Close Topic Options

Jimmy Carter & The Hostage Crisis

Jimmy Carter & The Hostage Crisis

Do you think that Jimmy Carter's inability to rescue the US Embassy's personnel was a result of his own lacking in leadership, poor intelligence or simple circumstance? I found it interesting that Operation Eagle Claw went sour because of a sand storm where eight soldiers died and there was not further attempt after that to use military tactics.

Crisis Hostage and Carter Jimmy

Ahhh...the "Smiling Peanut Farmer" and his hostages. One of the key things about having a military and using it as a deterrent is the actual idea in the enemy's mind that you might really use them. With Carter as president, not many believed he would actually resort to a military solution and they were right. Carter was busy playing the peace-broker to the world and getting Nobel awards for his efforts. Unfortunately, this was rightly perceived as weakness when confronted.

Rather off topic, but... While this is not the only trait that makes a good president, it is integral. I always get a kick out of how Russia bumped up their war readiness as soon as Reagan was sworn into office. Enemies had no disillusion that he would use the military if he thought it was the right move. Actually, the same goes for Clinton. For a guy that was known to promote peace throughout the world, he surely did drop his share of bombs when he thought necessary.

Jimmy Carter & The Hostage Crisis History & Civil Business Politics

The unfortunate outcome of Operation Eagle Claw can be largely blamed on the demon Murphy. There was a midair collision resulting in the loss of that many men necessitated the scrubbing of the mission. It wasn't even Carter's call, it was the decision of the commander on the scene.
The decision to not send in a second attempt immediately was a good call. Any rescue effort requires the element of suprise and that was lost with the failed attempt.

Rather off topic, but... Carter took over the family business after his father's death, how is it that people hold this against him? He left a promising career in the Navy and post grad work in nuclear physics to keep up his father's legacy. That is commendable and should not be used to mock him.

Crisis Hostage and Carter Jimmy

I am amazed that it went on for more than a year. We are talking 66 US personnel including diplomats and military. I was even more surprised that US intelligence could not detect the uprising was strong enough to take out the Iran Shah.

Crisis Hostage and Carter Jimmy

That's 66 potential bullet ridden or beheaded corpses if an attempted rescue failed. Having them held hostage was bad, having the hostages slaughtered would be a nightmare.

Jimmy Carter & The Hostage Crisis

What about 66 tortured on a daily basis souls? Sometimes death or even a hope and dying with that hope is better than to just remain victims of circumstance.

From what I understood by the documentary the hostages were already considered 'dead' by the government, that is why they took so long to react. It is only because of certain news anchors who would continually remind Carter about the hostages did he eventually 'attempt' a rescue. What was the outcome of the hostages anyway? Did any make it out alive? How many?

Jimmy Carter & Hostage Crisis

Not one of them was killed, of the 66 people seized all were eventually released. Some quickly, others stayed the whole duration. There wasn't daily torture or anything approaching what an Islamic state would do to its own citizens for minor offenses.

Rather off topic, but... Nothing is worse than death. Most of the talk about anything worse than death is said due to excessive pride and is just that...talk. The notable exceptions are anything that leaves a person lost in their own mind.

Edited: Secruss on 29th Nov, 2007 - 1:08pm