Nobel peace laureate Elie Wiesel says Iraq war - "will change the world."

yahoo news ^ | 04/06/03 | yahoo news

[bedolido]

MONTREAL (AFP) - Nobel peace prize laureate Elie Wiesel said the war on Iraq (news - web sites) is justified and blamed unnamed European countries for failing to prevent it through pressuring President Saddam Hussein (news - web sites).

"If some European countries put as much pressure on Saddam Hussein as on (US President George W.) Bush, there would have been no war," he told a press conference in Montreal.

"Saddam Hussein had to be disarmed (and) there were no other means," said the Nazi concentration camp survivor and author who was awarded the Nobel peace prize in 1986 for his message "of peace, atonement and human dignity."

The press conference was organized by the Quebec-Israel Public Affairs Committee, the Montreal Jewish community's official public action group on behalf of Israel.

The Romanian-born Wiesel, who became a US citizen in 1963, said he did "not justify" war and was "not comfortable" with it, but that he was not a pacifist and believed in the "right to interference".

He added: "You can accuse me of being naive, but I think in all conscience that this war was necessary."

Dismissing suggestions that he is a "hostage of the American right", Wiesel said: "I am not against paradoxes, I take them on, as someone who opposes war, who has seen war and who hates war."

The US-led war on Iraq, he said, "will change the world."

He said he was optimistic over prospects for peace between Israel and the Palestinians after the appointment of Mahmud Abbas, a moderate known as Abu Mazen, as Palestinian prime minister.

Stressing that Palestine Authority President Yasser Arafat (news - web sites) had been "a big disappointment" for the Israelis, Wiesel said he hoped a three-month moratorium on terrorist actions would be called "to give a chance" to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites).

"The problem is terrorism (but) it will be necessary one day to settle this tragedy" in the Middle East, he said.

[SC_Republican]

I'm sure the Nobel committee has already begun the paperwork to take back his award.

[swaimh]

if you haven't already, you should read his book. it's called "Night." and it's very good

[OldFriend]

Finally seeing the light.

When he contacted Moonves regarding the latest Hitler production.....he was dissed and dismissed. Moonves said he had nothing to say to Wiesel. Wiesel said it was the first time he had written a letter that had been ignored.

At least he is finally getting the message. When you agree with us we love you, when you disagree with us, go to hell. That's the way of the libs.

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

Dang! This dude won the same prize that Jimmuh and Yassir got? Somebody screwed up in Oslo.

[TheClintons-STILLAnti-American]

Thank God for an American president with the courage to stand up to the wrath of the world and do the right thing, unlike the appeasing, cowardly former presidnet who would be busy making himself a hero among his fellow socialists while the Islamofascists laugh at their foolishness.

[Migraine]

Elie is right, of course -- and his word carries a lot of weight in the civilized world.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Since I have been watching the Coalition advance through Iraq with great glee and attention I have missed all the terror attacks it was going to generate. How many have there been? 10,000? 1,000? 100? 10?

No not even 10 how could that be? RATaeschle said it was going to generate so much more terror. He couldn't be wrong could he?

[Petronski]

This is definitely someone we would want 'on our side.'

[DallasJ7]

if you haven't already, you should read his book. it's called "Night." and it's very good

Yeah, I had to read Night my senior year in high school. A disturbing book, but very worthwhile. I'd recommend it as well.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

THANK YOU, Elie.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

Wiesel

[truth_seeker]

"If some European countries put as much pressure on Saddam Hussein as on (US President George W.) Bush, there would have been no war," he told a press conference in Montreal.

Even more than their failure to put pressure on Saddam, it apppears that at least France and Russia (plus others) sold weapons during a so-called UN sponsored embargo, against same.

[k2blader]

"I am not against paradoxes, I take them on, as someone who opposes war, who has seen war and who hates war."

"You can accuse me of being naive, but I think in all conscience that this war was necessary."

[TaxMe]

"If some European countries put as much pressure on Saddam Hussein as on (US President George W.) Bush, there would have been no war," he told a press conference in Montreal."

These would be the same countries who have a significant population that would argue that Ellie is not a holocaust survivor because the holocaust never happened.

[Billthedrill]

Elie is right, of course -- and his word carries a lot of weight in the civilized world.

Right you are, of course. But this was Quebec...

[CaptainK]

You know this is just killing the Dims.

[cake_crumb]

If true, the Nobel committee will revoke his prize for sure. I don't think you're ALLOWED to be a Nobel Laureate unless you strictly parrot the socialist-left's Turd Way party line.

[FirstTomato]

Elie Wiesel knows the effects of tyranny first hand. He knows that although war is a horrible hell, there are things much, much worse. That is the wisdom that often comes from first-hand knowledge.

I'm glad he is speaking out on this issue.

I wish I could recommend a "reading list" to all the so-called "pacifists" out there in the world. I would make them read Mr. Wiesel's works, and many others. I would have them read first-hand accounts of Holocaust survivors, and others who have lived through the effects of Marxism in full bloom and how poisonous it is.

[Boot Hill]

"Elie Wiesel says Iraq war will change the world."

He doesn't get it. Our attack on Iraq is not a "war", it is merely a campaign in the War on Terrorism. Afghanistan gets it (now). Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan, North Korean, etc., are you listening? Do you get it yet?

--Boot Hill