Story Created:
May 28, 2008 at 6:07 PM CDT
Story Updated:
May 29, 2008 at 7:02 PM CDT
International diplomacy is a delicate balance of negotiating. And because of each negotiating party's agenda. It can be tricky. This has KAUZ General Manager Mike DeLier asking why a former United States President is making attempts at freelance diplomacy.
What gives a former president the right to meddle in the affairs of any country, especially when he is not formally asked to do so? That's been the case lately with former President Jimmy Carter.
It began just over a month ago. Carter went to the Middle East on a "freelance" peace mission. Carter met with top Hamas political officials. This the same group labeled as terrorists bent on Israel's destruction.
This is the same Jimmy Carter who couldn't get the time of day from Iran when 52 American diplomats were taken hostage by followers of Ayatollah Khomeini back in 1979. The hostages were held 444 days and only after Carter was out of office were they released.
This is the same Jimmy Carter who was in power when American motorists waited in gasoline lines in 1979. This is the same Jimmy Carter who oversaw 20 percent interest rates as well as a record inflationary period in the United States.
One of Carter's former administration officials described Carter as a man who is creating a pattern of mischief… and purposely growing antagonism toward Israel.The same administration official says Carter resents Israel because of the way it has ignored his efforts for peace in the Middle East. Carter's meddling reached a peak this week, when he revealed that Israel had 150 nuclear weapons in its arsenal. His remarks were startling.
Carter's plan to get the United States to negotiate directly with Iran to get that country to stop its nuclear program. Could backfire. Carter's comments could trigger a nuclear arms race in the Middle East with more than Iran involved.
Carter is no longer being viewed as a broker to peace in the middle east… he has become counter productive to Israel and the United States. His pattern of mischief in that hotbed region has turned into a pattern of antagonism, both for the United States and Israel.
If you've got a comment on this or any of Mike De Lier's editorials, we want to hear from you. Send us an email to comments@kauz.com.
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Thursday, Jun 12 at 6:14 PM Jim wrote ...
Carter was one of the biggest embarrassments as an US president. Personally he is only now starting what Clinton has already been doing, since his Impeachment. So if we are going to point the finger at one, we need to point it at both (to include Hillary). None of them are should be conducting diplomacy on behalf of the people of the United Sates. This job belongs to the President and his staff by our Constitution.