Tag: Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter–Rest In Peace

The sad news has broken that ex-president Jimmy Carter has passed away.

Former President Jimmy Carter, who was turned out of office by voters after one term and went on to build houses for the poor and champion democracy around the world, died Sunday. He was 100 and the longest-living US president. His son said Carter died at his home in Plains, Georgia, the Washington Post reports. His wife, Rosalynn, to whom he was married for more than 77 years, had died in November 2023, and Carter made his final public appearance at her memorial service. Among his last appeals to his country was in an op-ed after the attack on the US Capitol in 2021. “Our great nation now teeters on the brink of a widening abyss,” Carter warned, adding, “Americans must set aside differences and work together before it is too late.”

Born Oct. 1, 1924, Carter was the eldest of four children and grew up in a house without running water or electricity. His family had a peanut farm two miles from Plains. When he was 19, Carter entered the Naval Academy, then became one of the first officers assigned to its nuclear submarine program under future Adm. Hyman Rickover, who drove his staff hard and didn’t believe in praise. “I think, second to my own father, Rickover had more effect on my life than any other man,” Carter said. He returned to Plains and the family business when his father died, per the New York Times. Although he called himself a peanut farmer when he entered politics in the early 1960s, his father had expanded and diversified as he prospered, and Carter ran a significant commercial enterprise by that time.

Carter was elected a state legislator, then governor, shaking up Georgia politics by declaring, “The time for racial discrimination is over.” He served one term but built a political team with an eye on the presidency. In 1976, he ousted President Gerald Ford, who later became a close friend, to become the nation’s 39th president. He had run as a moderate Democrat and born-again Southern Baptist who promised to never lie to Americans, drawing contrasts to the recently resigned Richard Nixon. He also brought technocratic plans to make government more efficient, per the AP. Carter had successes in office that included a landmark treaty in the Middle East. But his support faded under the weight of double-digit inflation and the taking of US hostages in Iran, and he lost the 1980 election to Ronald Reagan.

His presidency has risen in historians’ estimation recently, but it was Carter’s work after he left office that was most widely admired. He won the Nobel Peace Prize and hammered nails alongside his wife as they built homes for Habitat for Humanity. The couple founded the Carter Center in Atlanta, under which they traveled the world to promote peace, democracy, and humanitarian efforts. “I thought he was a great president because he was a president of values, and he acted upon the values,” former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi once said. “He went from the White House to building houses for poor people. He glorified that work. Others wanted to do it because he did it,” she added. “That’s powerful.”

Of all the modern presidents he was the most selfless and committed to serving the people of this country even after he was no longer president.

Past presidents tell of Jimmy Carter….

A moment of silence was held for Jimmy Carter at the Atlanta Falcons’ game at the Washington Commanders Sunday night—a game with multiple links to the former president, a native of Georgia who led the country from 1977 to 1981 from the White House, less than eight miles from the Commanders’ stadium, the AP reports. Meanwhile, current and former US presidents were also honoring Carter, who died Sunday at age 100, WBAL reports:

  • President Biden: “Today, America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman, and humanitarian,” Biden’s lengthy statement starts. “Over six decades, we had the honor of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend. But, what’s extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people throughout America and the world who never met him thought of him as a dear friend as well. With his compassion and moral clarity, he worked to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil rights and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless, and always advocate for the least among us.”
  • President-elect Trump: “Those of us who have been fortunate to have served as President understand this is a very exclusive club, and only we can relate to the enormous responsibility of leading the Greatest Nation in History,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “The challenges Jimmy faced as President came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans. For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude.” Yahoo News notes that in a second post, Trump added, “While I strongly disagreed with him philosophically and politically, I also realized that he truly loved and respected our Country, and all it stands for.”
  • Former President Barack Obama: Framed as a story about Carter’s frequent Sunday school teachings, Obama made note of Carter’s accomplishments during “the longest, and most impactful, post-presidency in American history—monitoring more than 100 elections around the world; helping virtually eliminate Guinea worm disease, an infection that had haunted Africa for centuries; becoming the only former president to earn a Nobel Peace Prize; and building or repairing thousands of homes in more than a dozen countries with his beloved Rosalynn as part of Habitat for Humanity.”
  • Former President George W. Bush: “James Earl Carter, Jr., was a man of deeply held convictions. He was loyal to his family, his community, and his country. President Carter dignified the office. And his efforts to leave behind a better world didn’t end with the presidency. His work with Habitat for Humanity and the Carter Center set an example of service that will inspire Americans for generations.”
  • Former President Bill Clinton: “From his commitment to civil rights as a state senator and governor of Georgia; to his efforts as President to protect our natural resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, make energy conservation a national priority, return the Panama Canal to Panama, and secure peace between Egypt and Israel at Camp David; to his post-Presidential efforts at the Carter Center supporting honest elections, advancing peace, combating disease, and promoting democracy; to his and Rosalynn’s devotion and hard work at Habitat for Humanity—he worked tirelessly for a better, fairer world.”

Kind words for a kind man.

More on the legacy of this superb American….read and understand….

https://www.commondreams.org/news/jimmy-carter-dying

Here is a look at photos of this well respected man….

In the mid-1970s, Jimmy Carter campaigned as a political outsider for the White House promising honesty, good governance and respect for human rights. These were issues that remained at the forefront of his thinking both during and after his one-term presidency.

Carter, who turned 100 on October 1, 2024, is the longest-living president and has spent more than four decades out of office. During these years he continued his human rights and humanitarian work. He undertook several (sometimes controversial) peacekeeping missions abroad, and helped build homes for charity alongside his wife, Rosalind (1927-2023), well into his late 90s.

“One of the things Jesus taught was: If you have any talents, try to utilize them for the benefit of others,” President Carter told People magazine in 2019. “That’s what Rosa and I have both tried to do.”

Below, look back at some of the key moments in Carter’s life, from his rustic Georgia upbringing to his post-presidency honors.

https://www.history.com/news/jimmy-carter-photos

He will be missed for he was the very model of what an American should strive for in life….service to community and the nation.

Thank you Jimmy….for your service and you will be missed….R.I.P.

I shame that more ex-presidents have not followed in his footsteps for this country would be so much better than it is today.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Happy Birthday Jimmy

The only time I voted for a winner in a presidential election was 1976 and Jimmy Carter and since that day I have never regretted my decision….many criticize his presidency but few have achieved anything near what he was capable of doing.

Today is Carter’s 100th birthday…..and the country should be honoring him….

A benefit concert and the construction of 30 new homes are among the many events marking former President Carter’s 100th birthday on Oct. 1, reports the AP. The star-studded concert at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre earlier in September raised money to support the international programs of the Carter Center, which Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter founded in 1982 with the mission to “wage peace, fight disease, and build hope.” The concert airs on Georgia Public Broadcasting on Oct. 1. More on the soon-to-be centenarian:

  • Houses: Thousands of Habitat for Humanity volunteers gathered Monday to build 30 homes in St. Paul, Minnesota, over five days, led by country music giants Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, who worked alongside the Carters for years. The Carters’ relationship with Habitat for Humanity stretches back 40 years, to when the couple went to New York City on a build in 1984.
  • More on those houses: “The image of a president of the United States sleeping in a church basement and physically helping rehab a tenement building captured the world,” said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat. The Carters went on to build homes annually for 35 years.
  • Legacy: “I think he has probably done more personally in his post-presidency than anyone else because he’s not out there looking for attention,” says presidential historian Cassandra Newby-Alexander, professor of Virginia Black history and culture at Norfolk State University. “He’s not out there trying to make money for himself. He’s out there trying to live the life of … a true Christian, one who cares about the poor and the homeless and the children.”
  • A different kind of philanthropy: Carter’s giving came in the form of his seemingly ceaseless personal effort, not so much his dollars. From building homes to monitoring elections and pursuing the elimination of a neglected disease, Carter used his stature and presence to rally resources and attention.
  • Smallpox: The Carter Center made a commitment to eradicate Guinea worm disease in 1986. Carter vowed to outlive the last such parasite. Even after Carter entered hospice in February 2023, says Dr. Jordan Tappero, deputy director for neglected tropical diseases at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has given $263 million to the Carter Center since 2000, Carter was still contacting his team. “He still wants updates and wants to know what’s going on because his mind will never stop until the last heartbeat,” Tappero said in March 2023.
  • And back to Habitat: Cleora Taylor met the Carters in 2018 when they helped build 41 new homes in South Bend and Mishawaka, Indiana. Taylor said Carter, 93 at the time, helped her put up a kitchen wall in her four-bedroom home. “It was just so amazing that he still was out here, outside at that age, working with us,” she said. “It made us want to work harder. Not only did I get to meet Jimmy Carter and his wife and his children. … I get to own a piece of the world.”

If there was a sainthood for presidents Carter would be the only one so far.  Once he left the presidency he chose to serve the world and the nation…instead of what most ex-presidents do go in search of more fame and chase the cash.

Something most ex-presidents lack….selflessness.

So far he is the only ex-president that I have respect for in any way.

Happy Birthday Mr. President….and thank you.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Closing Thought–07Oct19

I have said many times that regardless what the political hacks say about Pres. Jimmy Carter I still think that he did the best he could for this country….and he may be the last statesman we elected to the office of president.

This man still at 95 gives back to the country he served….by give back I am not talking about trying to make as much cash as possible before they crap out…..I mean in service to the country with such organizations as Habitat For Humanity…..

At his advanced age he still does all he can even when he is not in the best of shape……like over the weekend when he took a fall…..

Former President Jimmy Carter had a black eye and 14 stitches after falling Sunday at his Georgia home, but made it to an evening concert in Tennessee to rally volunteers ahead of his 36th home building project for Habitat for Humanity. The 39th president fell earlier in the day at his home in Plains, Georgia, and required the stitches above his brow. By Sunday evening, Carter was on stage at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville with his wife Rosalynn, 92, to talk to volunteers and supporters of the building project, the AP reports. Carter turned 95 last Tuesday, becoming the first US president to reach that milestone. He told the crowd Sunday evening that he had to go to the hospital and get 14 stitches, “but I had a No. 1 priority and that was to come to Nashville and build houses.”

Carter wore an Atlanta Braves baseball cap, but his left eye was swollen and bruised and he had a white bandage above his eye. The Carters were introduced by country stars Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, who called the Carters the hardest working volunteers, and sang some duets during the concert and ceremony. Rosalynn Carter praised the country music couple for volunteering at previous Habitat for Humanity building projects, saying she once saw Yearwood way up in the rafters of a home working hard during construction.

Carter is an example of what ALL our ex-presidents should strive to be…a true statesman….sadly most fall way short of this bar because they put money over country.

IST wishes Pres. Carter a speedy recovery and a long life.

“Lego Ergo Scribo”

Making America (History) Great Again–Part 32

I am one of the few analysts that will admit that Jimmy Carter was a good president……his work in diplomacy would have possibly given the Middle East a peace…..a lasting peace would not be able to be predicted…Carter environmental policies would also have staved off climate change…maybe not completely but the crisis would not be as dire as it is now.

If you like American history then this series by Maj. Danny Sjursen is one that is a must read and I am providing them as a reference for those history lovers that want a realistic look at American history without the prism of reactionary thought.

Before we get to the most recent Part I would like to give the whole series so that my readers can have them to re-read if they like……it is an excellent series.

Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8; Part 9; Part 10;Part 11; Part 12; Part 13; Part 14; Part 15; Part 16; Part 17; Part 18; Part 19; Part 20; Part 21; Part 22; Part 23; Part 24; Part 25; Part 26; Part 27; Part 28; Part 29; Part 30; Part 31.

Maj. Danny takes a closer look at the presidency of Jimmy Carter…..

There would never have been a Democratic president in 1977, certainly not a President Jimmy Carter, were it not for Watergate, Richard Nixon’s disgrace and the public backlash against Tricky Dick’s Republican Party. Indeed, after the fall of Lyndon B. Johnson, a new era of Republican ascendancy had begun, with the GOP holding the presidency for 20 of the 24 years following Nixon’s 1968 election. Often remembered as one of America’s most feckless and uninspiring presidents, Carter in reality was neither as successful as his supporters had hoped nor as ineffective as his opponents later claimed. He was, ultimately, a transitional figure and a product of the 1970s, which were increasingly politically conservative although heavily colored by cultural liberalism, especially among the young. Though later portrayed by the right as a hopelessly left-wing liberal, Carter was actually quiet pragmatic and became the first of the three Democratic presidents who served between 1977 and 2017 to tack toward the right. In that sense, one could argue that Carter reflected and affected the prevailing conservative winds and started the country down the road toward the “Reagan Revolution” and a long-term rightward trend in American politics.

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/american-history-for-truthdiggers-carters-cage-of-crisis/
 
As I have said….this is an excellent series on the events that helped make America great….as a historian and analyst I feel this is the history we should be teaching and not some sanitized crap that we teach these days.
 
Be Smart!
 
Learn Stuff!
 
Class Dismissed!

“Lego Ergo Scribo”

Jimmy, Thank You

The Far Right thinks that demonizing Pres. Carter is the way to make their policies law…..they are wrong and anyone that criticizes Carter are wrong….from a foreign policy point of view Carter was a success on many levels…..most notably in the Middle east….it is possible that if he had won re-election the complexion of the conflict would be different.  He seldom gets credit for the START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) which was suppose to eliminate all nukes in the future….and then Reagan shows up and the conflict talk gets louder…..his only “sin” was the failed rescue attempt of the hostages in Iran…..the failure was not the fault of Carter or his plan…weather and malfunctioning equipment caused the failure….but according to many on the Right it was all Jimmy’s fault…kinda like everything these days is Obama’s fault.  I will admit that Jimmy crapped in his corn flakes with the neutron bomb fiasco…..

There is no comparison with after presidency activism…Carter is far more down to earth than his wealthy greedy executives that followed…..but that aside let’s look at his foreign policy chops……

When the historian Walter Russell Mead in a Foreign Policy article published in early 2010, sought to criticize the Obama administration and warn it against the risks of “weakness and indecision” and “incoherence and reversals,” the essay’s headline evoked the threat of a “Carter syndrome.” The meaning was clear: a damning allusion to President Jimmy Carter’s famously weak foreign-policy record.

But there was a problem with Mead’s comparison: The conventional wisdom about Carter is wrong. Far from the feckless leader he’s often portrayed as today, Carter racked up more tangible successes in just four years than most other presidents have in eight.

Read more…….

Thank You, Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter deserves the atta boys he deserves…..not some made up BS from jealous politicos……my feeling is that the world would have been a better place if he had been given another term to implement his policies further……the Middle East may have looked different and nukes may have not been the bane they are these days……

Carter will always have a warm spot in my heart….even though I was a radical in those days his policies were well worth support.

Turn The Page!

Operation Eagle Claw

I will wait a moment for all those too young to remember anything past the release of the first Apple phone to dash to Goggle and get the answers they search….

Times up!

Yep it was an attempt to rescue the hostages held by Iran….the Right loves to belittle Carter for this failed attempt making him out as some sort of wimp…..well nothing could be further from the truth…

The meeting began with Jimmy Carter’s announcement: “Gentlemen, I want you to know that I am seriously considering an attempt to rescue the hostages.”

Hamilton Jordan, the White House chief of staff, knew immediately that the president had made a decision. Planning and practice for a rescue mission had been going on in secret for five months, but it had always been regarded as the last resort, and ever since the November 4 embassy takeover, the White House had made every effort to avoid it. As the president launched into a list of detailed questions about how it was to be done, his aides knew he had mentally crossed a line.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2006/05/the-desert-one-debacle/304803/

If one would like a more detailed description of this operation then this is a good source…..

http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/apjinternational/apj-s/2006/3tri06/kampseng.html

Jimmy Carter has been made a failed presidency by so many on the Right over the past decades…..but if he had won his re-election there would have been a good chance that a peace could have been negotiated between Israel and Palestine….but the election of Reagan crapped on his attempt at a peace.

Personally, the world would have been a better place if he won re-election.

Your history lesson is complete…..for today…there is so much more to come….

Closing Thought–05Dec16

Palestine………

I have been a supporter of the state of Palestine ever since I worked in the region in the late 70’s-early 80’s…..I have written many posts about the need to the world to finally recognize Palestine as a real country….

Of course this will be difficult when Israel has a death hold on our Congress and Prez…..even the American people see that there is TOO much influence by Israel…..

The survey found a clear majority of Americans (76%) said Israel was “a strategic asset” to the US, its authors said. At the same time, they said, “a majority of Democrats, 55%, say that Israel is also a burden”; among Republicans, 24% consider Israel a burden. Fifty-two percent of Independents do not consider Israel a burden and 41% think it is.

The surveys also showed 55% of Democrats believe Israel has too much influence on American politics and policies, while 54% of Republicans think Israel has the “right level” of influence.

The surveys also found that the percentage of Americans supporting sanctions against Israel over its settlement policy grew by 9 percent over the past year and now stands at 46%.

America’s greatest chance of a peaceful settlement of this situation was when Jimmy Carter brokered a deal with Israel and Egypt…..I realize the Right does not like Carter much but he is the closest thing we have had as a statesman in many many years….

He has written much on the Palestinian question and now he has come out once again in favor of Palestine……

Time is running out before the Oval Office changes hands, and in Jimmy Carter’s mind, that leaves a limited window for one major thing on America’s to-do list: helping Palestine receive UN membership by granting diplomatic recognition before President Obama leaves the White House. In his opinion piece for the New York Times, the 39th president lays out his argument, starting with the Camp David Accords signed during his own administration in the late ’70s, meant to jump-start a lasting peace between Israel and Egypt and, therefore, the entire Middle East. Carter notes how Obama has tried to keep to that code, as well as to the UN Security Council resolution it was based on after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, by standing firm on 1967-dictated borders and against illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian territory.

Now, however, “the commitment to peace is in danger of abrogation,” Carter laments, pointing out even more settlements are being built and that Israeli settlers are able to enjoy citizenship and legal benefits their Palestinian counterparts don’t—”hastening a one-state reality that could destroy Israeli democracy and will result in intensifying international condemnation of Israel.” And so he’s calling for a Security Council resolution to guarantee peace for both sides, which, combined with UN membership and US recognition, would “bolster moderate Palestinian leadership” while simultaneously assuring Israel the world is looking out for its security, too—a two-state solution he says has been a long time coming. “I fear for the spirit of Camp David. We must not squander this chance,” he notes. Carter’s whole argument is here.

It is time for the Western world to put this issue to bed.

That’s my day…..I’m out…will be back tomorrow….go have a day my friends.

Admit Jimmy Carter Was Right

For decades Jimmy Carter has been the whipping post of the nose picking Right…..but his admin had some good program ideas that never got a chance….he also was instrumental to finding a peace, although not lasting, between Israel and Palestine, of which he gets little credit…..finally he was the closest thing we have had as president that is a true Christian…..

These days there is lots of back and forth on climate change or global warming or dinosaurs farts….science is ignored all in favor of some continuous BS….but Carter had an idea on this problem back in the 70’s and it was a good one…sadly he got no chance to put his ideas into motion……(and we know why don’t we?)…….

Americans, who hate to be told they must change, roundly condemned Jimmy Carter’s memorable “Crisis of Confidence” speech of July 15, 1979. In it, Carter outlined a program for achieving energy independence: “On the battlefield of energy we can win for our nation a new confidence, and we can seize control again of our common destiny.”

We admirers have long endured ridicule whenever we dared to defend Carter’s prescient plan for reducing U.S. dependence on oil.

But today, after all the abuse and scorn heaped on Jimmy Carter and his supporters, we find ourselves paying more than $4 a gallon at the pump to fill our hulking gas guzzlers.

It turns out that Carter was right after all.

Source: History News Network | Is it Safe Now to Admit Jimmy Carter Was Right?

They say hindsight is 20/20 but it would not be needed if there were more people of courage and vision like Jimmy Carter.

All I know is my area use to get 10-12 inches of rain during the summer months…..these days we are lucky to see 4….something is going on and something needs to be paid attention to or the results could be dire.

Jimmy Carter: A Statesman

For too long Jimmy Carter has been a running joke for the Repubs….I guess because their GOD Reagan won the election and saved the world from reason and logic.

Sadly, Carter may be the last statesman this country will ever have elected.  We pick our leaders now with faulty logic and slogans…..

Even have a party that thinks religion should be doled out by the White House….which means to me that freedom of religion is just a slogan for them not everyone.

 

Personally, I think Carter was a good president…..that he had a very good outlook on foreign policy, which is sadly missing in today’s plethora of candidates.  He is the only ex-president that is giving back to the country not making money for their self-indulgences…..of all the recent presidents Carter has shown a desire to make America great and not worry about how big his wallet has become…..he should be an example for ALL Americans to emulate……but instead we get this current crop of wannabes…….how sad this has become.

Jimmy Carter And The Syrian Crisis

First, I do not like to use the NYT as an authority on anything….their opinion pages are diverse and good….but the paper itself is not a reliable source of information…

Next, Jimmy Carter….I know that the GOP wants to demonize him every chance they get….but he was probably the most pious president we have ever had…..his work internationally is unprecedented…..he has worked for better understanding among nations without rest…..his choice was to make the world a better place…not to see how much money one could make by pretending to care.

Carter has taken on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and now has waded into the Syrian conflict with a possible plan to end this thing….

The United States, Turkey and Saudi Arabia should join with Russia and Iran to develop a peace plan for Syria.

Source: Jimmy Carter: A Five-Nation Plan to End the Syrian Crisis – The New York Times

Jimmy gave us his take on Assad….but what does the rest of the world think……

United Kingdom – The United Kingdom reaffirmed its willingness to accept a temporary role for Assad in a transitional administration in exchange for a successful settlement to the conflict.

  • Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond: 04 OCT – “If the price for [ending the Syrian Civil War] is that Assad will remain as titular head of state for a period of time, do I really care if that’s three days, three weeks, three months, or even longer? I don’t think I do.” (The Telegraph)

European Union – The European Union released a joint statement on the Syrian Civil War which attempted to merge the differing stances towards Assad held by Europe. France maintains a strong position calling for the removal of Assad while Germany and several other European states have been much more reticent in their approach.

  • European Council Joint Statement: 12 OCT – “There cannot be a lasting peace in Syria under the present leadership and until the legitimate grievances and aspirations of all components of the Syrian society are addressed.” (EU)

Russia – Russian attempted to portray itself as a neutral actor in the Syrian Civil War through hints that Assad may depart as the leader of Syria over the long-term. Nonetheless, Russia continued to defend the legitimacy of Assad and the Syrian regime as a whole.

  • Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev: 17 OCT – “We are not fighting for specific leaders, we are defending our national interests…at the moment Russia is working on the basis that Assad is the legitimate president.” (AFP)

Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia softened its position on Assad by expressing an ability to tolerate his presence in a transitional government for several months. This apparent shift conflicts with other statements reflecting persistent Saudi demands for Assad’s immediate departure.

  • Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir: 19 OCT – “After the formation of this [transitional] governmental body, President Assad must step down. If it is a matter of months, two or three months or less, that is not important. But Assad has no future in Syria.” (Reuters)
  • Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir: 22 OCT – [On whether Assad could play a role in an interim Syrian government] “His role would be to leave Syria… The best case scenario is that we wake up in the morning and Bashar al-Assad is not there.”

Turkey – Turkey also softened its stance on Assad following diplomatic talks with the U.S. and other partner nations, acceding to a transitional administration which preserves Assad as a titular head of state for up to six months.

  • Anonymous Turkish officials: 20 OCT – Turkey provided initial support for a political transition that retains Assad as the “symbolic president” of a “transitional administration” for up to six months on the condition that Assad hold no control over the Syrian military or intelligence apparatus and that there be a “guarantee of his departure”. The proposal was reportedly formed with a group of nine countries including the U.S. during the UN General Assembly sessions in late SEP 2015. (Hurriyet)

Iran – Iran mirrored Russian rhetoric on the future role played by Assad in a reflection of the deepening strategic alignment between the two countries over the Middle East.

  • Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian: 21 OCT – “In any political process the role played by Bashar al-Assad will be important…we are not working for Assad to stay in power forever as president. But we are very cognizant of his role in the fight against terrorism and the national unity of that country. The people of Syria will make the final decision – and whatever decision they take, we will endorse.” (The Guardian)

Most Americans know very little about Assad other than what the media tells them they need to know….and that is a very limited amount of knowledge…..

Th effort by Carter and others is at least an effort to solve this problem without the use of force and the deaths of civilians….it will be crapped on by the world we have today because……let’s face it…..war is all we know….anymore.

Personally, I appreciate Carter’s attempts over the years to solve problems without the use of violence and I wish him and the others luck on this endeavor……they will need it when facing the warmongering public.