The Command Post - 2004 US Presidential Election - Controversial Foreign Leaders Back Kerry

October 19, 2004

| Controversial Foreign Leaders Back Kerry

The first one’s actually a former leader best known for his controversial speeches :

…today the Jews rule this world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them,” Mahathir said, adding, “1.3 billion Muslims cannot be defeated by a few million Jews.”

From the Daily Times (Pakistan) :

Former Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohammad has appealed to American Muslims not to vote for George Bush on November 2.
In an open letter sent to the community, believed to number seven million, the former prime minister said during the past four years of the Bush presidency, the Muslims and their countries had suffered oppression and humiliation as never before in the history of Islam.

“There is an obvious connection between the sufferings of the Muslims and the policies and thinking of Bush. We cannot expect much change to the policies of the United States of America towards Islam and the Muslims under Democrats as under Republicans. But we have a duty to ensure that Bush will not be able to determine our fate for four more years,” he said.

Kerry, the Malaysian leader conceded, may not be any different, but the candidates for the presidency of the United States must be made aware that in democratic America, Muslim citizens have a voice and can influence the selection of the rulers of the country. “Bush has shown that despite his protests, he is the cause of the tragedies in Afghanistan, Palestine and Iraq.”

The second endorsement comes from Yasser Arafat. From WorldNetDaily :

Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat is hoping John Kerry wins the presidential election in November, several Palestinian leaders told WorldNetDaily.
Arafat deputy and chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told WND in an exclusive interview that while “we do not involve ourselves in internal American politics,” at the same time “our region has been sliding deeper and deeper into chaos because of certain policies over the past few years, and this needs to change.”

While he would not directly endorse Kerry, it was clear Erekat was implying the PA wants a change in White House leadership: “If things continue the way they are, if certain policies toward our region are maintained in the years to come, there is going to be a lot of violence on both sides.”

A prominent Arafat aide who asked that his name be withheld spoke to WorldNetDaily from Arafat’s battered Ramallah compound.

“The president [Arafat] is frustrated with Bush’s policies,” he said. “The president [Arafat] thinks Kerry will be much better for the Palestinian cause and for the establishment of a Palestinian state.”

Posted by Alan Brain at October 19, 2004 01:44 AM | TrackBack

Comments

Another small example of the value of the blogosphere; we don’t find this in the NYTimes. Timesmen and their ilk do not want us to know.

Posted by: TomTom at October 19, 2004 09:50 AM

Yet more terrorists for Kerry!!!!!

Posted by: Pat M. at October 19, 2004 12:16 PM

Its great that Bush has the backing of centrist pro-democracy leaders like Putin.

Posted by: dave at October 19, 2004 02:24 PM

It seems that Putin has a very complex situation on his hands. Beslan really rocked the russians and dealing with it in a typical Russian fashion won’t make a lot of friends in the current white house.

did putin outright say “Vote for Bush”?

Posted by: skip at October 19, 2004 04:31 PM

What about “Foreign Nutjobs for Kerry”? There’s still time, they could hook up with Bruce Springsteen and tour with the band.

Maybe make some balloon animals for the kids, blow up some Christian churches, you know, the usual.

Posted by: torpedo_eight at October 19, 2004 09:40 PM

With Yassir throwing in his head towel for Kerry, how can any Jew in America cast a vote for the democrats? Republicans will back the Israeli’s in their time of need. And with Iran becoming more dangerous, would a Kerry stand behind them when they bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities? We need a strong leader in this country and one with common sense and not a commie background…vote Bush!

Posted by: dickmr at October 19, 2004 10:41 PM

Well, as they say, you can’t pick your friends….

And there’s no denying that with Putin’s acts of late, I’d imagine that even Bush has reservations being happy with his endorsement.

Posted by: Jatsby at October 19, 2004 10:53 PM

Skip, yes he did. I think it was one of the October Surprises planned…the backing of another “major” world power. But, again, I don’t know that I’d call Putin the kind of endorsement that I’d want……

Posted by: Jatsby at October 19, 2004 11:07 PM

Agree Jatsby, but politics makes strange bed fellows and fortune has a way of making fools of all of us.

To me, bad mouthing Putin now would be completely Carteresque. It would demonstrate the lack of understanding of the currents in world affairs that forced Jimmy out of office after one term.

Like it or not Putin’s made his bed. Bush will keep silent about it and who could blame him?

Still it is fun to think of Yasser throwing his pizza parlour tablecloth into the ring.

Posted by: skip at October 20, 2004 10:26 AM

The real significance in Putin’s endorsement is that, having been opposed to the Iraq invasion, the assumption was that Russia, Germany and France as a block supported Kerry. The endorsement of Putin, regardless of his personal failings, underminds the Kerry mantra of Bush alienating other countries.

Posted by: submandave at October 20, 2004 10:38 AM