Jimmy Carter would have been ‘appalled’ at images of ‘tiny children being buried after death by hypothermia’
Jimmy Carter was a man dedicated to ‘advancing the cause of peace’ and would have been appalled at images of ‘tiny children being buried following death by hypothermia’ and ‘hospitals razed’.
That’s according to President Michael D. Higgins who paid tribute to the 39th President of the United States following his death at the age of 100 in Georgia on Sunday.
“President Carter will be remembered as a principled man who dedicated his life to seeking to advance the cause of peace across the world. His exceptional contribution was in his quest to understand the obstacles to peace.
“In his long life of public service, Jimmy Carter’s service as the 39th President of the United States was during a significant and challenging period of American history.
"Almost uniquely as a former President, his greatest legacy will however perhaps be his distinguished record and commitment to human rights in the decades following his Presidency.
"This is a legacy that was given international recognition when Jimmy Carter in 2002 became the only U.S. President to receive the Nobel Peace Prize after leaving office,” said President Higgins.
He referred to Mr. Carter’s humanitarian work through The Carter Center, The Elders and Habitat for Humanity.
Referring to the ongoing bombardment of Gaza he said: "I cannot think of anyone who would be more appalled at the images on the television screens of the world of tiny children, a few weeks old or less, being buried having died from hypothermia, their mothers malnourished and the last of their working hospitals razed.”
President Higgins said he had the privilege of meeting President Carter on a number of occasions in Ireland, Central America and Africa.
"I, as President, and all of us Irish at home or abroad, will particularly recall President Carter’s significant initiative in 1977 in recognising the potential role of the United States in support for the efforts at achieving peace in Northern Ireland.
“I know from my conversations with President Carter, that this was an interest which he retained in the decades after he left office. Indeed, this was an emphasised theme he included during his visit to Áras an Uachtaráin in 1995 when he met President Mary Robinson,” he declared.
He referred to his diplomacy in the Middle East and with the USSR and China.