Posted on 08/12/2005 2:48:12 PM PDT by jeepgal
KINGS BAY, Georgia (Reuters) - The 2003 invasion of Iraq was a mistake that has boosted the ranks and morale of extremist Islamic groups and made them a greater threat to U.S. interests, former President Jimmy Carter said on Friday.
"We have not lessened the strength of terrorists around the world and have not lessened but have increased both the number and the fervor and the organizational capabilities of terrorists," Carter said in a news conference at this U.S. naval base in southeastern Georgia.
Carter, the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 and one of the fiercest U.S. critics of the war in Iraq, added that he was opposed to a sudden withdrawal of U.S. troops "because it would lead to a "debacle" in the Middle Eastern nation.
Carter's comments came one day after President George W. Bush rejected calls for a quick pullout. Bush, who is vacationing at his ranch in Texas, said a premature withdrawal would betray the Iraqis just as they are being trained to defend themselves and eventually take over from U.S. soldiers.
More than 1,800 U.S. soldiers have been killed since a U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq in the spring of 2003, toppling Saddam Hussein from power.
Carter was in Kings Bay, Georgia, to tour the U.S.S. Jimmy Carter, a newly commissioned nuclear submarine. Carter, a former Navy submarine officer, and his wife, Rosalynn, spent Thursday night on the submerged vessel.
I don't know which former Pres is winning the worst-of-all-time contest, but some candidates are still in the running.
Then let him stick to that and leave off the moralizing about something he is largely to blame for.
No argument here
Sorry, didn't mean to vent on you. But this little bit of "Leftist" wisdom drives me nuts. "Fighting the Terrorist is breeding Terrorists" I would of thought after 9-11 the Hysteric Left would have the deceny to sit down and shut up so we could get on with the job of saving Civilization AGAIN.
And what about Jimmah's support for Castro? What a humanitarian. He needs to knock back a few Billy Beers and give it a rest.
Unfortunately, both are considered capital ships. Jimmy deserved a garbage scow!
Another Rat traitor. What a surprise.
Well at least that is something Jimmuh would know about.
Yeah, there have been several Presidents who came in with excellent credentials and couldn't meet a new outside threat. Too much success in academia [Hoover, Wilson] can do that. Lack of theoretical background [Grant, Andy Jackson] can also do that. Somebody that can get down and slug it out in the muck like TR and Lincoln and also can write papers capable of being published in academic journals like Jefferson might be a good enough balance. Know anybody like that?
Exactly how I feel. That little man has done tremendous damage to our wonderful Republic. That little evil man hates everything this country stands for. I will NEVER ever forgive him for his purposefully evil actions.
He's the guy who created the threat by allowing and encouraging Khomeni and the mullahs to take over Iran and overthrow the Shah. Fine man to be talking.
The abandonment of the Shah in the 70's by the Carter administration gave rise to Islamo-fascism.
Carter is too senile to remember that.
OIperatrion Helicopter Crash. We remember it well, and still thank the Canadian troops who risked everything to save our embarrassed US bacon.
Jimmy Carter's an idealogue, all right : he sees the world through the eyes of Marx and Mao. He hates the idea of ideological freedom, He believes knowlege is dangerous and should be controlled. He's Evil. Sure he bumbles around and talks and acts stupid...so does Bill Clinton. But trust me, bumbling evil is no less evil than competent evil. They KNOW that they're doing when they're working to destroy freedom. They're doing their jobs.
Oh Peanuts Jimmah...
Doesn't he have some invasive Royal Empress Trees to go Plant?
Carter the Anus gives an entirely new meaning to the expression 'Rhoid Rage'.
Mr. Carter, would you prefer that we wait until several major cities are smouldering nuke waste dumps before we take these insane bastards seriously?
Mr. Carter, just how many American lives are you willing to sacrifice to your obsession with peace-at-any-cost?
The same thing is happening in Gaza right now where the Palestinians are emboldened and stating that they ran Israel out with their RPG and rocket attacks. Every sign of weakness just emboldens them more. That is why we cannot now leave Iraq. If we turn tail and run from there, the end result will be even more escalation of the violence and attacks all around the world. Doesn't anyone believe what they're saying? Hoping it will go away by appeasing them only makes them stronger, and the civilized world weaker.
When I was a child, I never understood the message the cartoons presented, when a villain was not wiped out, but was allowed to escape to come back to fight another day. That's what our public sees today. They think of the fight between civilization and barbarianism as a sporting match with rules, that at the end of the day, everyone goes home to fight another day.
That ain't the real world. This is not a ball game with rules.
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