Mandela: U.S. wants holocaust

CNN ^ | 1/30/03 | CNN

[Martyboy1]

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (CNN) -- Former South African president Nelson Mandela has slammed the U.S. stance on Iraq, saying that "one power with a president who has no foresight, who cannot think properly, is now wanting to plunge the world into a holocaust."

Speaking at the International Women's Forum, Mandela said "if there is a country that has committed unspeakable atrocities in the world, it is the United States of America."

Mandela said U.S. President George W. Bush covets the oil in Iraq "because Iraq produces 64 percent of the oil in the world. What Bush wants is to get hold of that oil." In fact Iraq contributes to only 5 percent of world oil exports.

The Bush administration is threatening military action if Iraq does not account for weapons of mass destruction and fully cooperate with U.N. weapons inspectors.

Receiving applause for his comments, Mandela said Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair are "undermining" past work of the United Nations.

"They do not care. Is it because the secretary-general of the United Nations is now a black man?" said Mandela, referring to Kofi Annan, who is from Ghana.

Blair is expected to discuss the issue of Iraq when he meets with South African President Thabo Mbeki in London Saturday, a day after the British leader's meeting with Bush.

Mandela said he would support without reservation any action agreed upon by the United Nations against Iraq, which Bush and Blair say has weapons of mass destruction and is a sponsor of terror groups, including Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network. (Full story)

Nobel Peace Laureate Mandela, 84, has spoken out many times against Bush's stance, and South Africa's close ties with Libya and Cuba irked Washington during Mandela's own presidency.

In reaction to Mandela's comments, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Bush was grateful to the many European leaders who "obviously think differently."

"The president will understand there are going to be people who are more comfortable doing nothing about a growing menace that could turn into a holocaust. He respects people who differ with him. He will do what he thinks is right and necessary to protect our country," Fleischer said.

[demlosers]

Mandela's leftist communist past is coming to the top.

[theDentist]

Another low-life politician spouts a two-bit opinion.
Isn't his 15 minutes up yet?

[HELLRAISER II]

Mandela is nothing but a Socialist Racist.

[Russell Scott]

Another hero of the left exposes himself for what he is: a phony, fraudulent liar, who loves tyranny more than freedom. Of course, most itelligent people have known for a long time that this guy is nothing but a stalinist beast, like his buddy Saddam.

[Nephi]

It warms your heart to know that billions of your tax dollars are going to Africa to help them fight the war against GRIDS.

It sure is tough being the world's policeman and Doctor when your efforts aren't appreciated.

[TXBubba]

Well, I'm glad he is 84 years OLD. Time is a ticking on the ol' ticker.

[NetValue]

What a sick, distorted, Marxist viewpoint. How unstatesmanlike. How inaccurate can you get, Nelson?

[Cagey]

For a time, Mandela seemed to realize that if it were not for the United States he'd still be rotting in prison. That didn't last long.

On another note, please post articles with their original headlines. There's miles and miles of thread space to editorialize.

[AndyTheBear]

Mandela said U.S. President George W. Bush covets the oil in Iraq "because Iraq produces 64 percent of the oil in the world. What Bush wants is to get hold of that oil." In fact Iraq contributes to only 5 percent of world oil exports.

I am suprised CNN would point this out.

[ThinkingMan]

Aside from the obvious remarks that this post will raise, I have a question. Does anyone know when it became acceptable for the word "slam" to be used as a substitute for "criticize" in formal writing such as news reports?

I seems to remember as children we used to use the word as a derivative of "facing" someone.

It seems that journalists are getting lazier and lazier in the proper usage of words. I have no real issue with the words being used for informal communications, but with news pieces it simply detracts from the message of the article.

How long will it be before we read "Jeffords disses homeboys by crossing the line" or some other such nonesense?

Ok- I feel better, back to your regulary scheduled discussion.

[Sally II]

Yet another Nobel Nobel Peace Laureate spreading the good message about the wonderful, righteous, peace-loving United Nations. I ask again, any connection between being a Nobel Laureate and prosletizing for the UN?

By the way, Bush's speach had to put at least a little bit of shame in the hearts of the UN members. "America is a strong nation, and honorable in the use of our strength. We exercise power without conquest, and we sacrifice for the liberty of strangers." It's not the color of Kofi Annan's skin that makes the UN irrelevant, it's the sum of all its useless "don't have a clue what freedom is" parts.

[Alberta's Child]

Remember that idiotic segment of the President's state of the union address the other night, in which he described a new initiative to provide all sorts of assistance to African nations to help them cope with AIDS?

President Bush could redeem himself right now, in my mind -- by announcing that not one penny of U.S. assistance will go to South Africa as long as this third-rate windbag is their president.

[Jumper]

Just an old communist, given comfort by the UN, supporting the other dictators and communist leaders represented at his old "country" club. South Africa was but a shell of her former self when he finished redistributing the wealth and squandering opportunity. Like so many communists, Mandela failed to grasp the concept of fair treatment and equality. His presidency will be remembered more for the international support given him than achievements which benefited the society he presided over.

[KC_Conspirator]

Mandela is a communist POS and shoudl be banned from entering this country. BTW some of the the last few genocides and famines occurred right on his doorstep in Rwanda and Somalia (and soon Zimbabwe) and he did nothing about it.

[reagan_fanatic]

You have to marvel at the gaggle of brainless stooges who mindlessly applaud and guffaw at this kind of clap-trap from leftist knuckle-draggers like Mandela.

I'm sure if Klintoon was still in office and threatening Iraq, ol' Nelly would probably be wetting his depends with joy.

[Rummyfan]

Speaking at the International Women's Forum, Mandela said "if there is a country that has committed unspeakable atrocities in the world, it is the United States of America."

Well, that about sums up where Mandela stands on things.

[Pearls Before Swine]

Mandela said "if there is a country that has committed unspeakable atrocities in the world, it is the United States of America."

And here I thought it was Zimbabwe, or maybe Iraq, or possibly North Korea.

[jammer]

if there is a country that has committed unspeakable atrocities in the world, it is the United States of America.

Well, Mandela's words have more than a grain of truth here: it is an unspeakable atrocity that we helped install him and his ilk.

[Rummyfan]

"They do not care. Is it because the secretary-general of the United Nations is now a black man?" said Mandela, referring to Kofi Annan, who is from Ghana.


No it is because the UN has become a useless organization run by tryants and despots. Kofi Annan is merely their mouthpiece, a career bureaucrat specializing in inaction. They don't care if he is black, yellow, white or green.