Democrats Grant Terrorist Legitimacy

Former President 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.

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.

Several Democratic members of the House apparently plan to forward a letter to Carter Monday urging him to reconsider his scheduled meeting with leaders of Hamas during his next visit to the Middle East. Reps. Artur Davis of Alabama, Shelley Berkley of Nevada, Adam Schiff of California, and Adam Smith of Washington state asked Carter to drop the planned meeting.

"I find it hard to understand what is going to be gained by having discussions with Hamas about peace when Hamas is, in fact, the impediment to peace," Rice said at a press event with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

And Rice is not the Lone Ranger. This is not just a proclamation of neo-con policy dogma. It is an empirical fact: Hamas is the problem . . . not even remotely near or interested in a solution.
"Hamas is a terrorist organization," Rice said, repeating the Bush administration's explanation for why it will not meet with members of the group.

Edit:
When former president Jimmy Carter meets with terrorist Hamas leader Khaled Mashall this Friday in Damascus he will apparently violate two federal laws. His eager defiance of the law threatens Americans at home and our troops abroad.

Carter’s meeting will violate the Logan Act (18 U.S.C. § 953) which makes it a felony for any American, “…without authority of the United States,” to communicate with a foreign government in an effort to influence that government's behavior on any “…disputes or controversies with the United States.” A citizen found guilty of this law could be imprisoned for up to three years. Carter’s specific intention is “to provide momentum for current efforts to secure peace in the Middle East.”

Carter’s proposed meeting will also violate part of the USA Patriot Act of 2001 which prohibits any US citizen from knowingly providing “…material support or resources” to a foreign terrorist organization (18 U.S.C. § 2339A(b)). The phrase “material support or resources” includes “expert advice” which is what former presidents provide. A citizen found guilty of violating this law could be imprisoned for life.