IAP Political Forum

Former president Jimmy Carter isn't just suspicious that the US is using torture to extract intelligence from detainees -- he's absolutely convinced.

Asked by CNN's Wolf Blitzer if, by Carter's definition of the word, the United States had used torture during the Bush administration, the Nobel Peace Prize winner was adamant:

 
"I don't think it, I know it," he said. "Certainly."

Pressed by Blitzer on whether that meant that President Bush was lying, Carter was equally clear.

"The president is self-defning what we have done and authorized in the torture of prisoners," said Carter."Yes."

Earlier in the interview, Carter said Bush's denial this week that the US did not in fact torture detainees was "not an accurate statement if you use the international norms of torture as has always been honored in the last 60 years, since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was promulgated."

"But you can make your own definition of human rights and say we don't violate them," he added, "and you can make your own defintion of torture and say we don't violate them."

Carter was equally outspoken in a Wednesday interview with the BBC, calling Vice President Dick Cheney a "disaster," according to Reuters.

"He's a militant who avoided any service of his own in the military," he said of Cheney, adding that the vice president "has been most forceful in the last 10 years or more in fulfilling some of his more ancient commitments that the United States has a right to inject its power through military means in other parts of the world."

"You know he's been a disaster for our country," Carter continued. "I think he's been overly persuasive on President George Bush and quite often he's prevailed."
The following video is from CNN's Situation Room, broadcast on October 10, 2007.

'Carter on...'

PRES CARTER: *I DON'T THINK U.S. USING TORTURE, I KNOW IT!*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uj4xUKqEHM

Are you going to tell me that torture is okay?



FreeinTX

He is a liar and a hypocrite attempting to re-write history.

Last Tuesday on the "Early Show" he said:

Even after the Shah (of Iran) was deposed," Carter told co-anchor Harry Smith, "I quickly restored diplomatic relations with Iran. As a matter of fact, that's been proven by the fact I had about 60 diplomats in Iran, and they had an equal number in Washington, so we were continuing to try to communicate with them and work with them. And I think that, now, with increasing evidence that Iran is a dangerous and unpredictable country, the best thing to do is to have a maximum diplomatic relationship.

Early Show (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/09/earlyshow/leisure/books/main3346237.shtml?source=RSSattr=Politics_3346237)

If that is true Mr President than reconcile this please:

WiKi=On April 7, 1980, the United States broke diplomatic relations with Iran

Don't like WiKi?  Here's Reuters...April 7, 1980 - U.S. President Jimmy Carter breaks off diplomatic relations with Iran

Rueters (http://uk.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUKBLA84625020070311)

So he criticizes Bush for not having diplomatic relations with Iran...but he breaks diplomatic relations when HE was President...can you say hypocrite?

He will go down as the worst President in US history who FAILED to US military power for a GOOD reason the same way Bush will go down as the worst President in US history for USING US military power for a BAD one.