Carter Ties U.S. Presence, Iraq Bloodshed: "Former President Carter said Wednesday that the apparent open-ended presence of U.S. troops in Iraq has contributed to the wave of hostage-takings and other bloodshed.
'A lot of political analysts have said that one of the main reasons the Bush-Cheney administration went into Iraq was to establish a permanent military base there,' Carter said in an interview with The Associated Press. 'I think this arouses a great deal of unnecessary opposition.'
Carter's remarks came as the family of fellow Georgian Jack Hensley learned that the contractor had been beheaded by his captors in Iraq. He was the second American hostage killed there by Islamic extremists in as many days. "
- posted by geoff @ #