Carter's meeting draws criticism

DAMASCUS, Syria, April 19 (UPI) -- Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has met behind closed doors with exiled Hamas official Khalid Meshaal in Syria despite criticism, Carter's aides said.

CNN reported Carter met with Meshaal and lower-level Hamas officials for more than 90 minutes in Damascus. The meeting has drawn fierce criticism from the governments of the United States and Israel, who both see Hamas as a terrorist organization, CNN said.

"I don't think people are going to confuse the efforts of a private citizen ... with the very clear policies of the United States government," U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Friday.

David Welch, assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, said: "Regrettably, Hamas will try to take political advantage" of Carter's meeting with the group.

For Carter's part, he has said he is in the region as part of a study mission, not as a government representative.

"I'm not a negotiator. I'm just trying to understand different opinions and communicate, provide communications between people that won't communicate with each other," Carter said at the beginning of his nine-day trip to the Middle East.

On Saturday, Carter arrived in Saudi Arabia, where he was greeted by External Affairs Minister Nizar Madani and other officials. Carter is in the kingdom to meet with officials over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.