NAMES IN THE NEWS : Carter Takes On Role in Mideast

ATLANTA — Fresh from a key negotiating role in Nicaragua, former President Jimmy Carter is departing Sunday for Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Israel on a fact-finding trip with his wife, Rosalynn.

“This trip will provide us with a firsthand view of the economic and social issues that now dominate the political agendas of Middle Eastern states and will enrich our understanding of the sensitive issues associated with the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations,” said Kenneth Stein, director of the Middle Eastern Studies program at the Carter Center of Emory University.

Stein will accompany the Carters, who returned last week from Nicaragua, where they led an election observer team and helped in negotiations afterward between the ruling Sandinista party and the victorious opposition.