Abu Juwairiya
Junior Member
This is an old story and is about Jimmy Carter's book, 'Palestine, Peace Not Apartheid'.
Former American President Jimmy Carter unveils truth about Israel
- Thread starter Abu Juwairiya
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This is an old story and is about Jimmy Carter's book, 'Palestine, Peace Not Apartheid'.
Abu Juwairiya
Junior Member
His memoirs, diaries and books have shown a conformity or agreement with what he said and did during his own rule in 1976-1980 as President of the USA. True, this is not a reflection of what he would be like today if he was in Obama's position, but it helps to show what he was like when he held office and what was happening in the world then.
We also now know more about the darker side of cold war politics, both from declassified files, documented reports, eyewitness accounts and others that speaks of a different perspective to American policies and involvement in world affairs. These include genocide, human rights violations, barbarism, torture and covert assistance and support to regimes, governments, militias and even multinational firms that directly or indirectly advocated and were responsible for thousands of deaths worldwide.
The most prominent illustration of the above, now accepted as fact, includes the deliberate genocide in Guatemala over a thirty-five year period (1960-1995). Those who presided over the conflict and were active supporters of those who carried out the atrocities included American Presidents; Dwight Eisenhower, John F Kennedy, Lyndon Baines Johnson, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Bush Sr and even Bill Clinton, who accepted it had been wrong and made the public apology.
Other State sponsored international crimes like the above where mass slaughter, carnage and organised reigns of terror that started before Jimmy Carter's tenure as President, but were continued as policy by him in war, included the wars in El Salvador, Angola and Mozambique to name a few.
Rulers and governments outside of war that repressed their own subjects but were receivers of American support and financial aid included the bloodthirsty reign of Joseph Mobutu in the Congo, the oppressive rule of the Shah of Iran, the highly unpopular and the brutal leadership of Suharto of Indonesia among others.
His record as President shows he in part authorised and consented to the Iraqi invasion of Iran in 1980 that led to at least 1 million dead on the battlefield alone by 1988. The full extent of civilian casualties, that were just as large, if not greater, are still not known.
In Somalia, Africa, instead of condemnation for an invasion of another country, he ordered defensive arms supplies to be sent to President Siad Barre when the latter attempted to annex the Ogaden region of Ethiopia in 1977-78.
In the middle East alone, his own ambassador to Iran in 1979-1980 called Ayahtollah Khomeini “some kind of saint.” He toasted Iran under the Shah as "an island of stability in one of the more troubled areas of the world". This, he said, knowing that Amnesty International had described Iran as 'having the worst human records right on the planet' in 1976. The other area in the Middle East that was just as 'stable' and 'peaceful', he also later said was ironically Israel. He even allowed Saddam Hussain to be made an honorary citizen of Detroit in 1980.
Abu Juwairiya
Junior Member
If I can add Jimmy Carter, if he was ever a moralist when it came to apartheid in either South Africa, Israel or anywhere else for that matter, was a political pragmatist and a financial realist when it came to the needs of the American economy over and above international law and agreements.
I can say this because an earlier American President, Richard Nixon, had authorised the US in 1971 to violate UN sanctions in place against Rhodesia. The 'Byrd Amendment' permitted US imports of chrome from Rhodesia. Jimmy Carter continued the practice, in the footsteps of his predecessor, Gerald Ford.
Similarly, while South Africa, was shunned as a racist and apartheid state, the US adopted a different stance and both countries benefitted from close economic and political co operation.
'Exports to South Africa rose from US$131 million in 1945 to US$2,463 million by 1980. Imports from South Africa to the United States followed a similar pattern, registering US$104 million at the end of the war, and US$3,321 million by 1980.' (Source: 'US foreign policy towards South Africa' by Alex Thomson)
In addition, whatever private opinions Jimmy Carter held about the proliferation of nuclear weapons, he acted with another when it came to Israel and South Africa. Declassified US government files show (despite Israeli denials to this day) that the US was aware the Jewish State was developing and fast becoming an atomic arms nation as early as 1961. While stringent policies were employed to deter and demolish nuclear facilities everywhere else, memoirs from former American personnel of the time, show less enforcement was employed with Israel and South Africa. It was also in 1979, during the Carter Presidency I might add, South Africa with Israeli assistance carried out its first test.
I can say this because an earlier American President, Richard Nixon, had authorised the US in 1971 to violate UN sanctions in place against Rhodesia. The 'Byrd Amendment' permitted US imports of chrome from Rhodesia. Jimmy Carter continued the practice, in the footsteps of his predecessor, Gerald Ford.
Similarly, while South Africa, was shunned as a racist and apartheid state, the US adopted a different stance and both countries benefitted from close economic and political co operation.
'Exports to South Africa rose from US$131 million in 1945 to US$2,463 million by 1980. Imports from South Africa to the United States followed a similar pattern, registering US$104 million at the end of the war, and US$3,321 million by 1980.' (Source: 'US foreign policy towards South Africa' by Alex Thomson)
In addition, whatever private opinions Jimmy Carter held about the proliferation of nuclear weapons, he acted with another when it came to Israel and South Africa. Declassified US government files show (despite Israeli denials to this day) that the US was aware the Jewish State was developing and fast becoming an atomic arms nation as early as 1961. While stringent policies were employed to deter and demolish nuclear facilities everywhere else, memoirs from former American personnel of the time, show less enforcement was employed with Israel and South Africa. It was also in 1979, during the Carter Presidency I might add, South Africa with Israeli assistance carried out its first test.