Castro and Kim Summon Their Favorite President

March 26, 2011


Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter is surely a decent man.


But he has a horrible knack of making himself useful to brutal dictators.

From AFP:

Former US President Jimmy Carter will travel to Cuba Monday for a private three-day visit at the invitation of the Cuban government, his non-governmental organization said Friday.

Carter and his wife Rosalyn will meet with Cuban President Raul Castro to discuss ways to improve US-Cuban relations, the non-profit Carter Center said.

Translation: Raul Castro wants Carter to legitimize his cosmetic "reforms."

And from Reuters:

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter plans to travel to North Korea in a private capacity and is not carrying any official message from the U.S. government, the U.S. State Department said on Thursday.

Translation: Kim Jong Il wants Carter to ease heightened tensions with South Korea amidst his failing health.

"I'd say that he was the best [U.S.] president of all those I've known, irrespective of the opinion I have of each of the others."

-- Fidel Castro, quoted by author Ignacio Ramonet in the book 'Fidel Castro: My Life.'