Posted on 09/18/2006 9:13:44 PM PDT by FairOpinion
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said on Monday the Bush administration had eroded America's global influence with its conduct in Iraq and by condoning the torture of terrorism suspects.
"They have redefined torture to make it convenient for them," Carter said of the Bush administration in an interview with Reuters.
"Things that are unanimously almost or globally assumed to be torture, they claim that this is not torture. I don't think there is any doubt that is what they are doing," said Carter, a Democrat who was president from 1977 to 1981.
He has since been a leading voice on global human rights issues and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
Carter, 81, said he was "filled with admiration" for Republican Sens. John McCain and John Warner and former Secretary of State Colin Powell for their effort last week to block President George W. Bush's policies on the treatment of suspected terrorists. The White House and senators are continuing talks in search of a compromise.
"We've lost the support and trust and confidence and admiration that we've had for generations," Carter said, adding the administration "has stonewalled so they can continue to perpetrate this illegal punishment."
"They have obviously subverted facts, that has been proven, and subversion of the law is now becoming more and more apparent," he said, referring to the administration's repeated appeals of court rulings concerning the treatment and legal rights of prisoners at the Guantanamo prison in Cuba.
CARTER SEES AMERICA LESS SAFE
Carter, who has called treatment of detainees at Guantanamo an embarrassment and disgrace, said Americans were less safe since September 11 because Bush mishandled the Iraq war and failed to promote peace efforts between Israel and Palestinians.
Those two factors, he said, "combined to stir up additional animosity and threats of violence not only against us but against allies like Great Britain."
Carter, who is serving as the honorary chairman of Democrats Abroad, said in the telephone interview from his home in Plains, Georgia, that he would encourage Democrats overseas to vote in November, when the party must pick up six Senate seats and 15 House seats to reclaim majorities.
Republicans rejected Carter's criticism and said Bush would not change course.
"While Jimmy Carter is committed to attacking this administration's efforts to keep us safe, President Bush remains committed to waging an aggressive battle with those whose stated goal is to harm Americans," said Tracey Schmitt, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee.
Carter criticized Bush's approach to foreign diplomacy as the president headed to the United Nations for a general session expected to highlight by international skepticism over U.S. policies toward Iran and Iraq.
The White House has ruled out a meeting between Bush and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who will also address the General Assembly, and says there will be no lower-level contacts with the Iranian delegation.
"Our government now has a strange and unprecedented and pervasive policy of not speaking to anybody who doesn't agree with us in advance on controversial issues. So we close the door, we go into a closet and pout," Carter said.
"So we don't talk to Iran, we don't talk to Syria, we don't talk to the Palestinian government, we don't talk to North Korea, we don't talk to any leaders around the world who disagree with us and this is where the problems arise," he said.
ping
Thanks, my FRiend. I've only got a WebTv and I can send 'live' tv screen caps all day long in my e-mail to others but it took me a while to figure out how to post them here.
I don't think I have a problem with sharing the link with you via FReepmail.
That's an actual quote of OBL in a Nov. 2001 interview and it needs to be spread around so others KNOW what these murderous idolaters REALLY think.
Again, thanks, my FRiend.
nopardons and I started on WebTv. You're way ahead of me -- I could not post a pic using WebTv. I was lucky to post replies...lol.
Hmmm,...that's thought provoking stuff.
Does he have a position on murdering elderly nuns?
LOL! Well to quote everybody in the world..." You Dumb, Dummies"
Hey..... Don't blame me! Little Billy Gates bought this thing but SOME of us WebTv folk are the smartest on the planet because WE HAD TOO.... LOL.
LOL -- actually, I loved WebTv -- never thought I could use a computer. Like I have already told you, you're way ahead of me. You're doing fantastic.
I need to call it a night. Talk to you soon.
I always visualize him with duct tape over his mouth........... and nose.
;-)
Giving your malaise speech,putting our Marines at risk for your political benefit.
Yeah jimmy,I was there,I remember you,and your still a terrible waste of skin.
If you have some WebTv folks on your ping lists, I can put together a quick and easy 'tute' on how they can get those "live" screen caps and post 'em here on FR.
I was lucky to get to FR and post, when I was still a Webbie. Oh heck, I'm still lucky that I can do that on my laptop! LOL
When I got the laptop, the WebTV was trashed and I no longer have any of the info that I had stored on it. But MANY thanks for your kind, most generous offer; that was most gracious of you.
If you are talking about my post #59.... Yep, I did it with my WebTV.
We've had to get creative with this LBB.
An "LBB"? Sorry, I don't know what that is.
I'm on a Webtv Plus that I've had since '97 and I FReep like a bad dog everyday 24/7 with it.
Send any folks you know my way. I put together great 'tutes'.
Check my 'about page". I did it with my Webtv.
LBB??? The Webtv. Us old timers call it the Little Black Box.
You and I got WebTV at the same time, but I'm no longer on one and neither are most of the original FR Webbies.
I FReeped with a WebTV for all but the last almost 2 years. Now, I have a laptop; but I haven't learned to do any tricks with it. LOL
Gee, I got my WebTV the same time you did, which would make me an "old timer" too, and I never called it that, nor heard anyone else call it that. Thanks for the explanation. One never knows what kind of knowledge one will learn of FR, on any given day/night. LOL
Carter's just getting even...soreloser.
Well.. I've learned a ton of tricks from the WebTV community (such as HTML, we knew it before it was cool because we HAD TO)
Little Billy Gates bought this thing and hasn't kept up to his word for a good two years now.
I've had a TON of fun with my Webtv but I think it's getting pretty close to a time that I bite the bullet and buy a Buick.
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