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Former President Carter in Showdown With Officials in Darfur
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter got in a shouting match with Sudanese security officials Wednesday, accusing them of preventing him from meeting with representatives of ethnic African refugees in Darfur.Neener, neener! The 83-year-old Carter yelled at the head of the local security services as he tried to walk into this highly volatile pro-Sudanese government town to meet with refugees, who were too frightened to attend a previously scheduled meeting at a nearby compound. "No you can't go. It's not on the program," the local chief of national security, who only gave his first name as Omar, yelled at Carter, who is in war-torn Darfur as part of a delegation of respected international figures known as "The Elders." "We're going to anyway," an angry Carter retorted to the security, telling them they didn't have the authority to stop him. There was no physical altercation. Too bad, maybe next time. As a growing crowd gathered around the former president, Carter's U.S. security detail and his African Union escort tried to ease tensions. Carter later "I'll tell as his lip quivered. "We don't have any authority, except this influence of our prestige, experience and integrity," he said to explain "The Elders"' role. He meant to say "We don't have any authority, but we like to be on TV." Posted by: Spot 2007-10-03 |
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