Posted on 05/26/2008 9:18:47 AM PDT by mak5
Former US President Jimmy Carter urged Washington to establish friendly ties with Tehran, reiterating the need for his country to resume trade relations with Iran, which he described as a "rational" nation.
Speaking at the Hay Festival yesterday, Carter also suggested the US should provide nuclear power technology and fuel to Iran as a show of goodwill.
"What happens if, in three years' time, Iran has a nuclear weapon," Carter asked. "I'm not sure that is going to happen, but if it does, what do we do? They are rational people like all of us in this room. Do they want to commit suicide? I would guess not. So what we have to do is talk with them now and say to them we want to be their friends," the former US president said.
"The United States must let Iran know that we want to give them fuel and everything they need for a non-military nuclear program. Twenty-five years ago we cut off trading with Iran. We've got to resume trading to show Iran we are friends."
Carter also criticized President George Bush, saying it was a "serious mistake and terrible departure" from the actions of previous US presidents not to engage with countries with which they differed.
"The president of the administration in Washington is the first one to have ever done this and I think we close off ourselves from any sort of rational accommodation of the views of other parties in order to reach out on major goals," said Carter, in a further interview with Sky Arts, to be broadcast today.
Bookmark,and thanks for the ping.
Hopefully, Jimmy Carter is a once in a lifetime anomaly brought on by the voter’s reaction to the Watergate scandals.
Thank God that Ronald Reagan was waiting in the wings and was willing to clean up the mess Carter left behind.
Thanks for the link.
You’re welcome!
In checking visit sources for AntiMullah, came across this visit to a post Alan put up for FR fund gathering April 2007, which has appeared on an Arab server. take a look.
Very interesting! bttt
So is your home page article of contradiction. As a highly spiritual person as opposed to “religious” I have always enjoyed and been comfortable with the “inconceivable” at the human level while it’s a clearly “given” at a higher level.
Sadly this creates a duality in Islam that is simply a permit to do evil and be approved doing it. Though with some exceptions when a Moslem is at the receiving end.
However, as I said, I am at ease and at times instinctively knowledgeable with the spiritual side of things but no expert on religion and formalized versions of it, so forgive me this spout of opinion.
And also for not engaging in this subject in the future for that reason.
Thank you.
Based upon what you said were your interests, you may find my link in this post to wind up being one of your favorite web sites (it’s one of mine):
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1864090/posts?page=214#214
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