The Democratic Party power structure's least favorite ex-President

is speaking out of school again. Jimmy Carter has some strong words

about President Obama's decision to fight the release of thousands of

photos that reportedly show further US abuse and torture of prisoners

and has weighed in on the debate over prosecuting former Bush

administration officials for torture. In an interview to be broadcast tonight on CNN, Carter says this about Obama's position on the release of new torture photos:

[M]ost of [Obama's] supporters were hoping that he would be much

more open in the revelation of what we've done in the past. But he's

made a decision with which I really can't contend that he doesn't want

to resurrect the past, he doesn't want to punish those who are guilty

of perpetrating of what I consider crimes against our own laws and

against our own constitution. And the revelation of those pictures

might very well inflame further animosity against our country causing

some harm to our soldiers, so I don't agree with him, but I certainly

don't criticize him for making that decision.

Regarding calls for prosecution of former Bush administration officials, Carter says:

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I think prosecuting is too strong a word, what I would like to

see is a complete examination of what did happen, the identification of

any perpetrators of crimes against our own laws or against

international law and then after all that's done, decide whether or not

there should be any prosecutions. But the revelation of what did happen is what I think I would support.

At the Democratic National Convention in Denver last year, Carter was removed from a speaking position at the last minute in a move some considered to be a political snub.