[NYTr] Carter: US Tortures, Bush Approves, Cheney's a Disaster ... but Don't Try Them ??!?

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

USA Today - Oct 10, 1007
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/10/carter-us-has-t.html

Carter: U.S. has tortured detainees and Bush approved it

In an interview with CNN, former President Jimmy Carter said he
believes that the United States has tortured detainee and that
President Bush has authorized the abuse, which he said violates
international laws.

Despite that, Carter said formal charges or a trial "would be
inappropriate."

Addressing Iraq, he said that all 168,000 U.S. troops could be
withdrawn in 18 months and that he disagreed with the 2013 timetable
proposed by fellow Democrats Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama.

Here are excerpts from the interview with Wolf Blitzer:

Regarding the Bush administration and allegations of torture:

BLITZER: President Bush said as recently as this week the United States
does not torture detainees.

CARTER: That's not an accurate statement. If you use the international
norms of torture as has always been honored, certainly 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. And we can — you can make your own definition of torture
and say we don't violate it.

BLITZER: But by your definition, you believe the United States, under
this administration, has used torture.

CARTER: I don't think it, I know it, certainly.

BLITZER: So is the president lying?

CARTER: The president is self-defining what we have done and authorized
in the torture of prisoners, yes.

BLITZER: But that raises a really important question. Those who are
engaged in torture, who commit torture, potentially that could be a
violation of international or other laws.

CARTER: Yes, I think so.

Regarding “holding someone accountable” for violations of international
laws:

CARTER: Well, I think we — the best way to hold people accountable in
this country is through the election process.

BLITZER: That is the best way to get -- in other words, from your
perspective, to get rid of the incumbent administration and move on.
But you don't want to see any formal charges or a trial...

CARTER: No, I don't think so. I think that would be inappropriate. That
has been done in some cases, as you know, but I don't think it is
appropriate at all.

Regarding leaving Iraq and Republicans wanting “to stay there
permanently”:

BLITZER: So on this issue, you disagree with Hillary Clinton and Barack
Obama.

CARTER: Absolutely. We ought to get out earlier than 2013.

BLITZER: How quickly do you think the U.S., realistically, could
withdraw all 168,000 troops from Iraq?

CARTER: I think over an 18-month period, we could be totally out, if
that's our desire, but I never have seen anybody in this current
administration or the Republican candidates advocate that we ever get
out of Iraq. I think they want to stay there permanently.

                           ***

Reuters - Oct 10, 2007
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN1026419120071010

Jimmy Carter calls Cheney a "disaster" for U.S

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on Wednesday
denounced Vice President Dick Cheney as a "disaster" for the country
and a "militant" who has had an excessive influence in setting foreign
policy.

Cheney has been on the wrong side of the debate on many issues,
including an internal White House discussion over Syria in which the
vice president is thought to be pushing a tough approach, Carter said.

"He's a militant who avoided any service of his own in the military and
he 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," Carter told the BBC World News America in an interview to air
later on Wednesday.

"You know he's been a disaster for our country," Carter said. "I think
he's been overly persuasive on President George Bush and quite often
he's prevailed."

Asked to comment on Carter's remarks, Megan Mitchell, a spokeswoman for
the Republican vice president, said, "We're not going to engage in this
type of rhetoric."

Carter, a Democrat who was president from 1977 to 1981 and won the 2002
Nobel Peace prize for his charitable work, is a strong critic of the
Iraq war and has often been outspoken in his criticism of President
George W. Bush.

In a newspaper interview in May, Carter called the Bush administration
the "worst in history" in international relations.

Carter did have kind words in the BBC interview for U.S. Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice.

"I'm filled with admiration for Condoleezza Rice in standing up to
(Cheney) which she did even when she was in the White House under
President George W. Bush," Carter said, referring to Rice's former role
as White House national security adviser.

"Now secretary of state, her influence is obviously greater than it was
then and I hope she prevails," Carter added.

© Reuters 2006. All rights reserved.