Carter to meet Mashaal in Damascus

High-ranking political and diplomatic sources in the Syrian capital Damascus revealed on Tuesday that former US president Jimmy Carter plans to meet with Khaled Mashaal, head of the political bureau of Hamas in the Syrian capital Damascus later this month.

The sources that spoke on condition of anonymity told Quds Press that other high-profile international figures, including former South African president Nelson Mandela, former UN secretary-general Kofi Anan, and prime minister of New Zealand were supposed to join Carter in his visit.

The sources also disclosed that the delegation was scheduled to visit occupied Palestine and meet with Hamas political leaders in the Gaza Strip, but Israel's rejection of the visit prompted the delegation to re-route to Damascus instead with the aim of meeting Mashaal.

Yet, according to the sources, tremendous pressures were practiced on members of the delegation to cancel the visit, but, the sources added, Carter was the only one who withstood those pressures and insisted on going ahead with his plan.

The sources expect that the discussions will cover the issues of truce, prisoner swap and Palestinian reconciliation.

Carter was among the more than 1,000 foreign supervisors who oversaw the PA legislative elections in January 2006, and testified that that the elections were free, fair and transparent.