[FrontlinesNewspaper] Newsweek: Mandela on Iraq, Bush and Cheney

["stefano ulliana" <ulliana at qnet.it>]

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Subject: [FrontlinesNewspaper] Newsweek: Mandela on Iraq, Bush and Cheney

Nelson Mandela:

The United States of America is a Threat to World Peace



In a rare interview, the South African demands that George W. Bush win
United Nations support before attacking Iraq



 Sept. 10 ÷  Nelson Mandela, 84, may be the worldâs most respected
statesman. Sentenced to life in prison on desolate Robben Island in 1964
for advocating armed resistance to apartheid in South Africa, the African
National Congress leader emerged in 1990 to lead his country in a
transition to non-racial elections. As president, his priority was racial
reconciliation; today South Africans of all races refer to him by his Xhosa
clan honorific, Madiba. Mandela stepped down in 1999 after a single
five-year term. He now heads two foundations focused on children. He met
with NEWSWEEKâS Tom Masland early Monday morning in his office in Houghton,
a Johannesburg suburb, before flying to Limpopo Province to address
traditional leaders on the countryâs AIDS crisis. Excerpts:



NEWSWEEK: Why are you speaking out on Iraq? Do you want to mediate, as you
tried to on the Mideast a couple of years ago? It seems you are reentering
the fray now.



Nelson Mandela: If I am asked, by credible organizations, to mediate, I
will consider that very seriously. But a situation of this nature does not
need an individual, it needs an organization like the United Nations to
mediate. We must understand the seriousness of this situation. The United
States has made serious mistakes in the conduct of its foreign affairs,
which have had unfortunate repercussions long after the decisions were
taken. Unqualified support of the Shah of Iran led directly to the Islamic
revolution of 1979.



Then the United States chose to arm and finance the [Islamic] mujahedin in
Afghanistan instead of supporting and encouraging the moderate wing of the
government of Afghanistan. That is what led to the Taliban in Afghanistan.
But the most catastrophic action of the United States was to sabotage the
decision that was painstakingly stitched together by the United Nations
regarding the withdrawal of the Soviet Union from Afghanistan. If you look
at those matters, you will come to the conclusion that the attitude of the
United States of America is a threat to world peace. Because what [America]
is saying is that if you are afraid of a veto in the Security Council, you
can go outside and take action and violate the sovereignty of other
countries. That is the message they are sending to the world. That must be
condemned in the strongest terms. And you will notice that France, Germany
Russia, China are against this decision. It is clearly a decision that is
motivated by George W. Bushâs desire to please the arms and oil industries
in the United States of America. If you look at those factors, youâll see
that an individual like myself, a man who has lost power and influence, can
never be a suitable mediator.



What about the argument thatâs being made about the threat of Iraqâs
weapons of mass destruction and Saddamâs efforts to build a nuclear
weapons. After all, he has invaded other countries, he has fired missiles
at Israel. On Thursday, President Bush is going to stand up in front of the
United Nations and point to what he says is evidence of Scott Ritter, a
former United Nations arms inspector who is in Baghdad, has said that there
is no evidence whatsoever of [development of weapons of] mass destruction.
Neither Bush nor [British Prime Minister] Tony Blair has provided any
evidence that such weapons exist. But what we know is that Israel has
weapons of mass destruction. Nobody talks about that. Why should there be
one standard for one country, especially because it is black, and another
one for another country, Israel, that is white.

So you see this as a racial question?



Well, that element is there. In fact, many people say quietly, but they
donât have the courage to stand up and say publicly, that when there were
white secretary generals you didnât find this question of the United States
and Britain going out of the United Nations. But now that youâve had black
secretary generals like Boutros Boutros Ghali, like Kofi Annan, they do not
respect the United Nations. They have contempt for it. This is not my view,
but that is what is being said by many people.



 What kind of compromise can you see that might avoid the coming confrontation?



There is one compromise and one only, and that is the United Nations. If
the United States and Britain go to the United Nations and the United
Nations says we have concrete evidence of the existence of these weapons of
mass destruction in Iraq and we feel that we must do something about it, we
would all support it.



Do you think that the Bush administrationâs U.N. diplomatic effort now is
genuine, or is the President just looking for political cover by speaking
to the U.N. even as he remains intent on forging ahead unilaterally?



Well, there is no doubt that the United States now feels that they are the
only superpower in the world and they can do what they like. And of course
we must consider the men and the women around the president. Gen. Colin
Powell commanded the United States army in peacetime and in wartime during
the Gulf war. He knows the disastrous effect of international tension and
war, when innocent people are going to die, young men are going to die. He
knows and he showed this after September 11 last year. He went around
briefing the allies of the United States of America and asking for their
support for the war in Afghanistan. But people like Dick Cheney· I see
yesterday there was an article that said he is the real president of the
United States of America, I donât know how true that is. Dick Cheney,
[Defense secretary Donald] Rumsfeld, they are people who are unfortunately
misleading the president. Because my impression of the president is that
this is a man with whom you can do business. But it is the men who around
him who are dinosaurs, who do not want him to belong to the modern age. The
only man, the only person who wants to help Bush move to the modern era is
Gen. Colin Powell, the secretary of State.



I gather you are particularly concerned about Vice President Cheney?



Well, there is no doubt. He opposed the decision to release me from prison
(laughs). The majority of the U.S. Congress was in favor of my release, and
he opposed it. But itâs not because of that. Quite clearly we are dealing
with an arch-conservative in Dick Cheney.



Iâm interested in your decision to speak out now about Iraq. When you left
office, you said, ãIâm going to go down to Transkei, and have a rest.ä Now
maybe that was a joke at the time. But youâve been very active.



I really wanted to retire and rest and spend more time with my children, my
grandchildren and of course with my wife. But the problems are such that
for anybody with a conscience who can use whatever influence he may have to
try to bring about peace, itâs difficult to say no.



       © 2002 Newsweek, Inc.