This is guaranteed to get the Bush Administration involved. Yesterday, Former President Carter called for more funding of the Palestinians, now that hamas has won an outright victory in Parlimentary elections. Is this fellow a Genius of What!? Hey, he didn't win that Prize from Sweden for nothing!

Obviously our Darlin' Jimmy has never has any psychology courses, because Pavlov has to be a foreign name to him. Only a Leftie could ever think that rewarding bad behaviour will guarante peace.


Carter calls for funding Palestinians

A day after Hamas swept to an upset victory in the Palestinian parliamentary elections, former US President Jimmy Carter on Thursday said that Wednesday's voting had been orderly and fair.

"The elections were completely honest, completely fair, completely safe and without violence," the former president said.

Carter, who led an 85-member international observer team from around the world organized by the 'National Democratic Institute' in partnership with 'The Carter Center,' urged the international community to directly or indirectly fund the new Palestinian Government even though it will be led by an internationally-declared foreign terror organization.

"The Palestinian Government is destitute, and in desperate financial straits. I hope that support for the new government will be forthcoming," Carter said at a Jerusalem press conference.

He added that if international law barred donor countries from directly funding a Hamas-led government than the US and the EU should bypass the Palestinian Authority and provide the "much-needed" money to the Palestinians via non-governmental channels such as UN agencies.

"Regardless of the government, I would hope that potential donors find alternative means to be generous to the Palestinian people [even] if the donor decides to bypass the Palestinian government completely," Carter said, stressing that his main concern was to avert the "suffering" of the Palestinian people, which he said could lead to a new cycle of violence.

He noted that the heavily funded Palestinian Government would run out of money at the end of next month.

Hamas, the largest and most powerful of the Palestinian terror organizations, which advocates Israel's destruction, has carried out scores of bombings over the last five years of Palestinian violence, attacks which have killed hundreds of Israeli civilians.

Earlier Thursday, Israeli statesman Shimon Peres had opined in a radio interview that international aid to a Hamas-led government would likely be terminated.

The former Democratic president's comments came as US President Bush said that Hamas cannot be a partner for Middle East peacemaking without renouncing violence, reiterating that the United States will not deal with Palestinian leaders who do not recognize Israel's right to exist.

Carter, who has long supported the participation of Hamas in the Palestinian elections, voiced the hope that the Islamic terror group would act "responsibly" now that it had won the elections.

"My hope is that as Hamas assumes a major role in the next government, whatever that might be, it will take a position on international standards of responsibility," he said at the news conference, held at an east Jerusalem hotel.

The 85-member election observers team, which was led by Carter, former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Blidt former Albanian President Rexhep Meidani and former Spanish Foreign Minister Ana Palacio, included political and civic leaders from 22 countries around the world.

"It is now up to the elected leaders and representatives to construct genuinely democratic institutions and processes that will bring the peace and prosperity that the Palestinian people deserve, within a free and independent state," the group said in a preliminary report on the parliamentary elections issued Thursday.

"It is universally accepted that democratic elections and democratic governance are about employing peaceful means to achieve political goals," the report stated.

Although I don't agree specifically with Carter here, John, this is called Diplomacy. Something the Bush administration lacks.

Hey SG, if that is Really diplomacy, then I a very pleased to see that the Bush Administration is lacking thereof. This is simply outrageous. Have you ever heard of "Stimulus Response" psychology. Pavlov proved this over a century ago. If we reward hamas with money, then they will only have more further incentives to do what they have been doing best, because they get rewarded for their actions.

The correct stance is to withhold any money UNTIL they play according to the rules of civilized behaviour. I simply can't see this any other way. I guess this is why Darlin' Jimmy and I live in different, parallel universes.

Darlin' Jimmy is senile and hungry for attention from his Democrat superiors, and willing to do anything for any bone they will throw him.

Hmmm - I thought that the Bush administration has been pushing hard for there to be democarcy in the middle east? Now that you don't like who they've freely elected into power, am I seeing some more GOP hypocracy rearing it's ugly little head among the fools in the GOP and the Bearpit?

Gotta love you friggin' republican hypocrites - you make life so intertesting for the rest of us! You've reaped what you've sown and now can't swallow it as you choke on the results.

LOL!!!!!!

You seem to be under the impression that encouraging democracy = always liking the results of elections.

As for Carter, it's sad to watch him try to return to the political arena. Especially when he had managed to reclaim his dignity via humanitarian works like Habitat for Humanity.

Ben, this is GreyMan talking to. He doesn't get any better than this. He just likes to flame.

However, that being said, I think it's rather humorous for Carter to be doing anything concerning foreign relations. After all, it was under his watch that the Shah of Iran lost power after he promised the Shah that he ( Carter) had his back, and then when the going got rough, pulled out support and left the country to be taken over by the current crowd in power. Kinduv set us up for the current situation in the M.E. And, Sortuv like he did in Afghannie, too, which again set us up for the current situation in M.E. by turning OSL against us for deserting him and the Mujahideen after the Russian/Afghannie conflict.
Who gave this looney-tune chump the idea that he has the brains to be telling anyone how to do anything?

Funny - we have a president that makes Bugs Bunny look like a genius! But - Jimmy has every right to say what he wants just as Solo and John L have the right to ##### and moan about whatever he says as much as they want.

Ain't America Great?

Jimmy Carter the President and the Jimmy Carter of today are two different people. I really did not like his foreign policy but he was probably the smartest President in the last 40 years.
Good for him for his present work. Diplomacy goes a long way.

Smartest?

Yea, even you can, Grey.

And, we'll wait and see what history says about Bush. He's the greatest President I've seen in a long time as far as I'm concerned. And, as you say.............he has the right to do whatever he wants to do, just like you and me. Especially, since he was ELECTED TO DO SO. What's your claim to fame? An illustrator?

One good ad hominem deserves another.

Not really - I just enjoy my work and it's been good for me and my career. What's your excuse?

Are you saying being shrewd and corrupt makes you smarter?

Excuse? For what? I don't need any excuse. Do you?

BTW, I'm putting you back on Ignore as I can see the good manners I saw on Jane after you were banned over there haven't reached over here. Buh Bye.

Oh please do give us your reasoning on this one.

Carter is a good example for all of us as a Christian. It must have been very difficult for him as a Fundamental Christian to be President with some of the social issues happening during his presidency. He does put to shame most of these so called "religious right" politician hypocrites as far as I'm concerned. I have nothing but respect for this man.

F Jimmy Carter and F the Palestinians. They deserve each other!

Condi Rice says it best - no money for Hamas.
Perhaps it's time for Israel to step in...

You got that right!

I love it - the intellectual right wing rears it's magnificent head! Bravo!

Who said that honest debate is dead?

I'm with SkiGuy on this one. Carter came closest of any president since....since....anybody in trying not to violate his personal mandates as a Christian, when he was President - precisely why he gets such bad marks as president. Once he got out of the White House, he was out from under that cloud, and could be a Christian without defending the Constitution.

No post-White Office president, including Herbert Hoover, did more for humanity than Carter. He has no 'superiors' in the Democratic party. He is their elder statesman. He is also a very seasoned veteran of monitoring elections to gauge their democratic process.

Israel is already a terrorist nation, funded in the billions of dollars by another terrorist nation, the USA.

However, I don't expect Hamas to become pacifists. I think Carter is foolishly optimistic to think the leaders of Palestine will sit back and let Israel-USA drive the Palestinians into the sea.