Jimmy Carter faces down Darfur officials

[North Carolina Tentmaker]

Very often I disagree with the things Jimmy Carter believes in. But I greatly admire him for standing up for his beliefs

The 83-year-old Carter walked into this highly volatile pro-Sudanese government town to meet refugees too frightened to attend a scheduled meeting at a nearby compound. He was able to make it to a school where he met with one tribal representative and was preparing to go further into the town when Sudanese security officers stopped him.

"You can't go. It's not on the program!" the local 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 as a crowd began to gather. "You don't have the power to stop me."

Read the full story at:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071003/ap_on_re_af/darfur_9

 

[hillclimber1]

That kind of arrogance could have gotten him killed. Is he there with the State Dept. blessings?

 

[North Carolina Tentmaker]

I don't think he has state department blessigns although I am sure he has permission. It is a UN gig so they really should be providing for his security although his secret service detachment is paid for by us.

 

[Dagwood]

Good for President Carter!

 

[Magnetic Poles]

President Carter is a true elder American Statesman! :applause:

 

[hillclimber1]

I don't think Jimmy ever met a communist, terrorist, or dictator he didn't like. He's a pimple on America's nose.

 

[Mike McK]

Wow! First, killer rabbits. Now this.

Shame he didn't have that much moral clarity in dealing with the Soviets and the Iranians when he was taking up space in the White House.

 

[Squire Robertsson]

I don't think Jimmy ever met a communist, terrorist, or dictator he didn't like. SNIP

That's what makes this incident so interesting. Omar it seems isn't playing according to the script. He was supposed to let Uncle Jimmy have "free" range. Uncle Jimmy would have come in saw the refugees and then reported no problems existed. If a regieme can't get a Carter white wash, it's too stupid to last long.

 

[NaasPreacher (C4K)]

That kind of arrogance could have gotten him killed. Is he there with the State Dept. blessings?

Would this have been arrogance or guts if carried out by a conservative Republican "elder"?

 

[Bro. Curtis]

That's what makes this incident so interesting. Omar it seems isn't playing according to the script. He was supposed to let Uncle Jimmy have "free" range. Uncle Jimmy would have come in saw the refugees and then reported no problems existed. If a regieme can't get a Carter white wash, it's too stupid to last long.

I sure wish you'd chime in more often. This is about the best paraphrase of Carter's post-White House antics I have ever read.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

Carter later agreed to a compromise by which tribal representatives would be brought to him at another location later Wednesday. But the refugee delegates never showed up.

I don't see this as "standing up". He agreed to having a meeting, off-site, with chosen spokesmen.

 

[KenH]

Good for President Carter. I doubt that George W. Bush would have the wherewithal to stand up in that situation.

 

[Squire Robertsson]

Since GW wouldn't white wash the Khartom government, they wouldn't let him in to begin with.

 

[2 Timothy2:1-4]

Since GW wouldn't white wash the Khartom government, they wouldn't let him in to begin with.

Oh No! Not the truth. :thumbs:

 

[Ivon Denosovich]

Since GW wouldn't white wash the Khartom government, they wouldn't let him in to begin with.

Two words: Saudi Arabia.

 

[Squire Robertsson]

Two words: Saudi Arabia.

True, but the Saudi whitewash has been a bi-partisan effort through at least the Bush (pere et fils) and the Clinton administrations. My point is after GW leaves office, a government like Sudan's wouldn't let him in.

 

[Ivon Denosovich]

True, but[SNIP]

With all due respect, I'm pretty sure Bush would whitewash any Moslim country that jazzed up his legacy and I'm pretty sure they would readily let him in. So he doesn't prefer Africans and they don't prefer him? <shrug>

 

[Bro. Curtis]

Carter had it fixed so that I shared my "C" school with Saudi officers, this in 1979, & 1980. My "C" school was the MK 86 Radar, which was an old system, at the time, but when C.I.W.S. came out, they went to that "C" school, as well. My brother went to that school, and had Saudi officers as classmates. They had access to secret frequencies, and anti-jamming technology that we didn't share with other, close allies.

 

[hillclimber1]

Would this have been arrogance or guts if carried out by a conservative Republican "elder"?

No difference if not under the auspices of the State Dept.

A conservative Republican "elder" has far too much respect for protocol to do this.

 

[KenH]

The almost worshipful adoration of Republicans by some posters on this board is simply fascinating. :laugh: