WASHINGTON (AFP)
Barack Obama said Friday he would not meet with representatives of Hamas but declined to criticize former U.S. president Jimmy Carter's reported planned meeting with the head of the radical Palestinian group.
"I've said consistently that I would not meet with Hamas, given that it's a terrorist organization," the Illinois senator, who is locked in a bitter battle for the Democratic presidential nomination with rival Hillary Clinton, said at a press briefing in Indianapolis.
"It's not a state, and until Hamas clearly recognizes Israel, renounces terrorism, and abides or believes that the Palestinians should abide by previous agreements that have been entered into, I don't think conversations with them would be fruitful."
But Obama refused to be drawn into debate on Carter's potential meeting with Hamas exiled leader Khaled Meshaal in Damascus during the former U.S. president's tour of the Middle East next week.
"You know, I'm not going to comment on former president Carter," Obama said. "He's a private citizen, and it's not my place to discuss who he shouldn't meet with." |
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Carter and Hamas Carter, architect of the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, has planned a "study mission" next week to Israel, the West Bank, Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Jordan to help the Middle East peace process.
But Carter spokeswoman Deanna Congileo told AFP she could not confirm or deny whether any meeting with Hamas officials would occur.
Such a meeting could put Obama in an uncomfortable spot.
Carter is one of nearly 800 superdelegates, mostly Democratic party pooh-bahs, who will decide the party's presidential nominee at its convention in August ahead of national elections in November.
With Obama and Clinton locked in a tight battle, superdelegates are likely to play the deciding role in who wins the nomination.
Carter has not yet endorsed a candidate, but has appeared to lean more in favor of Obama than Clinton.
In a statement Thursday, the Carter Center said the ex-president was heading to the Middle East April 13-21 in an "effort to support peace, democracy, and human rights in the region."
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday she saw no point to Carter meeting with Meshaal.
"I find it hard to understand what is going to be gained by having discussions with Hamas about peace when Hamas is, in fact, the impediment to peace." |
