Carter: No case for war
"Our government has not made a case for a preemptive military strike against Iraq, either at home or in Europe... Even if [Powell's] effort is successful and lies and trickery by Saddam Hussein are exposed, this will not indicate any real or proximate threat by Iraq to the United States or to our allies... The most obvious answer [to Saddam] is a sustained and enlarged inspection team, deployed as a permanent entity until the United States and other members of the U.N. Security Council determine that its presence is no longer needed... The cost of an on-site inspection team would be minuscule compared to war, Saddam would have no choice except to comply, the results would be certain, military and civilian casualties would be avoided, there would be almost unanimous worldwide support, and the United States could regain its leadership in combating the real threat of international terrorism."

Carter's views are, of course, entirely reasonable and are especially commendable for pointing out that even if Powell presents to the UN Security Council "proof" of Saddam's non-compliance, he has still not made the case of a threat emanating from Iraq which must be met by war. Such views should be put directly and insistently to the warmongers Bush, Blair and Howard. However, reasonable views will unfortunately not prevail because, as everyone knows but many (including even Jimmy Carter) will not mention, the reason for the war is not Saddam's "weapons of mass destruction" but Iraq's oil.

Carter: No case for war
"Our government has not made a case for a preemptive military strike against Iraq, either at home or in Europe... Even if [Powell's] effort is successful and lies and trickery by Saddam Hussein are exposed, this will not indicate any real or proximate threat by Iraq to the United States or to our allies... The most obvious answer [to Saddam] is a sustained and enlarged inspection team, deployed as a permanent entity until the United States and other members of the U.N. Security Council determine that its presence is no longer needed... The cost of an on-site inspection team would be minuscule compared to war, Saddam would have no choice except to comply, the results would be certain, military and civilian casualties would be avoided, there would be almost unanimous worldwide support, and the United States could regain its leadership in combating the real threat of international terrorism."

Carter's views are, of course, entirely reasonable and are especially commendable for pointing out that even if Powell presents to the UN Security Council "proof" of Saddam's non-compliance, he has still not made the case of a threat emanating from Iraq which must be met by war. Such views should be put directly and insistently to the warmongers Bush, Blair and Howard. However, reasonable views will unfortunately not prevail because, as everyone knows but many (including even Jimmy Carter) will not mention, the reason for the war is not Saddam's "weapons of mass destruction" but Iraq's oil.