Carter defends his handling of Iran hostage crisis

[CrazyExpat]

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — Former U.S. 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."

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.

"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."

Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, are among 3,000 volunteers from 25 countries working with Habitat for Humanity this week to help build and repair homes along the Mekong River in Thailand, Vietnam, China, Cambodia and Laos.

The homes in Cambodia are being built for families currently living in a garbage dump, the ones in Vietnam are for fishermen who now live on their boats, and the project in China involves construction of an apartment building in a part of Sichuan province devastated by a 2008 earthquake.

"In an area of the world where many people live in deplorable conditions, we have a chance to help families improve their housing," said Carter, wearing sneakers, jeans and a work shirt. He and his wife spent Monday helping build 82 homes in honor of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who celebrates his 82nd birthday next month.

Habitat for Humanity's Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Reckford said the Georgia-based nonprofit group would construct houses for 50,000 families in the Mekong region over the next five years.

"This is an area that gets less attention than some other parts of the world," Reckford said. "But if you look at income levels, there are huge numbers of families living at terribly low levels at a dollar a day. There is a huge deficit of decent housing, so it starts with the need."

Carter, who spent the morning filling in the foundation cracks of a home, said his experience over the years with Habitat has been a rare chance to work along with some of the world's poorest families. He was joined by several regional celebrities, including Chinese movie star Jet Li and Japanese football legend Hidetoshi Nakata.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for me and my wife to break down the barriers that exist between rich people like us and those in need who have never had a decent home," Carter said. "Every year when we have been in a place side-by-side with Habitat families, we have always benefited more than we contributed. We have always come out ahead."

Carl Leon-Guerrero, a Delta Airlines customer service supervisor from Nashville, Tennessee, said it was a good feeling to help out. "As a native of Guam, I know what Asian communities go through with the typhoons and monsoons. So it's good to see a concrete home for these families."

Since its founding in 1976, Habitat says it has built and rehabilitated more than 300,000 homes worldwide, providing simple shelter for 1.5 million people.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g6amSbROt_-bARw6kEBDDpi3NZ8wD9C0LJB80

[Bob]

I don't blame Carter at all for the hostage crisis. He wasn't responsible in the first place for the US's long history of supporting the corrupt shah and attacking Iran after the hostages were taken was an absolutely no win situation.

I will say that Jimmy Carter is the President of the US I admire most for all the good works he and his foundation have done since he left the presidency some 28+ years ago. Although Bill Clinton is starting to do some very good work too, the other

ex-presidents in my lifetime did essentially nothing after leaving office. Eisenhower played golf, Johnson did nothing, Reagan did nothing (oh, he gave some speeches for unbelievably high fees), GH Bush did do a little good regarding the tsunami issue (other than that, he got paid a million bucks to puke on the Japanese President), and nobody's heard from GW Bush (I think he's riding the pickup on the ranch and coloring his presidential coloring book).

[Beer Chang]

Hostage crisis was handled OK IMO.

[lvdkeyes]

Carter ranks high on my list of former presidents too.

[Wino]

Carter ranks high on my list of former presidents too.

I think Carter ranks high with many people. He seems to enjoy himself as an ex-president and has done much in that role.

[WannaGo]

I will say that Jimmy Carter is the President of the US I admire most for all the good works he and his foundation have done since he left the presidency some 28+ years ago.

You are absolutely right. He's one of the few men living that I consider "great." About 10 or 12 years ago, I had a chance to play in his annual softball game in Americus, Ga. and didn't jump at it. I'll always regret that.

[Bob]

This past Tuesday, 3 or 4 of the falang students in the Thai language class at CMU didn't show up for class and I later found out that they went out to the habitat project to see Jimmy Carter, Jet Li, and others. Wish I would have gone as I would have been honored if I was lucky enough to get a photo taken with President Carter.

[Wino]

I was on the same plane as Jimmy Carter on a trip to Tokyo. Of course, I was back with the common people while he was in first class. I did see him as we were walking towards immigration. Tom Foley was there to greet him.

[WannaGo]

This past Tuesday, 3 or 4 of the falang students in the Thai language class at CMU didn't show up for class and I later found out that they went out to the habitat project to see Jimmy Carter, Jet Li, and others. Wish I would have gone as I would have been honored if I was lucky enough to get a photo taken with President Carter.

Bob, do you teach the class or are you taking classes?

[Bob]

Bob, do you teach the class or are you taking classes?

Taking classes. Level 1 is 3 weeks (3 hours a day, five days a week) and that'll finish next Friday. I start Level II the following Monday for the next 3 weeks. I've rather enjoyed it so far and have learned a lot (although half of it is helping me remember what I've forgotten in the past).

[WannaGo]

Taking classes. Level 1 is 3 weeks (3 hours a day, five days a week) and that'll finish next Friday. I start Level II the following Monday for the next 3 weeks. I've rather enjoyed it so far and have learned a lot (although half of it is helping me remember what I've forgotten in the past).

Very cool...is it a difficult language?

[Bob]

Very cool...is it a difficult language?

Well, I'd guess I'd have to say that anything a 61-year-old tries to learn is a bit difficult because one's retention ability at that age is rather poor (that's why it's easiest for a 8-10 year old to learn a foreign language). On the other hand, I'd guess that English is a hell of a lot harder to learn than Thai! Thai has much more logical and consistent grammar and pronunciation than English ever hoped to have.

I am learning quite a bit and I've really kicked in using the proper tones (well, at least most of the time). I finish the Level 1 course this coming Friday and then start in on Level 2 three days later. I did try to learn a little thai on my own over the last decade or so and actually can speak it (and read it) better than most falang I know (but, of course, that's probably not saying too much). But I find that you enjoy the experience of living here in Thailand and interacting with Thais a hell of lot better when you try to speak the language (and, if occasionally you're out in the boonies, it's rather necessary to know some thai).

[WannaGo]

That's great that you're doing that. I regret that I've never stayed with a language long enough to become fluent, so I admire it when someone else does. And you're right, you really have to speak the language to get the full experience living in another country.

[Beer Chang]

In The Nation today, Carter was quoted as saying, "G. W. Bush was the worst American president of his lifetime".

[lvdkeyes]

I believe Jimmy.

[Wino]

I don't believe what Jimmy or any politician might say. Regan's view of "trust but verify" is much more to my liking.

[lvdkeyes]

I think Carter has borne out to be credible.

[Wino]

Oh yes, shall we start calling him St. Jimmie?

[lvdkeyes]

Credibility and sainthood are miles apart.

[Wino]

Seems to me many are putting old Jimmy on a pedestal. I like what he has done since leaving office, but he is no more credible than any other politician. Is his statement about the Joe Wilson incident any more believable than anyone else’s opinion? I don’t think so.

[lvdkeyes]

We all have our opinions.

[Wino]

Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one.

[Bob]

Seems to me many are putting old Jimmy on a pedestal. I like what he has done since leaving office, but he is no more credible than any other politician. Is his statement about the Joe Wilson incident any more believable than anyone else’s opinion? I don’t think so.

I think that's a bit unfair. Nobody is putting the guy on a pedestal but a lot of people have given him praise for the tons of good works he's done in the last 28 years. And, in my opinion, he deserves every bit of the praise.

And do I think his opinion on many topics is more believable than those of most other politicians? Yes, I do. I think he's earned that by being truthful in the past. He might not always be 100% correct but I don't doubt for a moment that he says exactly what he believes. And that's really something in the world of politics. Carter got a load of crap about his comments a few months ago regarding what he felt the Israeli government was doing to the Palestinians; regardless, I think he was 100% correct on that one and it's about time that we (the US) adopted the stance that the Palestinians and the Israelis have the equal right to a homeland free from interference from the other.

[lvdkeyes]

Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one.

Yes, and they all stink except our own.

[Wino]

555555. Not sure about stinky, but certainly different.