Jimmy Carter on War & Peace

President of the U.S., 1977-1981; Former Democratic Governor (GA)

1980: Planned second Desert Storm, after first one failed

Most of us remember Operation Desert Storm, a hostage-rescue attempt by our military early in 1980 that ended up dead-in-the-desert, got eight Americans killed, and resulted as a major embarrassment for Carter. During negotiations after that, Iran was demanding of the Carter people that we exchange $150 million in American military equipment that they'd already ordered and paid for, before the Shah was overthrown and the Ayatollah Khomeini took power. Carter said he wouldn't deal with arms merchants, Source: , Mar 9, 2010

Oversaw Camp David accord: peace between Egypt & Israel

The highlight of the Carter foreign policy came on March 26, 1979, with the signing of a peace treaty by Israeli Premier Menahem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat. The so-called Camp David accord represented a high point in the Carter presidency, although later negotiations to implement it foundered. Source: Grolier’s Encyclopedia, “The Presidency” , Dec 25, 2000

Iranian hostages clouded 1980; made deal for release

Probably the most perplexing problem facing Carter was the seizure in November 1979 of American diplomats and embassy employees in Teheran. [Carter responded with] more than a year of inconclusive negotiations with the Iranian government, plus an unsuccessful airborne attempt to rescue the hostages. Although many people were dissatisfied with Carter’s handling of the hostage seizure and many blamed his administration for not having protected embassy personnel in the first place, the delicate problem was muted somewhat as an issue owing to the paucity of reasonable alternative plans, the erratic nature of a succession of Iranian governments, and fears generated by Iranian threats to punish or kill the hostages.

Much of the 1980 presidential campaign was played out under the cloud of the hostage problem. The hostages were finally released on Jan. 20, 1981. Their freedom was obtained in exchange for concessions that included the unfreezing of Iranian assets in the United States.

Source: Grolier’s Encyclopedia, “The Presidency” , Dec 25, 2000

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