Mandela: U.S. wants holocaust...

[The Mad Monk]

...and Mandela wants a swat upside the head.

Link: http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/...ela/index.html

Thanks to Drudge for the link.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (CNN) -- Former South African president Nelson Mandela has slammed the U.S. stance on Iraq, saying that "one power with a president who has no foresight, who cannot think properly, is now wanting to plunge the world into a holocaust."

Speaking at the International Women's Forum, Mandela said "if there is a country that has committed unspeakable atrocities in the world, it is the United States of America."

I think he's confusing the United States with his wife...

Mandela said U.S. President George W. Bush covets the oil in Iraq "because Iraq produces 64 percent of the oil in the world. What Bush wants is to get hold of that oil." In fact Iraq contributes to only 5 percent of world oil exports.

Where is he getting his facts? The Onion?

The Bush administration is threatening military action if Iraq does not account for weapons of mass destruction and fully cooperate with U.N. weapons inspectors.

Receiving applause for his comments, Mandela said Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair are "undermining" past work of the United Nations.

"They do not care. Is it because the secretary-general of the United Nations is now a black man?" said Mandela, referring to Kofi Annan, who is from Ghana.

Did he really just say that?

Blair is expected to discuss the issue of Iraq when he meets with South African President Thabo Mbeki in London Saturday, a day after the British leader's meeting with Bush.

Mandela said he would support without reservation any action agreed upon by the United Nations against Iraq, which Bush and Blair say has weapons of mass destruction and is a sponsor of terror groups, including Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network.

That's wonderful...what country is he running now?

Nobel Peace Laureate Mandela, 84, has spoken out many times against Bush's stance, and South Africa's close ties with Libya and Cuba irked Washington during Mandela's own presidency.

In reaction to Mandela's comments, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Bush was grateful to the many European leaders who "obviously think differently."

"The president will understand there are going to be people who are more comfortable doing nothing about a growing menace that could turn into a holocaust. He respects people who differ with him. He will do what he thinks is right and necessary to protect our country," Fleischer said.

[HershOstropoler]

"The president will understand there are going to be people who are more comfortable doing nothing about a growing menace that could turn into a holocaust."

So who is the new Hitler now - Bush or Saddam?

[Urban Ranger]

Mendala may be a little extreme in his critcisms, but his characterisation of Dubya is largely correct.

[Lord Merciless]

Mandela is getting old.

[Sikander]

Sounds like it's assisted living time for Nelson.

[zulu9812]

The reason Iraq only contributes to 5% of oil exports in the world is because of sanctions. Iraq does, however, control between one and two-fifths of the world's oil.

Now, does the USA really want Iraq's oil that badly? Let's have a think about it. The USA's principal oil suppliers have traditionally been Venezuela and Saudi Arabia. Owing to the recent political upheaval, Venezuela has all ceased almost all exports of oil. And Saudi Arabia is viewed as unreliable because some of the 9/11 hijackers were of Saudi origin. Not only that, but there is the very real threat of a popular uprising against the king in Saudi Arabia. So the US is in very real danger of losing it's supply of oil, with it's own local supply being paltry in comparison. So where is the world's largest oil guzzler going to get it's next meal from?

[Darius871]

Originally posted by zulu9812
The USA's principal oil suppliers have traditionally been Venezuela and Saudi Arabia.

I don't know what your definition of 'principal' is since only 13% of our oil comes from Venezuela and 14% from Saudi Arabia. More comes from Canada than from either of them (16%), and Mexico is well up there (12%). Then there are all our minor suppliers (the top six of which add up to 22%), along with domestic reserves (which fulfill about 30% of our total consumption, hardly 'paltry').

The truth is that our oil sources are so diversified that even if one of them completely tanks (which is unlikely in the first place), we can shift to other sources with only a minor change at the gas pump in the interim.

Also I don't see how Saudis being among the 9/11 hijackers has anything to do with oil imports; I'm pretty certain we still buy from Saudi Arabia? What do you mean by 'viewed as unreliable'?

[Spiffor]

Darius :
Isn't Saudi Arabia unreliable because their dollars are the main financial source of islamic terrorist groups ?

Oh, and on topic : Mandela is definitely growing old. The US policy is driven by self interest and many criticize it, but it is absurd to say the US want an holocaust... I don't even understand how Bush, who isn't 84, answered with the same grotesque words (never mind, he's a moron).

[Darius871]

Originally posted by Spiffor
Isn't Saudi Arabia unreliable because their dollars are the main financial source of islamic terrorist groups ?

That doesn't make them an unreliable source of oil.

[Spiffor]

Agreed, but I guess that makes them an undesirable source of oil

[Ned]

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (CNN) -- Former South African president Nelson Mandela today arrested a bank robber, George W. Bush, trying to hold up the First Iraqi Bank of South Africa. Mr. Bush was arrested in the offices of bank manager Saddam Hussein. At the time of his arrest, Mr. Bush had an gun pointed at Mr. Hussein.

According to Mr. Hussein's spokesmen, Mr. Hussein earlier in the day had visited the home of an Iranian couple and sought to foreclose on certain property securing the loans from the bank for which Iranians were in default, and then visited the home of the Kuwaiti family, prominent South African citizens, to discuss refinancing a loan from the Kuwaiti's to the First Iraqi Bank. It was at this point that Mr. Bush appeared at the Kuwaiti home and accosted Mr. Hussein with a loaded pistol. Mr. Hussein fled the Kuwaiti premises and returned to his office at the bank. When Mr. Bush followed Mr. Hussein to his office, he was arrested for attempted bank robbery.

When asked by reporters about Mr. Bush's statement that he was simply trying to disarm Mr. Hussein after he had attempted to rob both the Iranians and the Kuwaiti's, Mr. Mandela said, "Mr. Bush is an obvious liar. After all, he is a citizen of the United States, which has had more bank robberies than anywhere else in the world."

[TheStinger]

Originally posted by Ned
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (CNN) -- Former South African president Nelson Mandela today arrested a bank robber, George W. Bush, trying to hold up the First Iraqi Bank of South Africa. Mr. Bush was arrested in the offices of bank manager Saddam Hussein. At the time of his arrest, Mr. Bush had an gun pointed at Mr. Hussein.

According to Mr. Hussein's spokesmen, Mr. Hussein earlier in the day had visited the home of an Iranian couple and sought to foreclose on certain property securing the loans from the bank for which Iranians were in default, and then visited the home of the Kuwaiti family, prominent South African citizens, to discuss refinancing a loan from the Kuwaiti's to the First Iraqi Bank. It was at this point that Mr. Bush appeared at the Kuwaiti home and accosted Mr. Hussein with a loaded pistol. Mr. Hussein fled the Kuwaiti premises and returned to his office at the bank. When Mr. Bush followed Mr. Hussein to his office, he was arrested for attempted bank robbery.

When asked by reporters about Mr. Bush's statement that he was simply trying to disarm Mr. Hussein after he had attempted to rob both the Iranians and the Kuwaiti's, Mr. Mandela said, "Mr. Bush is an obvious liar. After all, he is a citizen of the United States, which has had more bank robberies than anywhere else in the world."

[red_jon]

Who's to say a war on Iraq wouldn't cause a holocaust? I'm not implying the UK or US would do so intentionally, but destabalising the middle east could cause millions to die due to their religion.

[Dinner]

I used to think of Mendela as being an intelligent man. He has obviously gone senile.

[DanS]

Well, I guess every man is entitled to his own opinion.