President Carter on elections and the future of Iraq
What today's elections will amount to, against a background of occupation, is difficult to predict. Former US President Jimmy Carter, interviewed by the BBC Worldservice, articulated the concerns of many.
Interviewer: With Iraq in mind, do you think, as the Bush administration clearly hopes, that democracy can take root?
Carter: Democracy can only take root in Iraq when the Shi'ites, the Sunnis and the Kurds all feel that they have justice. That is a big question to be answered and an exodus of US troops in the future will be I think long term .
Interviewer: Do you think that exit strategy is there?
Carter: I haven't seen any sign of a comprehensive or comprehensible exit strategy. I can't comprehend what the Bush administration has said about an exit strategy. I think it's quite uncertain, and I think now the blame seems to be shifting towards the so-called Iraqi government. Can the Iraqi government put together security forces to maintain order in their country while US troops are still there and ultimately replace US troops so that most of us can get out?
Interviewer: And what's your feeling about that?
Carter: I don't really know what the real plans of the Bush administration are; if we have looked for an opportunity to maintain military bases for American presence in Iraq or not. Do we really feel ready to say every single US troop or soldier will be out of Iraq or not? I don't know when that will take place. Secondly, are we willing to share with the rest of the world the so-called benefits of good relationships with Iraq? I haven't seen any indication so far that the United States is willing to share, say, influence in the oil fields with other countries - France, or Russia - I haven't seen any real indication that the United States is willing to let the Shi'ites, with heavy influence from Iran, actually control the future foreign policy and domestic affairs of Iraq. Those things are still to be discerned and I don't think any person, I or anyone else, can predict accurately what's going to happen.
Interviewer: But if Jimmy Carter were in charge today?
Carter: Well if I were in charge we would never have been in Iraq because I think this was a terrible mistake to go into Iraq in the first place, its been a quagmire that we now need now to hastily end the American presence, but if I were there now under the present circumstances I would try to move as quickly as possible towards sharing all responsibilities - political, military, economic, with other nations, and to turn over as quickly as possible to the Iraqi people their right to run their own affairs without American unwarranted intrusion
The full 25-minute interview with Jimmy Carter can be heard on The Interview on BBC World Service (this may be for a limited period) here (Realplayer)
Interviewer: With Iraq in mind, do you think, as the Bush administration clearly hopes, that democracy can take root?
Carter: Democracy can only take root in Iraq when the Shi'ites, the Sunnis and the Kurds all feel that they have justice. That is a big question to be answered and an exodus of US troops in the future will be I think long term .
Interviewer: Do you think that exit strategy is there?
Carter: I haven't seen any sign of a comprehensive or comprehensible exit strategy. I can't comprehend what the Bush administration has said about an exit strategy. I think it's quite uncertain, and I think now the blame seems to be shifting towards the so-called Iraqi government. Can the Iraqi government put together security forces to maintain order in their country while US troops are still there and ultimately replace US troops so that most of us can get out?
Interviewer: And what's your feeling about that?
Carter: I don't really know what the real plans of the Bush administration are; if we have looked for an opportunity to maintain military bases for American presence in Iraq or not. Do we really feel ready to say every single US troop or soldier will be out of Iraq or not? I don't know when that will take place. Secondly, are we willing to share with the rest of the world the so-called benefits of good relationships with Iraq? I haven't seen any indication so far that the United States is willing to share, say, influence in the oil fields with other countries - France, or Russia - I haven't seen any real indication that the United States is willing to let the Shi'ites, with heavy influence from Iran, actually control the future foreign policy and domestic affairs of Iraq. Those things are still to be discerned and I don't think any person, I or anyone else, can predict accurately what's going to happen.
Interviewer: But if Jimmy Carter were in charge today?
Carter: Well if I were in charge we would never have been in Iraq because I think this was a terrible mistake to go into Iraq in the first place, its been a quagmire that we now need now to hastily end the American presence, but if I were there now under the present circumstances I would try to move as quickly as possible towards sharing all responsibilities - political, military, economic, with other nations, and to turn over as quickly as possible to the Iraqi people their right to run their own affairs without American unwarranted intrusion
The full 25-minute interview with Jimmy Carter can be heard on The Interview on BBC World Service (this may be for a limited period) here (Realplayer)
posted by exoplanet at 1:47 PM
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