Our Endangered Values, by Jimmy Carter: on War & Peace
Colin Powell:
OpEd: conglomerate of inaccurate statements to UN on Iraq
With false and distorted claims after 9/11, our new political leaders misled the US Congress and the American public into believing that Saddam Hussein had somehow been responsible for the dastardly attack on the World Trade Towers and the Pentagon, and
that Iraq was developing nuclear weapons & posed a direct threat to the security of America.Although the deceptiveness of these statements was later revealed, most of our trusting citizens were supportive of the war. Exaggerated claims of catastrophe
from nonexistent WMDs kept the fears alive. Colin Powell went to the UN to make a conglomeration of inaccurate statements to the world. The administration later claimed that its information was erroneous, but intelligence sources were rewarded,
not chastised.
There is little wonder that, at least for a few months, fearful American citizens and members of Congress supported the unnecessary war.
Source: Our Endangered Values, by Jimmy Carter, p.150-151
Sep 26, 2006
Condoleezza Rice:
OpEd: References to mushroom clouds incited Iraq War
With false and distorted claims after 9/11, our new political leaders misled the US Congress and the American public into believing that Saddam Hussein had somehow been responsible for the dastardly attack on the World Trade Towers and the Pentagon, and
that Iraq was developing nuclear weapons & posed a direct threat to the security of America.Although the deceptiveness of these statements was later revealed, most of our trusting citizens were supportive of the war. Exaggerated claims of catastrophe
from nonexistent WMDs kept the fears alive, with V.P. Cheney repeatedly making false statement, such as, "Instead of losing thousands of lives, we might lose tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of lives in a single day of war." National
Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice backed him with horrifying references to mushroom clouds over the cities of America. There is little wonder that, at least for a few months, fearful American citizens and members of Congress supported the unnecessary war
Source: Our Endangered Values, by Jimmy Carter, p.150-151
Sep 26, 2006
Dick Cheney:
OpEd: Chose Iraq as first target & permanent military base
Some neocons now dominate the highest councils of government, seem determined to exert American dominance throughout the world, and approve or preemptive war as an acceptable avenue to reach this imperialistic goal.
8 years before he became vice president, Richard Cheney spelled out this premise in his "Defense Strategy for the 1990s."
Either before or soon after 9/11, he and his close associates chose Iraq as the 1st major target, apparently to remove a threat to Israel and to have Iraq serve as our permanent military, economic, and political base in the Middle East.
This dependence on military force to expand America's influence and other recent deviations from traditional values have dramatically reduced the attractiveness of our political, cultural, and religious offerings to the world.
Source: Our Endangered Values, by Jimmy Carter, p.100
Sep 26, 2006
Dick Cheney:
OpEd: repeatedly made false statements to incite Iraq War
It became apparent soon after the presidential election in 2000 that some of our new political leaders were determined to attack Iraq. With false and distorted claims after 9/11, they misled the US Congress and the American public into believing that
Saddam Hussein had somehow been responsible for the dastardly attack on the World Trade Towers and the Pentagon, and that Iraq was developing WMDs and posed a direct threat to the security of America.Although the deceptiveness of these statements was
later revealed, the die was cast, and most of our trusting citizens were supportive of the war. Exaggerated claims of catastrophe from nonexistent weapons of mass destruction kept the fears alive, with Cheney repeatedly making false statement, such
as, "Instead of losing thousands of lives, we might lose hundreds of thousands of lives in a single day of war."
There is little wonder that, at least for a few months, fearful American citizens and members of Congress supported the unnecessary war.
Source: Our Endangered Values, by Jimmy Carter, p.150-151
Sep 26, 2006
Jimmy Carter:
Iraq does not meet Christian standard of Just War
Not realizing that the top leaders of the US and Great Britain had already agreed to invade Iraq almost a year earlier, I wrote these words for an op-ed piece on March 3, 2003, entitled "Just War, or an Unjust War":As a Christian and as a president
who was severely provoked by international crises, I became thoroughly familiar with the principles of a just war, and it is clear that a substantially unilateral attack on Iraq does not meet these standards.- The preeminent criterion for a just war is
that it can only be waged as a last resort, with all non-violent options exhausted.
- Weapons used in war must discriminate between combatants and non-combatants.
- Violence used in the war must be proportional to the injury suffered.
-
The attackers must have legitimate authority sanctioned by the society they profess to represent.
- The peace established must be a clear improvement over what exists.
Source: Our Endangered Values, by Jimmy Carter, p.152-154
Sep 26, 2006
Jimmy Carter:
Iraqi War did not reduce the threat of terrorism
A basic question to be asked is, "Has the Iraqi war reduced the threat of terrorism?" Unfortunately, the answer is "No."
Not only have we lost the almost unanimous sympathy and support that was offered to us throughout the world after the attack of 9/11, but there is direct evidence that the Iraqi war has actually increased the terrorist threat. In testimony before the
Congress, CIA Director Porter Goss stated, "Islamic extremists are exploiting the Iraqi conflict to recruit new anti-US jihadists [holy warriors].
These jihadists who survive will leave Iraq experienced and focus on acts of urban terrorism." He added that the war "has become a cause for extremists."
Source: Our Endangered Values, by Jimmy Carter, p.158
Sep 26, 2006
New Testament:
Revelations: Mideast war precedes The Rapture
Almost everyone has heard of the "Left Behind" series. Their religious premise, mostly from the book of Revelation, describes the scenario for the end of the world.These believers are convinced that they have a personal responsibility to hasten this
coming of the "rapture" in order to fulfill biblical prophecy. Their agenda calls for a war in the Middle East against Islam (Iraq?) and the taking of the entire Holy Land by Jews (occupation of the West Bank?), with the total expulsion of all gentiles.
This is to be followed by infidels (antichrists) conquering the area, and a final triumph of the Messiah.
Based on these premises, some top Christian leaders have been in the forefront of promoting the Iraqi war, and make frequent trips to Israel, to
support it with funding, and lobby in Washington for the colonization of Palestinian territory. Strong pressure from the religious right has been a major factor in America's quiescent acceptance of the massive building of Israeli settlements.
Source: Our Endangered Values, by Jimmy Carter, p.113-114
Sep 26, 2006
Porter Goss:
Islamic extremists use Iraq War to recruit new jihadists
A basic question to be asked is, "Has the Iraqi war reduced the threat of terrorism?" Unfortunately, the answer is "No."
Not only have we lost the almost unanimous sympathy and support that was offered to us throughout the world after the attack of 9/11, but there is direct evidence that the Iraqi war has actually increased the terrorist threat. In testimony before the
Congress, CIA Director Porter Goss stated, "Islamic extremists are exploiting the Iraqi conflict to recruit new anti-US jihadists [holy warriors].
These jihadists who survive will leave Iraq experienced and focus on acts of urban terrorism." He added that the war "has become a cause for extremists."
Source: Our Endangered Values, by Jimmy Carter, p.158
Sep 26, 2006
Page last updated: Aug 09, 2015