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.

Click here for more GPB coverage about Jimmy Carter.

Americus: Carter meets with Japanese students

(L-R) Sumter County Schools Sup't. Dr. Dennis McMahon,
Konu-Miyoshi City Schools Sup't. Hisashi,former
President Jimmy Carter.
(Courtesy Sumter Co. School Board)

Former President Jimmy Carter met with a delegation of Japanese students on Friday during their stay in Americus.

Carter greeted the students at Plains High School, where he, his mother Lillian and his children attended classes.

The students, from Konu-Miyoshi City, are visiting the US as part of a sister-city pact with Americus.

“I have been fortunate to meet your past leadership when I was President and continue to maintain a friendship with your county. This exchange program is among my most cherished and enjoyable programs,”

Carter told the group in an address at the school auditorium.

The former president arrived at the engagement on bicycle, riding over from nearby Plains, where he and Rosalyn reside.

Carter presented the adults of the Japanese delegation with copies of a painting of downtown Plains and other gifts. The Superintendent of Konu schools and adult visitors, presented President Carter with gifts.

Superintendent Hisashi told Carter the gifts were,

“a token of a lasting friendship between our countries.”

The group attended a memorial service for the two victims of the twister that tore through the city on March 1st.

This is the 17-year such groups have visited Americus, according to a School Board statement.

For more on this visit, click here.

Fmr. Carter A.G. Griffin Bell Dies

Jimmy Carter's attorney general, Griffin B. Bell, has died in Atlanta hospital at 90.

Bell died at 9:40 a.m. Monday, said Les Zucke, a spokesman for Atlanta law firm King & Spalding.

Former U.S. Attorney General Griffin Bell was being treated at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta for complications due to pancreatic cancer.

Former President Jimmy Carter said he was "deeply saddened" by Bell's death and called him a "trusted and enduring public figure."

Katherine Bell McClure said her 90-year-old grandfather had also been experiencing kidney failure and pneumonia. Bell had battled kidney disease for years and was recently diagnosed with cancer. McClure said Bell was admitted to a hospital Monday in his hometown of Americus and by midweek was moved to Piedmont.

Carter's choice of Bell, a longtime friend, as attorney general was considered the most controversial of his Cabinet picks after the 1976 election.

At the time, the NAACP and other civil rights groups complained Bell, as a federal judge, didn't force Southern schools to integrate quickly enough. But Carter called Bell's civil rights record superb, and many black Georgians - including U.N. ambassador designate Andrew Young - came forward to support him.

Bell served just 2 1/2 years at the Justice Department, returning to his Atlanta law firm. But Bell remained a key adviser to Carter.

(AP)

Deal Still Pushing Flint Dams

A plan to build a series of dams on the Flint river will move forward despite vocal opposition from environmentalists and a former president.

Damming the Flint River is an idea dating back to the 1946. And with record drought throughout the state, Gainesville Congressman Nathan Deal says dams should go up. Deal says his proposal will increase Atlanta’s water supply during times of drought. Environmentalists, along with former President Jimmy Carter, say the plan will create an ecological mess. Still, Deal says the plan will move forward, and offered this challenge to President Carter.

"Jimmy Carter---if he has a better way of supplying water to the Carter Center in Atlanta, I’d like to hear what it is. I haven’t heard anything from him in that regard."

President Carter vetoed a funding bill for a Flint dam project during his time in the Whitehouse. In the 1980’s, Congress abandoned plans to build a series of three dams on the river. Essentially, Deal wants to reauthorize that project.

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.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of Carter's Mideast visit.

(The Associated Press)

Edwards slams Bush on Iraq, health care

Carter comments on John Edwards from Dave Bender and Vimeo.

Presidential Democratic candidate John Edwards focused on health care, poverty and environmental issues in an address at Georgia Southwestern State University on Wednesday.

Edwards assailed President George Bush and the Administration's policy in Iraq, calling on Congress to demand a timetable for troop withdrawal when it reconvenes next week:

"No timetable - no funding, and there should be no further excuses. The Congress needs to stand their ground. They had a mandate from the American people in the election of November in 2006, and they need to meet that mandate."

Speaking to some 2,000 students, faculty and area residents on the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Edwards assailed the government's handling of the evacuation and resettlement of refugees.

Former President Jimmy Carter, a resident of nearby Plains, welcomed and shared the stage with Edwards. Carter did not endorse Edward's White House bid, but said he admired Edwards and what he stood for.

Edwards makes a point to the audience as former President Jimmy Carter looks on.
(Dave Bender)

Click here for more on the status of Katrina refugees in metro Atlanta.

Click the green arrow below to hear Edwards.

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Carter bio-pic debuts

A documentary about former President Jimmy Carter debuts today in Italy. "Jimmy Carter: Man from Plains" will be shown at the Venice Film Festival. The film documents Carter as he promotes his controversial book, "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid." No dates have been set for showings in the U.S.

Carter political strategist dies

Hamilton Jordan, 1944-2008. Jordan answers questions at a news conference in Dallas on June 4, 1992. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan, File)

Hamilton Jordan, a political strategist from south Georgia who helped propel Jimmy Carter to the White House and served as his chief of staff, died Tuesday. He was 63.

Jordan died at his home in Atlanta after a long battle with cancer, said Gerald Rafshoon, a former Carter spokesman.

Jordan graduated from the University of Georgia with a political science degree in 1967 and became a key adviser to Carter during the 1976 presidential campaign. After Carter was defeated by Ronald Reagan in 1980, Jordan ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in 1986. He lost to Wyche Fowler, who won the general election.

Jordan worked for H. Ross Perot's presidential bid in 1992.

Later he worked with Unity08, an independent political group founded by independent Angus King, the former governor of Maine, along with Rafshoon and Doug Bailey, a former staffer on President Ford's 1976 campaign.

Jordan's family is planning a memorial service at the Carter Center on Friday, according to a report.

For more GPB News coverage about Georgia politics, click here. For more about Carter, click here.

(The Associated Press)

Support for Carter's Hamas proposal

Former president Jimmy Carter is under fire for a planned meeting with Hamas leaders. Speaking to reporters from Nepal, Carter says he hopes to facilitate open talks between Hamas and US officials.

Several state department officials have criticized the former president for the planned meet, but former US Ambassador Andrew Young defended Carter’s intentions. Young says Carter has done more to bring peace to the Middle East than any of the former president’s detractors.

“He sets an example for those who want to be president now. All three of them need to look at his example and look at his presidency and realize what a great president he was.”

Carter has criticized Washington’s policy of not meeting with terrorist organizations saying it is counterproductive to peace in the Middle East. Young himself faced criticism for meeting with former Palestanian leader Yasir Arafat during his time as UN Ambassador to the United Nations.

Young says neither he nor the former president have ever been afraid of being unpopular because of their views.

“Carter knows about the Middle East, than all of his critics put together because none of them has every produced 20 days of peace for the people of Israel.”

Carter: either Obama or Clinton by June 3rd

Former President Jimmy Carter is calling for deciding the Democratic Party presidential nominee by June 3rd:

"I don’t see any reason at all to continue after June 3rd when we know who got the most [pledged] delegates, who got the most popular votes, who won the most states and so forth,” Carter said in an interview with The Daily Telegraph.

Carter has not endorsed either Illinois Senator Barak Obama, or New York Senator Hillary Clinton, but made his sentiments clear:

“overseas there is an intense infatuation with Obama, perhaps more than there ever has been in previous history with any candidate," adding, “A lot of them see Obama as kind of a diametrical opposite from George W. Bush and they think that he will bring to the presidency a brand new picture of what the White House and Washington and the United States ought to be.”

Carter pondered about the content of the inaugural address, were Obama to win the presidency:

"If the first statement he made was while I’m president of the United States we will never torture another prisoner and while I’m President of the United States we will never go to war unless our own security is directly threatened...it would transform the image of the United States in the minds of many people around the world."

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the presidential race, and here for more on Carter.

Carter meets with Hamas officials

Former President Jimmy Carter is meeting with a Hamas delegation from Gaza, part of a series of talks with the Islamic militant group that has drawn sharp criticism from U.S. and Israeli officials.

An Associated Press reporter saw the Hamas delegation going into the meeting Thursday at a Cairo hotel and a Hamas coordinator in Egypt said they were meeting with Carter. The coordinator spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The meeting was held under heavy security shortly after Carter met Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Hamas officials said Wednesday that Carter's meetings with its leaders will boost the group's legitimacy despite criticism by Israel and the U.S. government of the former president's personal peace mission.

Click here for more GPB reports about former President Carter.

(The Associated Press)

Thousands of Baptists hold historic meeting

Mercer University President William Underwood, Former President Jimmy Carter, and Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue attend the opening ceremony of the Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant. (Katy Pando)

A diverse group of North American Baptists are meeting in Atlanta this week. It is the first broad attempt by the denomination at healing divisions dating to the Civil War. Organizers of the Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant hope the meeting will forge a new spirit of cooperation among Baptists.


Democratic Presidential candidate, Senator Hillary Clinton at the podium. (Katy Pando)

Former President Jimmy Carter is the public face of the initiative: “We hope that Baptists, who might have the reputation as being the most divided of all, over time, can present a vivid demonstration that if we can do it, all other Christians can as well.”


Choral accompaniment. (Katy Pando)

Carter insists the meeting is not political and does not create a new denomination. However, the group does reflect a liberal counterweight to the conservative Southern Baptist Convention. Organizers plan to address issues such as racism, poverty, AIDS and environmentalism.

Jimmy Carter blocked from refugee camp

Former President Jimmy Carter clashed with Sudanese officials today while trying to meet with Darfur refugees. The Georgia native wanted to visit a tribal refugee camp but security officials denied him access. Carter’s visit comes as several international figures known as “The Elders” are working for peace in the region.

Carter Hints at Supporting Obama (Updated)

Former President Jimmy Carter has hinted that he may cast his superdelegate vote for Illinois Senator Barack Obama as the Democratic presidential nominee, according to a report appearing in an African newspaper.

Carter is said to have made the statement on Wednesday at an award ceremony at the Carter Center in Abuja, Nigeria, according to a local news website.

“We are very interested in the primaries. Don’t forget that Obama won in my state of Georgia. My town which is home to 625 people is for Obama, my children and their spouses are pro-Obama.

"My grandchildren are also pro-Obama. As a superdelegate, I would not disclose who I am rooting for but I leave you to make that guess," the website quoted Carter as saying.

Carter's press secretary confirmed the comments Thursday and reiterated the President's intention to remain uncommitted to a specific presidential candidate until the Democratic Party Convention in August.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the race for the White House.

Georgians Ready for Inauguration Festivities

Thousands of Georgians have made the trek to Washington D.C. to take-in today’s Inauguration events. Last night, about a thousand people attended a ball put on by the Georgia State Society.

Among some Georgia-connected names in D.C. today--the Reverand Joseph Lowery. He will deliver the benediction at today's Inauguration. Lowery is the co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and retired pastor of Atlanta’s Cascade United Methodist Church.

Across Georgia, there will be viewing parties and events for the Inauguration. Those include in Plains. Some of the people who once helped Jimmy Carter win the nation's highest office are gathering in Carter's hometown. The Jimmy Carter National Historic Site is hosting a special Inaugural Day event at the Plains High School Museum/Visitor Center.

Complete Inauguration coverage can be heard on the Georgia Public Broadcasting radio network. You can also get updates anytime by going to our website: gpb.org

Explosives Found Near Carter's Route

Former President Jimmy Carter has criticized Israel's blockade during a trip to Gaza. He encouraged the territory's Hamas rulers to accept international conditions for ending its boycott of the militant Islamic group. During his visit, Hamas security found what appeared to be explosives buried in a sand dune next to Carter's route. No one was hurt, and it was unclear if the former president was being targeted. Carter spoke at a graduation for students from United Nations-run schools in Gaza City. He criticized the Gaza blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt after Hamas took control. Carter's Gaza visit came at the end of a swing though Lebanon, Syria and Israel. He encouraged officials in all countries to move toward a negotiated end to the Middle East conflict.

(Associated Press)

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)

Click here for more GPB News coverage about the Carter Center.

Storm downs tree into Carter's Americus home

An oak tree struck the Plains home of former President Jimmy Carter as Tropical Storm Fay moved through southwest Georgia, according to a family member.

Jeff Carter, one of the former president's sons, says the tree struck the house Saturday night just above the living room. He says both his father and his mother, Rosalynn Carter, were at home at the time but neither was hurt.

The former president is scheduled to address the Democratic National Convention in Denver this evening.

Information from: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, http://www.ajc.com

(The Associated Press)

Israeli ambassador attacks Carter

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations yesterday called former President Jimmy Carter "a bigot." The comment came after the Georgia native met with the leader of the militant Hamas movement in Syria. Ambassador Dan Gillerman said Carter "went to the region with soiled hands and came back with bloody hands after shaking the hand of Khaled Mashaal, the leader of Hamas."

Carter adds name to call for Davis clemency

Emergency stays of execution have been filed on behalf of death row inmate Troy Anthony Davis. And, another name has been added to the list of those calling for a review of the case. The nation’s highest court is scheduled to consider a request to halt Davis’ execution at their first conference on Sept. 29. A similar request for stay has been filed with Georgia’s top court. Davis is scheduled to die by lethal injection this coming Tuesday for the 1989 shooting death of an off-duty Savannah police officer. The state of Georgia had petitioned both courts not to consider the case. The case has attracted international attention. Earlier today former President Jimmy Carter issued a statement urging the Georgia and Pardons and parole board to reverse its decision to deny clemency to Davis. Carter says the case shows deep flaws in the application of the death penalty in this country. Davis’s lawyers have tried to spare his life by arguing Davis needs a new trial because 7 of the 9 witnesses in the original trial have since recanted their testimony.