Former President Jimmy Carter's passport is safe, even though he traveled to the Middle East to meet with an
organization formally recognized as terroristic by the U.S. government, according to White House Press Secretary Dana Perino.
Perino responded in today's press briefing to a question from Les Kinsolving, WND's
correspondent at the White House, who asked, "Does the president believe that Congress, as well as the case of Haig vs.
Agee, have or have not granted the right to revoke passports and if so, why hasn't Jimmy Carter's passport been
revoked as requested by Deputy Minority Whip Sue Myrick?"
Perino said, "I think we went over this last week. I don't have anything else to add."
In a second question, Kinsolving asked: " Human Events reports that when John Gizzi asked you about any possible
prosecution of Mr. Carter under the Logan Act, you referred the question to the State Department. They referred this
question to the Justice Department which referred it back to the State Department. Question. What do you believe
these evasions tell the world about the Bush administration compared to former President Carter?"
"Let's just put it this way. No one is suggesting revoking President Carter's passport. Period," Perino said.
"Why not?" Kinsolving asked.
"Period," she said.
Myrick has called on Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to revoke Carter's passport in response to his
traveling to Syria and Egypt to meet with delegations from the terrorist group Hamas.
Since 1995, the Palestinian organization has officially been designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization.
"Former President Carter has acted in contradiction of international agreements to isolate Hamas," Myrick has said. "He has acted in defiance of both United States policy and
international policy."
After Hamas won the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections, Washington, along with the United Nations, the
European Union and Russia, called on Hamas to renounce terror, recognize Israel and recognize the previous
agreements between the Palestinian Authority and Israel as they seek an agreement to make peace. Hamas has
categorically rejected the three conditions for more than two years.
Rep. Sue Myrick, R-N.C. |
Carter, nevertheless, met with Mahmoud Zahar, a top Hamas leader with control over militants in the Gaza Strip, after
meeting earlier with a high-ranked Hamas politician. Carter reportedly hugged and kissed another Hamas
leader in the West Bank town of Ramallah. Carter's embrace of Nasser Shaer, a senior Hamas politician, at a
closed-door reception organized by Carter's office, was reported by several news outlets.
"He gave me a hug. We hugged each other, and it was a warm reception," Shaer said. "Carter asked what he can do
to achieve peace between the Palestinians and Israel ... and I told him the possibility for peace is high."
But the heaviest criticism for Carter came over a meeting with Hamas' exiled leader Khaled Meshaal. The U.S. has
designated Meshal, who is said to be responsible for the deaths of more than two dozen Americans, a terrorist.
Carter also met with Meshal's deputy, Moussa Abu Marzouk, also a fugitive terrorist wanted by the U.S.
In addition, Carter laid a wreath at the grave of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in
Ramallah.
"His actions reward terrorists, lend support, and provide legitimacy to their belief that violence will
eventually get them what they want," said Myrick, founder and co-chair of the House Anti-Terrorism/Jihad Caucus.
Congress granted the secretary of state the power to grant and verify passports. In 1981, the U.S.
Supreme Court held in the case of Haig vs. Agee that the secretary of state has the implied power to revoke
passports as well, noted Myrick spokesman Andy Polk.
Another U.S. lawmaker also has introduced legislation to strip
Carter's Georgia-based scholarly institution of taxpayer support.
And a third lawmaker presented a non-binding resolution that would urge former presidents to refrain from "freelance
diplomacy" in direct response to Carter's visit.
"America must speak with one voice against our terrorist enemies," Rep. Joe Knollenberg, R-Mich., said in a
statement. "It sends a fundamentally troubling message when an American dignitary is engaged in dialogue with
terrorists. My legislation will make sure that taxpayer dollars are not being used to support discussions or
negotiations with terrorist groups."
Knollenberg said the Carter Center, at Emory University in Atlanta, has received about $19 million in taxpayer funds since 2001.
Meanwhile, the non-binding legislation was forwarded by Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa.
If adopted, the bill would express the "sense of Congress" that it "disapproves of former President Jimmy
Carter's freelance diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, which contradict the stated foreign policy position of the
current Administration."
Perino also earlier expressed concern about Carter's meetings with Hamas. She noted Hamas' meetings
with Carter and its expressed desire to work for peace, followed by a terrorist attack conducted by Hamas.
"I think actions speak louder than words, and we remain very concerned about the situation," she said.
Perion said at the time that Carter "is a private citizen, and he made a decision to not comply with what the State
Department asked him to do."
"What I think the president would focus on is, if you go back to what reportedly Hamas said to former President
Carter, that they were willing to take these steps for peace, that the very next day, that they went ahead and
murdered many people at the Gaza crossing," she said.
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