Home > Political Insider > Archives > 2007 > October > 03 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USJimmy Carter: I’ll tell President Bashir about this
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Former President Jimmy Carter seems to be having problems with people all over the place. First it was a feud with the Bush administration over the 2000 election results. Then with the entire Middle East because of a book he wrote that offended Israel.
And now the Associated Press is reporting from Sudan Wednesday night that Carter had a run-in with security officials who blocked him from entering a town in Darfur where he was going to meet with African refugees.
Carter went to Kabkabiya, which the AP described as a “highly volatile pro-Sudanese government” burg. But the tribal leaders, many of whom were forced out of their homes by pro-government forces, were too frightened to see him. The former president met with just one representative then started walking into the town to find the others.
That’s when the camel fur hit the fan.
Here’s how AP put it:
“You can’t go. It’s not on the program!” the local national security chief, who only gave his first name as Omar, yelled at Carter, who is in Darfur as part of a delegation of respected international figures known as “The Elders.”
“We’re going to anyway!” an angry Carter retorted, telling security officers they didn’t have the authority to stop him.
As a growing crowd gathered around the former president, Carter’s U.S. security detail and his African Union escort tried to ease tensions. Carter later agreed to a compromise by which tribal representatives would be brought to him at another location later Wednesday.
“I’ll tell President Bashir about this,” Carter said, referring to Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.
Hmmmm. That didn’t sound pleasant.
The Elders, led by Carter and Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu, were in Darfur to talk about ensuring the fairness of upcoming elections. Oh, and to press for one other thing in the ravaged region: Peace.
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Comments
By Anonymous
October 3, 2007 9:33 PM | Link to this
What’s all this talk about “peace”? Why, that’s un-American! Carter should be ashamed of making the U.S. look weak by actually TALKING with warring factions instead of blowin’ em up.
Clearly, this man was far too principled and Christian to be president of a principled, Christian nation like ours.
By phil
October 3, 2007 10:13 PM | Link to this
Then with the entire Middle East because of a book he wrote that offended Israel.
Yeah, I remember how mad the Iranians got at those anti-Israel comment. They…oh.
Well, the Saudis, then. They’re always mad when someone criticizes…um, Israel. Hmm.
Well, the Middle East is a big place. What about Jordan? Egypt? Emirates? Qatar? Iraq?
What about Kuwait? Gotta be some pro-Israeli sentiment coming from those good ol’ humanist, social democrats in Kuwait. Right?
Not that there aren’t other things wrong with this “Jimmy Carter: Ahmadinejad of Plains” routine, but if I can’t trust senior journalists at a major metropolitan paper to know that most of the people in the Middle East sort of wish Israel would, you know, not exist, then why should I trust them on anything else?
By Golf Pro
October 3, 2007 10:14 PM | Link to this
I for some reason never trusted Mr. Carter. I am near 70 years of age, so I was around when he was/is. He let interest rates run rampant up to 22% or more, and did NOTHING to stop it. It took Pres. Reagan to fix the prob. How long will we trample other people and their rights? The Bible for Mr. Carter’s info says obey the laws of your land. I am guessing it means the laws of others also, or at least Christian respect for them. Common courtesy would in my estimate cause one to stop and carefully listen to the law enforcement of any nation. If we do not give it over there, how can we expect it here?
By Golf Pro
October 3, 2007 10:14 PM | Link to this
I for some reason never trusted Mr. Carter. I am near 70 years of age, so I was around when he was/is. He let interest rates run rampant up to 22% or more, and did NOTHING to stop it. It took Pres. Reagan to fix the prob. How long will we trample other people and their rights? The Bible for Mr. Carter’s info says obey the laws of your land. I am guessing it means the laws of others also, or at least Christian respect for them. Common courtesy would in my estimate cause one to stop and carefully listen to the law enforcement of any nation. If we do not give it over there, how can we expect it here?
By Golf Pro
October 3, 2007 10:14 PM | Link to this
I for some reason never trusted Mr. Carter. I am near 70 years of age, so I was around when he was/is. He let interest rates run rampant up to 22% or more, and did NOTHING to stop it. It took Pres. Reagan to fix the prob. How long will we trample other people and their rights? The Bible for Mr. Carter’s info says obey the laws of your land. I am guessing it means the laws of others also, or at least Christian respect for them. Common courtesy would in my estimate cause one to stop and carefully listen to the law enforcement of any nation. If we do not give it over there, how can we expect it here?
By Golf Pro
October 3, 2007 10:14 PM | Link to this
I for some reason never trusted Mr. Carter. I am near 70 years of age, so I was around when he was/is. He let interest rates run rampant up to 22% or more, and did NOTHING to stop it. It took Pres. Reagan to fix the prob. How long will we trample other people and their rights? The Bible for Mr. Carter’s info says obey the laws of your land. I am guessing it means the laws of others also, or at least Christian respect for them. Common courtesy would in my estimate cause one to stop and carefully listen to the law enforcement of any nation. If we do not give it over there, how can we expect it here?
By Golf Pro
October 3, 2007 10:14 PM | Link to this
I for some reason never trusted Mr. Carter. I am near 70 years of age, so I was around when he was/is. He let interest rates run rampant up to 22% or more, and did NOTHING to stop it. It took Pres. Reagan to fix the prob. How long will we trample other people and their rights? The Bible for Mr. Carter’s info says obey the laws of your land. I am guessing it means the laws of others also, or at least Christian respect for them. Common courtesy would in my estimate cause one to stop and carefully listen to the law enforcement of any nation. If we do not give it over there, how can we expect it here?
By Ron Mc
October 3, 2007 10:17 PM | Link to this
My greatest wish is that we lived in a world where idealists like Jimmy Carter were not dangerous to our freedoms. He is the finest man that we’ve had in the Presidency in recent times - and yet the worst President. Ronald Reagan was also an idealist, but Reagan was realist enough to end the Cold War through his realistic policies. I pray that men like Reagan will someday create a world to match Carter’s dreams.
By BC
October 3, 2007 10:26 PM | Link to this
I voted for Jimmy Carter in 1976. It’s sad to see what has become of him. Who among us but fools will believe that war will end?
By ADAMKADMON
October 3, 2007 10:30 PM | Link to this
CARTER WAS THE WORST PRESIDENT IN THE LAST 100YRS. NOT ONLY IS HE A LEFTIST AND AN ISRAEL HATER HE HAS NO SPINE WHEN IT COMES TO STICKING UP FOR THE U.S.. CARTER IS SO ENAMOURED WITH THE “LOVE” AND SMOKE BEING BLOWN UP HIS ARSE BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HE IS BLIND TO THE FACT THAT HE CAN TRAVLE AND BE WORSHIPED BECAUSE HE LIVES IN A FREE DEMOCRACY CALLED THE USA. HOPEFULLY HE WILL LOVE AFRICA SO MUCH HE WILL STAY AND NOT COME BACK. I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE DAY OF HIS STATE FUNERAL AND THE END TO THE U.S. EMBARRASSMENT BY HIM.
By BC
October 3, 2007 10:39 PM | Link to this
Well, that’s one way to put it. Reckon you have a point, but it’s impolite to shout.
By tom farley
October 3, 2007 10:45 PM | Link to this
carter inherited the inflation from nixon and the oil embargo. He brought in paul volker to help fix it-what planet was the “golf pro” living on ,that he thinks reagan, with his credit card spending, corrected the problem. He tells it like it is- which many israelis appreciate, [though not dershowitz]. Would that he were president now, instead of “the shrub”.
By Dan Bernard
October 3, 2007 10:51 PM | Link to this
I guess this blog posting was dashed off on a first draft, but I must say that your intro seems to suggest that Carter should be faulted for this run-in with Sudanese security. Further, your wording suggests that this is part of a series of events, implying strongly that Carter is argumentative and that we should find fault with him. I will guess that you were just trying to fill space, but this incident does not, on its face, have any connection to those earlier events you mentioned.
In fact Carter was showing some spine as security was trying to keep him and his companions from learning the truth about what’s going on in Darfur. It’s a little vapid to treat it like a Worldwide Wrestling episode.
By Ron Mc
October 3, 2007 11:13 PM | Link to this
Tom Farley should review his inflation history: Nixon dropped inflation from 11% to less than 6% over last three years of his term; under Carter it then steadily rose to nearly 14% over his four-year term. I respect Carter’s ideals, but let’s also respect the facts regarding historical inflation rates. It is simply fantasy to blame Carter’s inflation problems on Nixon. http://inflationdata.com/inflation/InflationRate/HistoricalInflation.aspx?dsInflationcurrentPage=2
By BC
October 3, 2007 11:13 PM | Link to this
Dan B, do you actually believe Carter can make a difference over there? Or do you just want to believe?
By lewis
October 3, 2007 11:28 PM | Link to this
What a poorly written piece to begin with, before some of the asinine comments that followed. What was the point that was so clearly not made here anyway? Perhaps something, like a viable point of view, got left out mistakenly.
By B2O2
October 3, 2007 11:41 PM | Link to this
Nice to see one US leader who gives a damn about Darfur. We never deserved Carter. We wanted, and still want, leaders who flatter us with sweet nothings and pseudopatriotic lies. He refused us both, and we showed him what for.
By Jane Grey
October 3, 2007 11:50 PM | Link to this
I am suprised he did not take the side of the Sudanese government.
By Mimi Schaeffer
October 4, 2007 7:45 AM | Link to this
Your story is filled with phony assumptions and cause and effect conjectures, such as Carter having problems all around the world.
Yea, it’s a real crying shame Carter is not loved the world over like our fearliess clueless leaders, Bubba George and Darth Cheney.
By BUSH- Worst ever, by far
October 4, 2007 9:13 AM | Link to this
Yea Carter didn’t wear one of Ford’s “Whip Inflation Now” buttons.
Big mistake.
By backfromiraq
October 4, 2007 12:55 PM | Link to this
For the truth about JC go to
www.censurecarter.com/index.php/ CensureCarter/offenses