Posted on 09/05/2002 2:06:50 AM PDT by kattracks
WASHINGTON, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on Thursday warned against "belligerent and divisive voices" in Washington that he said are moving the United States away from its historical role as a champion of human rights and a respected leader in the community of nations.
Some of the positions "seem to be developing from a core group of conservatives who are trying to realize long-pent-up ambitions under the cover of the proclaimed war against terrorism," Carter wrote in an opinion piece published in the The Washington Post.
Carter, a Democrat, listed several post-Sept. 11 policies that he said have made the United States a foremost target of international organizations concerned about the basic principles of democratic life, including the detention of American citizens as 'enemy combatants' denied access to legal counsel.
"These actions are similar to those of abusive regimes that historically have been condemned by American presidents," said Carter, who was president from 1977 to 1981.
He also lamented that the U.S. government was "abandoning any sponsorship of substantive negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis."
On Iraq, Carter disputed Bush administration claims that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein posed a present danger to the United States.
"We cannot ignore the development of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, but a unilateral war with Iraq is not the answer," the former president said.
There is an "urgent need" for U.N. action to force unrestricted inspection in Iraq, he said, but that is unlikely to happen because the U.S. government, through a series of moves, has alienated its "necessary allies."
"Pre-emptory rejections of nuclear arms agreements, the biological weapons convention, environment protection, anti-torture proposals and punishment of war criminals have sometimes been combined with economic threat against those who might disagree with us," Carter wrote. "The unilateral acts and assertion increasingly isolate the United States from the very nations needed to join in combating terrorism."
"Belligerence and divisive voices now seem to be dominant in Washington, but they do not yet reflect final decisions of the president, Congress or the courts," Carter said in conclusion. "It is crucial that the historical and well-founded American commitments prevail: to peace, justice, human rights, the environment and international cooperation."
Carter isn't fooling anyone except the Left Wing media/DNC/goofy-college-professor/enviro-wacko cabal.
Oh, and Saddam is laughing his a@@ off at the shear stupidty and timidity of our politicians.
If Carter is so brilliant, why doesn't he find a way of getting the Panama Canal back from China? Instead, he accuses conservatives of being like 'abusive regimes' in the middle of a war. The Al Quaida are alive and well. Bush warned us way back that Afghanistan was just the beginning. Now Iraq is teaming up with them. Sulfer and charcoal.
On Iraq, Carter disputed Bush administration claims that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein posed a present danger to the United States.
Who was that genious who got duped into calling for helping North Korea get support for 'peaceful nuclear reactors'? That dodo from Georgia gives all peanut farmers a bad name.
WIll Clinton and Carter - ever shut the F... up?
Semper Fi
What historical commitments, Jimmy? Like the Iran hostage rescue? Troops and equipment in place and Jimmy waffeling for three months until the sand storm season started before committing. The rest is history.
Had Reagan not run Carter out of office, we would still have the Soviets sitting in western Europe, or worse.
I just WISH I could type the words I am feeling right now without getting myself banned
Jimmy .. You are a real piece of work
In addition to the World Council of Churches confirmation we received yesterday, we now have Jimmuh.
Our cause is just. This is further proof.
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