Carter defends his handling of Iran hostage crisis
November 16th, 2009 . by TexasFredCHIANG MAI, Thailand (AP) — Former president Jimmy Carter said Monday he had no regrets about his handling of the Iran hostage crisis more than 30 years ago, saying he didn’t attack the country as his advisers proposed because thousands of people would have died.
Islamic militants stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on Nov. 4, 1979, and seized its occupants. Fifty-two Americans were held hostage for 444 days.
Carter acknowledged that his failure to bring the hostages home — including a botched rescue mission in which eight U.S. servicemen died — led to his election defeat to President Ronald Reagan in 1980. The hostages were released on Jan. 20, 1981, just minutes after Reagan was sworn in as the new president.
“I don’t have any doubt that was the main factor in my defeat,” Carter told reporters in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai, where he was helping build houses for Habitat for Humanity. “Obviously, if I had rescued the hostages or they had not been taken, I would have been re-elected.”
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Carter defends his handling of Iran hostage crisis
We have all heard this saying, “There’s NO fool like an OLD fool”. Jimmy Carter brings that saying to life!
Carter says, “Obviously, if I had rescued the hostages or they had not been taken, I would have been re-elected.”. Obviously, Jimmy Carter had NO sense of the opinion America held for him. His finger was NOT on the pulse of America. Our economy was a mess, oil was through the roof, Islam had declared war on us and NOTHING was being done. And when I say NOTHING, I mean it, zilch, nada, zip… Remind you of anyone?
Carter said one proposed option was a military strike on Iran, but he chose to stick with negotiations to prevent bloodshed and bring the hostages home safely.
Jimmy Carter didn’t bring ANYTHING home safely, the hostages were released because Iran KNEW that Reagan was about to send their useless asses back to the stone age!
Our military was on HIGH ALERT, the Mediterranean Fleet was gassed up and ready to go. Marines and Army Spec/Ops were in position and all that was needed was the word ATTACK to come from a REAL President, a President that wasn’t a WIMP, a WUSS, a, well, basically, a coward. And remember this, once upon a time Jimmy Carter was a submarine commander. Do you suppose that if this nation had gone to war during that time, possibly Carter would have chosen to sit it out and not participate? That’s not as far fetched as some may believe.
“My main advisers insisted that I should attack Iran,” he said. “I could have destroyed Iran with my weaponry. But I felt in the process it was likely the hostages’ lives would be lost, and I didn’t want to kill 20,000 Iranians. So I didn’t attack.”
Jimmy, do us ALL a favor, instead of being the idiot *gift* that keeps on giving, just shut the hell up and go away.
The only thing standing between Carter and the title of Worst POTUS in modern U.S. history is the IDIOT we have in office right now, one Barack Hussein Obama. I believe that Obama will remain in that position for many years to come. And just think, he hasn’t even had a full year in office yet.
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Jimmy Carter is an ego-maniac who cannot stand not being in the spot light. It seems he will do or say anything to get back in the news…. pathetic.
Wish I had a can of Billy Beer right about now. Maybe not.
Carter: “Obviously, if I had rescued the hostages or they had not been taken, I would have been re-elected.”
Er … um … Not so sure about that, Jimmah.
Boy to I remember the Carter years, I was working in sales in Little Rock and the interest rate went to 20% killing my business. The Iranian hostage crisis seemed never ending and just kept dragging on month after month with Carter doing nothing substantial to gain their release. The man is a fool and should have stuck to peanuts and Billy Beer with his brother. He will never learn and is hopelessly lost in a world that doesn’t exist anywhere but in his mind. Was glad to see your reference to Billy Beer minuteman26—I never tried it.
I never drank a Billy Beer, I was NOT going to do one damned thing to support those inbred idiots…
Let’s not forget the hate America speech to the German magazine “Der Spiegel” by Jimmy Carter and the super high interest rates during the Carter Administration…correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t the interest rate go to 22% back then…
But the thing I remember most is that cold morning at Rhein-Main Air Base in Frankfurt, Germany where I stood (in unifrom) with hundreds of others to welcome the hostages back after their 444 day stay at “Hotel Armadidajad” and Carter showed up moments earlier to give a speech that nobody remembers.
Norm
Carter deserves a TexasFred Douchebag of the Century award!
I was active duty all during the Carter years. That was a low time for the military. When Carter pardoned the Vietnam draft dodgers, morale really went down the toilet.
My Brothers died because of that mans incompetence. Enough said…
Ref Comment number 7…
I second the motion!
Norm
Good God, is he still alive? Guess he wanted to outlive “The Worst President” reputation!
I think when he finally does kick the bucket, I will set off fireworks!
BobF: I have wondered many times myself, if many to the left wing nut bags out there, you know, the ones that are destorying our country, weren’t some of those very draft dodgers that Carter pardoned??? He should be tried as a traitor to our country just on that alone.
Patrick, my condolences on your loss and gratitude for your service. It is a shame this man ever inhabited the White House and what he did to our military was the act of a complete idiot, and they always cost lives.
Whether or not he dies with the title of worst president or not, he’ll certainly be remembered as one of the dumbest. What a jackass. I too wish he would just shut the hell up or, better yet, croak. He’s an embarrassment of the highest order. Alas, he is not alone…
Jimmy Peanut is despicable.
Does anyone take him seriously? Well, I guess that the far left does as the far left is incapable of rational thought.
The hostages were released on Jan. 20, 1981, just minutes after Reagan was sworn in as the new president.
And that because the White House was finally occupied by a man with a sack full of leadership. I was active duty, and remember Carter to be the bane of our service.
I wonder how many folks still want to pummel his retarded carcass…
You can count me in if you have a pummeling party anytime soon. I’ll even bring a needle and thread to sew his mouth shut!!!