To the Editor:

In "Pariah Diplomacy," former President Jimmy Carter rationalizes his destructive interference in the Middle East conflict in the same way an addict in denial insists he doesn't have a problem (op-ed, April 28).  Some familiar themes include: "it is the other guy's fault"; selective manipulation of reality; and a breezy dismissal of any personal motives.

He wants us to believe he just happened to be on his way home from a family outing to monitor elections in Nepal when he decided to drop in on Israel and, while they were there, he thought it would be a good idea to meet with terrorists because, in his view, "Hamas had . . . gained a reputation for effective and honest administration . . ." in Gaza.

President Carter's outlandish statements reflect his continued unwillingness to accept that Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization not only by the U.S. and Israel, but also by the European Union.  He blithely asserts that Hamas "gained control of Gaza," ignoring the fact that the gain came from a violent coup against the democratically elected Fatah government which included days of internecine fighting, killing dozens of the Palestinians it sought to control.

The list of "responses" he received from Hamas, which he believes "enhances the prospects for peace," consists of conditional proposals that lend undeserved legitimacy to a terrorist organization and which would require Israel to take extreme security risks.

Although Mr. Carter may have accomplished a great result in Nepal, he should know better than most that it is simplistic to compare any other conflict with the situation in the Middle East.