Jimmy Carter's Cowboy Diplomacy

The Washington Post is reporting that former US President Jimmy Carter is planning to travel to Syria to meet with Khaled Meshal, the head of Hamas.  The trip was first disclosed by the Arabic-language paper al-Hayat. 

Because Carter has long been known for his one-sided reading of the Arab-Israeli conflict, The National Jewish Democratic Council has expressed concern in the past about his ongoing, deeply biased commentary on the Arab-Israeli conflict.  It does not serve the United States' or Israel’s interest to have such an individual meeting with an organization devoted to the destruction of Israel.

Both Democratic Presidential candidates sharply rebuked Carter’s plans.

Dan Shapiro, Senator Obama’s Mideast advisor, issued the following statement:
“As soon as the news broke of former President Carter's intention to meet with Hamas leaders on his upcoming trip to the Middle East, Barack Obama made clear that he disagrees with that decision, and authorized his campaign to make his opposition known.  Barack Obama views Hamas as a terrorist organization dedicated to Israel's destruction, and believes they cannot be treated as a legitimate actor until they recognize Israel, renounce violence, and abide by past agreements.  That has been his position consistently, and it places him squarely at odds with former President Carter's plan to meet with Hamas leaders.”

Phil Singer, a Senator Clinton spokesman, said, "Hillary respects former President Carter but disagrees with his decision,"..."She would not meet with Hamas without coordinating with Israel."

It is clear that Jimmy Carter has decided to reject the opinions of the presidential candidates of his party and to continue on his own course of maverick foreign policy.   Haven’t we learned our lesson about the perils of cowboy diplomacy?