are willing to live next to Israel, but a top Hamas official said the group would never outright recognize the Jewish state.

Separately Tuesday, a Hamas official said the militant group has softened its demands for a cease-fire with Israel.

Spokesman Ghazi Hamad said Hamas is now prepared for a partial truce that would only include the Gaza Strip.

The group previously has demanded the West Bank be included in any deal. Still, it hopes a Gaza truce will eventually spread to the West Bank as well.



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While this isn't the complete goal and while it is not official, it sounds like the administration is pissed that Carter is showing that diplomacy can accomplish something.

I'm sure that bush & rice will do everything they can to negate any positive concessions that were gained.