UPDATED ON:
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
23:01 Mecca time, 20:01 GMT
News Middle East
Carter ready to meet Hezbollah
Carter was widely criticised for meeting
Meshaal in April [AFP]

Jimmy Carter, the former US president, has said he is ready to meet with Hezbollah officials if they agree to see him.

Carter made his comments upon arrival in Lebanon on Tuesday where he will assess whether his Atlanta-based Carter Centre would take part in monitoring next year's parliamentary elections.

Asked whether he would meet with Hezbollah officials during his five-day visit, Carter told reporters that it was up to the group, which the United States considers a "terrorist" organisation.

"I am going to meet with all of the political parties as possible," Carter said. "I understand that several leaders of Hezbollah said they were not going to meet with any president or former president of the United States, so I don't know yet."

Hezbollah official told The Associated Press news agency the group had no immediate comment on Carter's remarks but said it might issue a statement, most likely on Wednesday.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

Attacks

Washington blames Hezbollah for the explosion that killed 241 US Marines at their Beirut barracks in 1983, as well as for two attacks on the US embassy in Beirut and the 1985 TWA hijacking that killed an American serviceman on board.

Hezbollah denies the accusations and says it opposes terrorism.

Carter was widely criticised in April when he met in Syria with Khaled Meshaal, the exiled Hamas political leader.

The US also labels Hamas, the Palestinian group that controls the Gaza Strip, a "terrorist" organisation.

The Mashaal-Carter meeting led to the delivery of a handwritten letter from Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit, who was captured by Hamas-linked fighters near the Gaza border in 2006, to his parents.

While in Lebanon, Carter said he will meet with Michel Suleiman, the Lebanese president and Fuad Siniora, the prime minister.

"I will also be making an assessment on whether the Carter Center will monitor the elections that we hope will be held on time next June," Carter said.

Next year's elections are expected to be fierce between US-backed groups that hold majority seats in the current parliament and those backed by Syria, including Hezbollah.

 Source: Agencies
 
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Feedback Number of comments : 2
 
NIZAR.P.K,dubai
United Arab Emirates
11/12/2008
Carter ready to meet Hezbollah
Hezbollah has something to learn from Hamas on diplomacy

Hugo van Randwyck
United Kingdom
10/12/2008
Carter ready to meet Hezbollah
Jimmy Carter could support Palestinian refugees/diaspora voting on the same day as the Israelis next year, for their own representatives. He could ask the Lebanese government for support in Palestinian refugees in Lebanon voting, linking their voter registration cards to their ancestral towns, e.g. Haifa, Jaffa. What would Hezbollah's opinion be? The sooner Palestinian refugees have voter registration cards, the sooner they can vote on peace options.

 
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