Carter savages Blair and Bush: 'Their war was based on lies'

[mourningdove92]

Jimmy Carter, the former US president, has strongly criticised George Bush and Tony Blair for waging an unnecessary war to oust Saddam Hussein based on "lies or misinterpretations". The 2002 Nobel peace prize winner said Mr Blair had allowed his better judgement to be swayed by Mr Bush's desire to finish a war that his father had started.

In an interview with The Independent on the first anniversary of the American and British invasion of Iraq, Mr Carter, who was president from 1977 to 1981, said the two leaders probably knew that many of the claims being made about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction were based on imperfect intelligence.

He said: "There was no reason for us to become involved in Iraq recently. That was a war based on lies and misinterpretations from London and from Washington, claiming falsely that Saddam Hussein was responsible for 9/11 attacks, claiming falsely that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. And I think that President Bush and Prime Minister Blair probably knew that many of the allegations were based on uncertain intelligence ... a decision was made to go to war 'Let's find a reason to do so'."

http://news.independent.co.uk/low_res/story.jsp?story=503722&host=3&dir=508


Go Jimmy,Go. Tell it like it is!!!!!!!!

[rockymountaindem]

1. Is it just me,

or is Jimmy Carter doing a better job as an ex-President than he did as President? Not to detract from his job as Prez, but man is he helping us out or what? He's doing a great job for the whole world, and I'm really proud to call him a fellow American and Democrat.

I also notice he hasn't betrayed us like Zell... hmmm... a man of honor in politics? Who'da thunk it?

[JoFerret]

2. I woulda thunk it

Great man. Always was. One of the most intelligent, committed, patriotic, decent people around. If one measure of presidents is in part what they do when they leave office...then Carter is exceptional

[playahata1]

13. The man has done more out of office

than he WAS ABLE TO DO WHILE IN OFFICE. (I have heard that there was some underhanded stuff done by the Repukes vis a vis the Iranian hostage crisis, and Carter could do nothing about it.)

[moondust]

31. One account of the Iran hostage deal of 1980.

http://www.tmtmetropolis.ru/stories/2002/09/06/120.html

When discussing "Carter's weak presidency" and the hostage crisis no one ever mentions the fact that those hostages were being held at gunpoint by terrorist madmen at the epicenter of the known terrorist universe. I've never heard Carter's critics explain how they would have magically pulled them out of a spot like that.

Give 'em hell, Jimmy!!

[Maccagirl]

3. No, you are not alone in that assessment

Jimmy Carter committed the ultimate sin-he was a bad politican.

[Bandit]

34. No the ultimate sin was "He lusted in his heart"

After he made that statement they did everything they could to crucify him.

[leesa]

12. He did a good job as Pres too but corporate media told you otherwise

Corporate media Dem killing techniques are not new.

[ashling]

19. Jimmy Carter was, to my mind, one of

the best prsients in the history of this country. Unfortunately, he campaigned big time as an outsider, and was going to change Washington. This was on the heels of Nixon?Ford and Ford's pardon of Nixon.

However, by the time he got in, he had pissed of the Democratic establishment in Washington so much that he couldn't work with them.

So, he will forever be known as one of the best, most honest, most moral EX presidents we have ever had.

:shrug:

:dem:

[Malva Zebrina]

4. I dunno but I do know that I admire Jimmy Carter more than ever before

I do think he is an honorable man who thinks integrity and conscience takes precidence over profit, greed and exploitation of labor

I do think he is a true Democrat

[yardwork]

5. I liked him at the time.

[Auntie Bush]

16. My husband loved him too...He always did and always will.

He'll be pleased to see this report. :)

[saigon68]

7. Carter does have integrity and conscience

That is why he is so well respected in the world. We will need him to do just that once Kerry is elected President.
Carter's help will be needed to get the U.N. to control the mess in Iraq-Nam

[SharonAnn]

20. Yes, I'm embarassed to say I was taken in by the GOP spin

machine during the years he was president. He inherited an absolutely TERRIBLE economy from Gerald Ford, with high inflation and no growth, high unemployment, and lots of other problems.

Carter is often blamed for high inflation byt why doesn't anyone remember Dick Nixon and his "price controls" to stop inflation and Gerald Ford's "W.I.N." (Whip Inflation Now) buttons?

And, unfortunately, I expected Carter to clean up all this mess, including the overthrow of the Shah which was a problem created by his predecessors, in a couple of years.

So I unfortunately followed the GOP spin machine about how bad Carter was and completely forgot (for a time) about how truly awful his predecessors were.

[Rowdyboy]

6. Jimmy Carter RARELY openly criticizes any president

This is damning. He is obviously furious to use language like "There was no reason for us to become involved in Iraq recently. That was a war based on LIES and misinterpretations from London and Washington..."

Damning

[coloradodem2005]

8. Go Jimmy!!!!!

:yourock:

[PartyPooper]

9. These remarks come from a Nobel Peace Prize winner.

President Carter, I voted for you, too. I loved you then...and, I love you even more today! God bless you for all that you have done for humanity!

O8)

[tabasco]

32. You take the words out of my mouth!

Carter is a true patriot and a man of peace. The republicans show what scurrilous, evil bastards they are when they trash this truly great man.

[alittlelark]

10. Unfortunately his remarks will fall on many deaf ears

The right- wing smear machine whet their teeth on him. Many believe him to be 'the worst president in modern history'.

They did a good job. Many rate him well below Raygun and GB1......pathtic.

But I am still soooo proud to have him in my party!!

[gulfcoastliberal]

14. Wolfie Trashed Him Today...

When he interviewed the Shah's wife regarding her new book. He kept putting words in her mouth, basically saying that Carter was totally responsible for the Shiite revolution that installed Ayatollah Khomeini. Total bullshit. Another disgusting dem-bashing display by the Blitzkrieg. Asshole.

[burrowowl]

17. The Shah was a bloody dictator

installed by the U$ and had we maybe supported more deomcratic and reasonable types Khomeini would have not made history.

[SharonAnn]

21. He was a lot like Saddam Hussein, if you think about it.

he diverted the country's oil money to his own, personal use.

He had his opponents rounded up by his "security police" (SAVIK) and tortured, then murdered. He tolerated no opposition, not even any criticism.

He built lots of personal palaces and spent lavishly on ostentatious buildings and other finery. He spent lavishly on personal luxuries, included scandalously expensive parties.

Yup, sounds like Saddam.

[rockymountaindem]

11. I just sent him an e-mail

telling him what a great man he is and how proud I am that he is representing our country.

What a guy! Thanx Pres. Carter!

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

15. What's his email addy?

[rockymountaindem]

26. I got the address of his Library.

I forget what it is but you can google the site.

[flaminbats]

25. Imagine America if Carter had been re-elected...

we would have universal healthcare, little dependence on fossil fuels, less than a third of the national debt, lower taxes, lower unemployment, higher wages, better education, reduced world poverty, a solvent Social Security System, no arms-for-hostages deal with Iran, no Cold War military aid to Iraq, no sweetheart deals with Saudi Arabia, and no 9/11!

I hope he emails you back..showing his solid support for John Kerry. :thumbsup:

[MikeG]

18. Go Jimmy. Peanut Power Lives!!!!

[abracadabra]

22. remember Carter was a military man

He was a Nuclear Submarine Admiral !
He "ain't" no wuss in other words--
Carter is a man with true humanitarian concerns with a great respect for other world leaders (even unpopular ones like Arafat)--
Peace is his mission and we are so lucky to have him as a spokesman.

[goclark]

23. Love You President Carter

I pray that we restore the dignity to the office again.
For sure, you are doing everything in your power to let the world know about the horrors that have faced us with Mush.

[shanti]

24. ^5 jimmy!!

go get 'em!

[Barkley]

27. Know Justice, Know Peace!

Proud that I voted for Carter in '76 and '80.

[T_i_B]

28. Here's the interview

http://news.independent.co.uk/people/profiles/story.jsp?story=503708

"I didn't think about it much when I was doing the writing but in retrospect I can see it," he said. "It shows us that the US should not act unilaterally. Had we acted unilaterally and not gone out recruiting - through the efforts of Benjamin Franklin and others - a relationship with the French, we would not have prevailed. The British would have defeated us." Is that a lesson for today? "I think so. Most wars, certainly not all, could have been avoided.

"There was no reason for us to become involved in Iraq last year. That was a war based on lies and misinterpretations from London and Washington, claiming falsely that Saddam Hussein was responsible for 9/11, claiming falsely that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.

"President Bush and Prime Minister Blair probably knew that many of the allegations were based on uncertain intelligence and a decision was made to go to war 'lets find a reason to do so'.

"Bush Jnr was inclined to finish a war ... that his father had precipitated against Iraq. And his coterie of influential advisers, including Cheney and Rumsfeld and Condoleezza Rice and Richard Perle and Wolfowitz and others had long ago expressed publicly through their writings and statements a belief that we should overthrow Saddam's regime."

[Piperay]

29. You tell em Jimmy

cause :yourock:

[Jim Warren]

30. Gonna email Jimmy a thank you

The antithesis of President Carter and the work he's done since leaving office we have bushco running guns for carlyle.

[fob]

33. You know, I knew when the lede used Blasts and Savages they

would actually be referring to the truth as told by someone who not only has a brain in his head, but is able to USE IT!!

bush* and blair blasted the truth and savaged their citizens, Jimmy Carter uses truth to point these facts out - Now that would be appropriate.

[Dr Fate]

35. I've never seen Carter be so critical of a fellow President...

(...spare me the comments on my use of the phrase "fellow President- I know, I know...)

Strong stuff from the Georgia boy, indeed...