Carter Center urges end to Gaza violence

The Carter Center is urging both sides to cease violence in and around Gaza, saying it threatens peace talks and Israel's long-term security.

The center, founded by former President Jimmy Carter and his wife - which has offices in Gaza, Jerusalem and the West Bank – said Wednesday that Israel must cease attacks endangering civilians in the densely populated territory and Hamas leaders must halt rocket attacks against Israel.

The Atlanta-based Carter Center released a statement saying Israel has a right to protect its citizens but "these operations are disproportionate and detrimental to the ongoing peace efforts."

It said bombing "contributes to the further radicalization of the Palestinian population and undermines Israel's long-term security interests.

(AP)

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Georgia hosts human rights conference

Human rights activists from around the world are gathering in Georgia this week. The Carter Center in Atlanta is hosting a conference aimed at focusing support for international political, economic, social and cultural rights in the administration of President-elect Barack Obama. Former President Carter told about 50 conference delegates today that the U.S. image has been tarnished over the past seven years in the name of fighting terrorism. Carter said he believes the Obama administration "will be looking to restore the reputation of my country."

(Associated Press)

Carter, Condi in diplomatic dustup

Former President Jimmy Carter on Wednesday continued to insist that the Bush administration never warned him against meeting with leaders of Hamas during a recent trip to the Middle East.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Tuesday that the State Department told the former president "that we did not think meeting with Hamas was going to help" further a political settlement between Israel and the Palestinians. The Palestinian faction is regarded as a terror group by the U.S., Israel and the European Union.

In a statement issued by the Carter Center on Wednesday, the former president said he never got that message.

"President Carter has the greatest respect for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and believes her to be a truthful person," the statement said. "However, perhaps inadvertently, she is continuing to make a statement that is not true."

"No one in the State Department or any other department of the U.S. government ever asked him to refrain from his recent visit to the Middle East or even suggested that he not meet with Syrian President Assad or leaders of Hamas."

In Washington, the State Department again rejected Carter's claim that he had not been advised against meeting with Hamas officials, referring to comments from Rice and other top officials.

"We stand by those statements," spokesman Sean McCormack said. "We stand by them as statements of fact, we have nothing more to add.

Carter had said earlier this week in a interview with NPR that he never received a warning from the State Department when he discussed the trip with officials there.

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. However, a top Hamas official said the group would never outright recognize the Jewish state.

Rice said U.S. policy remains that it will deal only with the elected Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, and his West Bank-based government as it tried to help Israel and the Palestinians broker terms for an independent Palestinian state.

Rice said she that Carter's visit could confuse the message that the U.S. will not deal with Hamas.

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(The Associated Press)

Nepal: Carter offers bid to end deadlock

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter meets Nepalese Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, June 15, 2007. (Nepal Dep't of Information)

Former President Jimmy Carter offered a proposal Saturday to Nepal's government and former communist rebels to help end a political deadlock that has held up the country's elections.

The former guerrillas, known as Maoists, suspended their armed revolt last year. They signed a peace accord and joined Parliament and the ruling coalition this year.

However, they quit the government two months ago, demanding that the monarchy be immediately abolished - a move that forced the postponement of the elections, initially planned for Nov. 22. No new date has been set.

Carter told reporters he had suggested that all sides should agree that the monarchy would be abolished immediately after elections for an assembly to draft a new constitution, and that minor changes be made to the election system.

Carter, who also visited Nepal in June, gave the proposal to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala.

"It is a specific proposal that I think will not only meet the need of all major parties and also the marginalized groups, but also provide strong encouragement for all the major parties, including the Maoists, to participate in the election," Carter said.

Carter held talks with Koirala, the Maoists and leaders of the main political parties during his four-day visit, which ended Saturday.

Nepal's government has asked the former president's Carter Center, based in Atlanta, Georgia, to observe the election for a Constituent Assembly, which is to rewrite the constitution and decide the country's future political system. The assembly would have the option of restoring the monarchy if it were abolished as Carter suggested.

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