Posted on 04/29/2011 6:08:41 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Jimmy Carter's Role on the Korean Peninsula Has Ended
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter arrived in Seoul on Thursday accompanied by the former leaders of Ireland, Finland and Norway after a trip to Pyongyang. The group, who call themselves the "Elders," signally failed to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.
It was Carter's third trip to the North and the second during which Kim could not be bothered to meet him. Nonetheless, after telling reporters prior to the trip that South Korea is responsible for the North’s food shortage and saying he wanted to meet the reclusive leader, he came back with the message that Kim is "always ready" to hold a summit with President Lee Myung-bak, as if that was a great revelation.
During his stay in Pyongyang, Carter blogged from Pyongyang, "We are hearing consistently throughout our busy schedule here in Pyongyang that the North wants to improve relations with America and is prepared to talk without preconditions to both the U.S. and South Korea on any subject." He wrote that it is a tragedy that the two Koreas have not signed a peace treaty even though more than 60 years has passed since the Korean War. The objective of his visit to Pyongyang was to discuss with Kim Jong-il the scrapping of North Korea's nuclear weapons program. This did not happen, but for some reason he is still parroting the North Korean line that it will not give up its nuclear program without a peace treaty. Did these eminent former leaders really have to travel all the way to Pyongyang to hear a message they could have found on Google?
The Barack Obama administration has distanced itself from Carter's visit saying it is a "private matter." The South Korean foreign minister referred to Carter as a "third party" and said he would not place much weight on any message the former U.S. president brings back. When ex-U.S. President Bill Clinton visited Pyongyang, Kim at least met him and released an American hostage as a favor, but he has ignored Carter twice now, presumably because he decided the 86-year old is of no use any more.
Suzanne Scholte, of the conservative Defense Forum Foundation, said in a statement on Thursday on Thursday, "We are ashamed to see a former American president who claims to care about human rights, now attempting to prolong the Korean War by serving as a mouthpiece for the Kim Jong-il regime." It may be time for Carter to accept that his role in inter-Korean affairs has come to an end.
englishnews@chosun.com / Apr. 29, 2011 13:33 KST
P!
Carter’s only rival for utter astonishment is Obama.
Could have told lil' Kim that back in the 70's.
Hater of United States
Second worst President ever ( good thing Obama beat him out).
Second worst economy in my lifetime.
Even Democrats abandon him.
Sounds like he didn’t plan ahead, and reaped the corresponding result.
If possible, he just further reduced himself in stature.
In some ways it is sad to see an old man who failed as President desperately trying to accomplish something of historic significance in order to redeem his reputation for future historians. Instead of the statesman he aspires to be he is a laughingstock even the Obama’s are ignoring.
Dumber than dirt Carter. The two worst presidents in America’s history.... 0dumbo, the RAT bastard commie pig-in-chief, and Carter, incompetent buffoon!
How could anybody purporting to be a former president of the United States show his absolute stupidity as Carter has. After ready this statement, I'm convinced that he and Obambi are in a close tie for being the damn dumbest America-hating people ever to live in our White House.
He really said that?
I used to be among those who think Carter is a well-meaning dolt, but when you so consistently side with evil as he does, you are evil.
Imagine that Carter is such an extremist he is accusing America under Barack Hussein Obama of committing human rights violations against the worst country on earth!
I have to conclude that only Castro or Kim Jong Il would be leftist enough to serve as our president, in Carter’s opinion.
Ahh another opportunity missed by republicans to point out that, yes, a democrat president really can be this radical and that the democrat party can no longer be trusted with power. But I dream.
“The Elders”?? How much more pompous could any group of people be, especially with Jimmah in charge??
“Why ask a man who is already lost to lead you? Why then are you surprised if he leads you nowhere?”
Duncan Idaho
“A Thousand Lives”
Hey Jimmie you dumb A$$. The north attacks the south and it is the south’s fault?
The north spends all their money on Kimmy and nuke bombs and it is the south’s fault?
The south and the US give the north food and they HATE us and goat us and it is the south and the US’s fault?
Jimmy read the first sentence.
Who would have thought that brother Billy would end up looking like the smart one in the family!
With even the vilest dictators refusing to see him, Jimmy’s in danger of losing half his official title: Useful Idiot.
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