Carter Planted Seeds Of Al-Qaida

IBD Editorials ^ | 24 May 2007 | Staff

[Kitten Festival]

Leadership: After being told over and over by President Jimmy Carter that America's ability to influence world events was "very limited," the Soviet Union believed him and invaded Afghanistan. And al-Qaida was born.

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Profile In Incompetence: Third In A Series More on this series

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Carter had the perfect "anti-slogan" for a post-Watergate presidential campaign: "I will never lie to you."

Unfortunately, Carter based America's relationship with the Soviet Union on the delusion that the Russians would never lie to him. He infamously expressed shock that Soviet premier Leonid Brezhnev lied to him during a "hot line" phone call following the Russian invasion of Afghanistan in 1979.

President Jimmy Carter and General Secretary of the Soviet Union Leonid Brezhnev exchanged American-style handshakes and Russian-style embraces on June 19, 1979, after signing the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT II) Agreement. Six months later, the U.S.S.R. invaded Afghanistan.

But signals of weakness to the communists from the worst, most naïve president in American history began days after inauguration:

[Kitten Festival]

Jimmah's gullibility brought us alqaida.

[Badeye]

Yes, it did.

[Cementjungle]

Actually, it would have happened without Carter. The Muslim Brotherhood was growing before that time and they just needed excuses to find a fight. Of course people like Carter do encourage them and help them along, but he can’t get full credit for this one.

[massgopguy]

1979, the year I became a Republican.

[SolidWood]

No but he’ll get additional credit for dumping the Shah, and letting Khomeini and Saddam enter the show. And all of this in 1979.

[Cyber Liberty]

I encourage all to read the entire series of articles. Good stuff in there.

[ClaireSolt]

In view fo the Dems insistence of hasty retreat in Iraq, the Pakistanis fault us for giving the mujahadeen stinger missiles and then just leaving the Paks to deal with them once the Soviets left Afghanistan.

[2001convSVT]

Same here!

[Cyber Liberty]

If a fire requires air, heat and fuel, would you suggest the guy carrying the gasoline was only partially responsible for the resulting fire?

[marron]

Preach it, sister. This piece knocks it out of the park.

[N. Theknow]

Jimmy Carter = Founder of Habitat for Inhumanity

[Cementjungle]

If a fire requires air, heat and fuel, would you suggest the guy carrying the gasoline was only partially responsible for the resulting fire?

Yes. This fire was burning long before Carter's screw-ups. He only "added fuel to the fire". Take a look at events like the assination of Anwar Sadat and many other incidents and see that there's more to the rise of radical Islam than just Afghanastin or Iran.

[Frwy]

That’s what happens when we allow idiots to get elected to high offices. We need to stop Palosi and Reid before they aspire to higher office. They are a killer pair. The dems don’t have one acceptable candidate for President. Not a single one. I think the Republicans have two or three potentially acceptable ones. Hunter, Tancredo, and Fred if he ever declares. The rest don’t interest me. Newt might be good too. I worry about his baggage. Doesn’t bother me but the dems would crawl all over it.

[Cyber Liberty]

You're probably right. The original screwup was releasing them from colony status in the early 20th century.

Carter did manage to find a way to globalize the mess by openly and proudly advertising for his entire administration the inability of the US to even try and stop the fire. Naive is the one word into which the entire Carter world view fits.

[PzLdr]

Another chapter of “It’s HOWDY DOODY TIME!”

[SF Republican]

I encourage all to read the entire series of articles. - AMEN - I saw this article yesterday and went back today to review the series and they ARE great.

[Mark was here]

He was impressed by any group that had “peoples” in it’s name.

[Cyber Liberty]

Especially if the word “Democratic” is slapped up against it.

[Cementjungle]

Take a look at: http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/mb.htm

[ovrtaxt]

King of the useful idiots!