Word: carterized
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...embassy and its staff was an ugly permutation of the acts of political terrorism to which the world has grown increasingly accustomed. Most Iranians detest the Shah for the excesses of his regime, and what they feel was his plundering of their country. Many objected to the Carter Administration's decision to admit...
Uncertainty and lack of knowledge contributed to the tension. Carter met with relatives of the hostages, tried to reassure them and discussed some of the problems the U.S. was facing. As Scoop Jackson described the dilemma: "Who do you talk to? Who do you deal with? It's a situation of great instability. You don't know what's going to happen from one moment to the next." One White House aide expressed his anxiety in the jargon of the Pentagon's war gamers: "It's a classic case of gaming versus an irrational opponent. As the irrationality approaches...
...Administration?and for President Carter personally?the seizure of the embassy was a nightmare. At its very worst, it could lead to the deaths of the Americans, and endanger the 300 or so other U.S. citizens still in Iran?all of whom were advised by the State Department to leave the country as expeditiously as possible. However the crisis ends, it seems likely to enhance the impression of American helplessness...
...Carter, he knew that the attack in Iran would inevitably worsen his "leadership" problem and make his quest for a second term more difficult. The circumstances required a restrained response and infinite patience; yet this very stance would reinforce the public's perception of the President as a poor leader. Carter must have recognized the potential damage to his candidacy, but concluded that he had little choice...
...number of other recent crises, the Administration decided on restraint. Initially, the White House asked Iranian Prime Minister Mehdi Bazargan to intervene. But last Tuesday, after months of trying to steer his country on a rational course, Bazargan resigned in frustration and anger, thus bringing down his government. Carter then designated former Attorney General Ramsey Clark and onetime State Department Iranian Expert William Miller as his personal envoys, both of whom knew Khomeini; the Ayatullah refused to see them. After that, the U.S. consented to try the good offices of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and still later it called...