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The Spectacle Blog

Did Carter Wish Kim Jong-Un "Every Success"?

By Aaron Goldstein on 12.21.11 @ 9:00PM

We know that the likes of Raul Castro, Hugo Chavez, Daniel Ortega and Robert Mugabe are grieving over the loss of their fellow tyrant Kim Jong-Il.

Well, North Korea's state run news agency is claiming that former President Jimmy Carter expressed his condolences on the passing of Kim Jong-Il and wished his youngest son Kim Jong-Un "every success."

Now one is normally disinclined to accept what is uttered out of Pyongyang at face value. Yet the Carter Center has neither confirmed nor denied the report.

It also must be remembered that Carter travelled to Pyongyang this past April, he acted as if he was a mouthpiece for Kim Jong-Il saying that Kim was ready to talk negotiate directly with U.S. and South Korea and also called for the end of sanctions against North Korea. Carter has also excused North Korea's violations of UN Security Council Resolutions is only to "remind the world that they deserve respect in negotiations that will shape their future."

So I don't think it's inconceivable that Carter would send Kim Jong-Un his sympathies and wish him every success even if the people of North Korea have no say in the matter.

View all comments (6) | Leave a comment

albert constantine jr| 12.21.11 @ 9:05PM

I doubt that he ever wished RWR, GHWB or GWB the same (though as I recall when assigned as Liaison Officer to the ROKMC in 1984 during the 1984 election, the South Koreans had little love for Walter Mondale, due to his service as Carter's VP, and Carter's drastic cuts during his administration to USFK> Maybe Jimmy is just going where he's appreciated).

Bob Grant| 12.21.11 @ 9:41PM

How did we ever survive the Carter years.

Ward Bond| 12.21.11 @ 9:53PM

Rush had it right. He called Carter "America's Hemorrhoid".

Paul McGrath| 12.21.11 @ 10:32PM

If Carter was not a former president, he might very well be in jail. His meddling in foreign affairs--especially his sabotage of the Clinton negotiations with N. Korea in 1994--is nothing short of treason.

A lesser country might never have survived such a fool.