Carter slams Blair and Bush: War Based on Lies

[swag]

The truth is marching on.

http://news.independent.co.uk/low_res/story.jsp?story=503722&host=3&dir=508

Excerpt:

Jimmy Carter, the former US president, has strongly criticised George Bush and Tony Blair for waging an unnecessary war to oust Saddam Hussein based on "lies or misinterpretations". The 2002 Nobel peace prize winner said Mr Blair had allowed his better judgement to be swayed by Mr Bush's desire to finish a war that his father had started.

In an interview with The Independent on the first anniversary of the American and British invasion of Iraq, Mr Carter, who was president from 1977 to 1981, said the two leaders probably knew that many of the claims being made about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction were based on imperfect intelligence.

He said: "There was no reason for us to become involved in Iraq recently. That was a war based on lies and misinterpretations from London and from Washington, claiming falsely that Saddam Hussein was responsible for 9/11 attacks, claiming falsely that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. And I think that President Bush and Prime Minister Blair probably knew that many of the allegations were based on uncertain intelligence ... a decision was made to go to war 'Let's find a reason to do so'."

Before the war Mr Carter made clear his opposition to a unilateral attack and said the US did not have the authority to create a "Pax Americana". During his Nobel prize acceptance speech in December 2002 he warned of the danger of "uncontrollable violence" if countries sought to resolve problems without United Nations input.

His latest comments, made during an interview at the Carter Centre in Atlanta, are notable for their condemnation of the two serving leaders. It is extremely rare for a former US president to criticise an incumbent, or a British prime minister. Mr Carter's comments will add to the mounting pressure on Mr Bush and Mr Blair.

Mr Carter said he believed the momentum for the invasion came from Washington and that many of Mr Bush's senior advisers had long ago signalled their desire to remove Saddam by force. Once a decision had been taken to go to war, every effort was made to find a reason for doing do, he said.

"I think the basic reason was made not in London but in Washington. I think that Bush Jnr was inclined to finish a war that his father had precipitated against Iraq. I think it was that commitment of Bush that prevailed over, I think, the better judgement of Tony Blair and Tony Blair became an enthusiastic supporter of the Bush policy".

. . .

[54anickel]

1. YES! It'sabout time he speaks out. Wonder what this will do for

Shrubs chance (if he ever had one) at the Nobel?

[Faygo Kid]

2. Carter is right - and his voice will be berated, then ignored.

How much more evidence is necessary until the American people wake up? I despair of it ever happening.

[Catfight]

3. Wow

I miss integrity in the White House. When Bu$h retires he can write a biography, it'll be a best seller on the children's list.

[TacticalPeek]

4. It's not hell. It's just how the truth feels to crooked lying bastrds.

:kick:

[Manix]

5. ...most honest man ever to serve in White House.

nt

[dudeness]

8. well ...apart from the fact

he funded the islamic fighters to take on the evil empire (ussr)..later to become al quaeda..a small mistake i guess..

[0rion]

6. I've always loved Jimmy!

ibid

[T_i_B]

7. Here's the interview

http://news.independent.co.uk/people/profiles/story.jsp?story=503708

"I didn't think about it much when I was doing the writing but in retrospect I can see it," he said. "It shows us that the US should not act unilaterally. Had we acted unilaterally and not gone out recruiting - through the efforts of Benjamin Franklin and others - a relationship with the French, we would not have prevailed. The British would have defeated us." Is that a lesson for today? "I think so. Most wars, certainly not all, could have been avoided.

"There was no reason for us to become involved in Iraq last year. That was a war based on lies and misinterpretations from London and Washington, claiming falsely that Saddam Hussein was responsible for 9/11, claiming falsely that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.

"President Bush and Prime Minister Blair probably knew that many of the allegations were based on uncertain intelligence and a decision was made to go to war 'lets find a reason to do so'.

"Bush Jnr was inclined to finish a war ... that his father had precipitated against Iraq. And his coterie of influential advisers, including Cheney and Rumsfeld and Condoleezza Rice and Richard Perle and Wolfowitz and others had long ago expressed publicly through their writings and statements a belief that we should overthrow Saddam's regime."