Rice Refutes Carter, Says US Advised Against Trip

She clarifies opposition to Hamas meeting
By Sam Gale Rosen,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 22, 2008 5:13 PM CDT
Rice Refutes Carter, Says US Advised Against Trip
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter delivers a speech during a meeting held by the Israeli Council of Foreign Relations in Jerusalem, Monday, April 21, 2008.   (AP Photo)

Condoleezza Rice says the US explicitly advised Jimmy Carter not to meet with Hamas, refuting claims by the former president that no one in the government told him to scrap the trip, the Washington Post reports. "I just don't want there to be any confusion," Rice said. "We counseled President Carter against" the meeting.

"We wanted to make sure there would be no confusion and that there would be no sense" that Hamas is part of official peace negotiations, said Rice. Carter has said that he met with one of Rice's deputy secretaries, who told him last week's trip would not be advisable but did not tell him to skip it. (More Jimmy Carter stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X