Former President Carter warns against U.S. war on Iraq
Associated Press March 19 2003

NEW YORK - Former President Jimmy Carter says a unilateral attack on Iraq would not meet his criteria of a ``just war'' and would violate ``basic religious principles'' and ``respect for international law.''

In an opinion piece published in Sunday's editions of The New York Times, Carter says the United States has not exhausted all options for a peaceful resolution to the Iraq crisis. He says the Bush administration has presented an ``unconvincing'' case linking the al-Qaida terror network to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and should more aggressively seek international support before taking military action.

``As a Christian and as a president who was severely provoked by international crises, I became thoroughly familiar with the principles of a just war, and it is clear that a substantially unilateral attack on Iraq does not meet these standards,'' Carter writes in the editorial.

Carter, who was awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, says a war with Iraq could destabilize the Middle East and increase the likelihood of terrorist attacks on American soil.

``American stature will surely decline further if we launch a war in clear defiance of the United Nations,'' Carter writes. ``But to use the presence and threat of our military power to force Iraq's compliance with all United Nations resolutions - with war as a final option - will enhance our status as a champion of peace and justice.''