Mid-East Experts Answer Questions

I think too there is much precedent for this. The South African government's release of Nelson Mandela was preceded by years of unofficial contact by private citizens, the U.S.-Vietnamese reconciliation was preceded by a robust citizens' effort, and the opening in Northern Ireland was rife with private contacts that proved quite useful. I agree with the sense of what you say, Ms. Keeney -- there are private efforts that backfire, that are amateurish, that are focused on superficial understandings. We should recoil from all such efforts. But in this case, I think that Mr. Carter was careful, credible, and mature in his expectations.

And frankly, I never voted for him.