Jimmy Carter on War & Peace President of the U.S., 1977-1981

1980: Planned second Desert Storm, after first one failed

OpEd: One of few presidents who would not kill adversaries

OpEd: re-election failed with 1980 Iranian hostage crisis

The next day we found out Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, who had opposed the rescue attempt, had resigned in protest.

We were in a tough spot with Carter sticking to his Rose Garden strategy of staying at the White House and sending out the Vice President and First Lady to campaign for him. You need your biggest star to go out there and get people excited.

Iraq does not meet Christian standard of Just 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.

Iraqi War did not reduce the threat of terrorism

1990: Urged UN Security Council against use of force in Iraq

Afghan & Iraq invasions were not "Just Wars"

Though the Bush administration did not invoke the Just War theory at first, much of the debate about the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq outside the administration clearly centered on these ideas. For example, in a widely cited article, former President Jimmy Carter expressed his opposition to the Bush doctrine on a Just War basis: "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."

Admired the Shah of Iran until his overthrow in 1979

Then for the next 26 years it was good. The Shah compiled one of the worst human rights records in the world. President Carter particularly admired the Shah. Just a couple of months before he was overthrown, he said how impressed he was by the Shah's "progressive administration," and so on.

In 1979, Iran became evil again. They pulled out of the imperial system. And since then they have been evil. They haven't been following orders.

Oversaw Camp David accord: peace between Egypt & Israel

Iranian hostages clouded 1980; made deal for release

Much of the 1980 presidential campaign was played out under the cloud of the hostage problem. The hostages were finally released on Jan. 20, 1981. Their freedom was obtained in exchange for concessions that included the unfreezing of Iranian assets in the United States.

Kept our country at peace, and extend peace to others

CARTER: What we've done is to use that enormous power and prestige and military strength of the US to preserve the peace. We've not only kept peace for our own country, but we've been able to extend the benefits of peace to others. In the Middle East, we've worked for a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, successfully, and have tied ourselves together with Israel and Egypt in a common defense capability. This is a very good step forward for our Nation's security, and we'll continue to do as we've done in the past. There are always troublespots in the world, and how those troubled areas are addressed by a President, alone in that Oval Office, affects our Nation directly. That is a basic decision that has to be made so frequently by every President who serves. That's what I've tried to do, successfully, by keeping our country at peace.

Strength is imperative for peace, but goal is peace

CARTER: The buildup of military forces is good for our country, because we've got to have military strength in order to preserve the peace. But I'll always remember that the best weapons are the ones that are never fired in combat, and the best soldier is one who never has to lay his life down on the field of battle. Strength is imperative for peace, but the two must go hand in hand.

Continue 4-decade challenge of mounting Soviet power

• In the 1940's we took the lead in creating the Atlantic Alliance in response to the Soviet Union's consolidation of its East European empire.
• In the 1950's we helped to contain further Soviet challenges in Korea and in the Middle East, and we rearmed to assure that containment.
• In the 1960's we met the Soviet challenges in Berlin, and we faced the Cuban missile crisis. And we sought to engage the Soviet Union in the important task of moving beyond the Cold War.
• In the 1970's three American Presidents negotiated with the Soviet leaders in attempts to halt the growth of the nuclear arms race.

No US war in Yugoslavia even if Soviet Union sent in troops

CARTER: According to the leaders in Yugoslavia, there is no prospect of the Soviet Union invading Yugoslavia should Mr. Tito pass away. The present leadership there is fairly uniform in their purpose. I think it's a close-knit group. I would never go to war--or become militarily involved in the internal affairs of another country--unless our own security was directly threatened. And I don't believe that our security would be directly threatened if the Soviet Union went into Yugoslavia. I don't believe it will happen.

FORD: I firmly believe that it's unwise for a President to signal in advance what options he might exercise if any international problem arose.