I think in every instance of this kind, the primary responsibility has got to be for the Governor or local officials in the State to make a judgment … - Jimmy Carter

Iraq is an unjust war. I thought then, and I think now, that the invasion of Iraq was unnecessary and unjust. And I think the premises on which it was launched were false.

When I made my inauguration speech just a few weeks ago, I quoted a schoolteacher of mine, Miss Julia Coleman. She was a principal in a tiny school where I attended when I was a country boy. She taught me above and beyond the classroom how to write themes and how to debate and how to appreciate works of art and how to understand good music and how to read books that I would otherwise never have known to exist. She was crippled, and she couldn't see the children in her classroom. I think she would have been a good teacher had she not been handicapped, but I think that knowing about her own shortcomings in a physical way gave an extra dimension and depth to her caring about other people. Your conference is important. You're intelligent, courageous leaders. But because you have experienced suffering and because you have overcome it, I think the recommendations that will be coming from you that will affect the lives of many millions of people now and in the future will have that same extra dimension. Our country needs you, and I know that you will never disappoint those who look to you for leadership. Thank you very much.

Well, I believe that, obvious]y, the Cuban-Americans here have complete freedom. We are not committed to the destruction by military force of the present Cuban Government; our hope and aspiration is that maximum freedom for people who live in Cuba can be achieved. But I think at the time of the Bay of Pigs, our country gave up the thought that we might do it by military attack. We've proceeded very cautiously in our dealings with the Castro government. I've spelled out publicly on many occasions my own attitude toward this procedure. We have signed now with the Soviets-I mean with the Cubans--a fishers agreement and a maritime agreement. And we are continuing in practical application the anti-hijacking agreement which has not been renewed. We have also opened up the possibility, which will be realized very quickly, of diplomatic officials to be stationed in Washington and in Havana in the embassies of other nations. I don't see any possibility soon of normalizing relationships with Cuba. Castro's position has been that a prerequisite to this must be the removal of the trade embargo before negotiations can even commence. As I've said on numerous occasions, my concerns about Cuba are that they still have large numbers of political prisoners incarcerated that ought to be released. They have large numbers of troops in Angola and other places in Africa which ought to be returned. And they still maintain an attitude of unwarranted intrusion into the internal affairs of some of the other nations or places in the Western Hemisphere. So, I think all those factors tie together. But I assume from the tone of your question you were talking about a military overthrow of the Castro government. That is not part of our national purpose.