In a CNBC interview with Tania Bryer, former President Jimmy Carter speaks candidly about the Iranian Hostage Crisis, which he faced during his term in the Oval Office and his decisions during on of America’s most critical times.
In the 2014 interview, the now Nobel Peace Prize Laureate President Jimmy Carter says he was advised by many to take more aggressive and warmongering actions during the crisis. Even his wife, partner, and confident former First Lady Rosalynn Carter encouraged the president to do something—anything more, but she understood his decision more when he asked her:
“...And then have them (Iranian terrorists) take a hostage out, one at a time, one a day—and execute them in front of the world?”
Rosalynn Carter adds:
“You know, he was firm, but it was tough. …We knew he would probably not be re-elected. He didn’t give in. I was proud of him…Peace is very difficult—war is popular in our country.”
In the CNBC interview, Carter says:
“I think if I could have wiped Iran off the map with the weapons that we had, but in the process a lot of innocent people would have been killed… “
In the end, it was President Carter who made the safety and release of the remaining American hostages possible, even though President Reagan wrongly got credit for it at the time. Countless innocent lives were spared by not going to war.
President Carter’s decision to not fire a bullet, not to drop a bomb and not go to war during his four years in office will remain one of his greatest accomplishments.
Here is the 3 ½-minute CNBC video clip with Jimmy Carter on the Iranian Crisis (including a brief commentary by Rosalynn Carter and Sir Richard Branson):
Here is the CNBC video clip transcription:
CNBC: Jimmy Carter the 39th President of the United States has become one of the world’s most prolific and respected humanitarians whose work through The Carter Center see him traveling the globe fostering peace, fighting disease and promoting democracy. It was this unwavering belief in peaceful resolution that cost him his Presidency.
Tania Bryer: Sir, do you feel there were any choices you would have made differently?
Jimmy Carter: I think I would have been re-elected easily if I had been able to rescue our hostages from the Iranians. And everybody asks me what would do more, I would say I would send one more helicopter because if I had one more helicopter we could have brought out not only the 52 hostages, but also brought out the rescue team, and when that failed, then I think that was the main factor that brought about my failure to be re-elected. So that’s one thing I would change.
Rosalynn Carter: I would say ‘do something, anything’ and he said and then have them take a hostage out one at a time one day and execute them in front of the world? You know, he was firm, but it was tough. …We knew he would probably not, probably not, be re-elected, he didn’t give in. I was proud of him…Peace is very difficult war is popular in our country.
Tania Bryer: Even your wife Rosalyn was encouraging you to take action, was it hard to not take everyone’s advice around you, even your wife’s?
Jimmy Carter: Yes. Well I could’ve been re-elected if I’d taken military action against Iran, shown that I was strong and resolute and, manly and so forth. But, I think if I could have wiped Iran off the map with the weapons that we had, but in the process a lot of innocent people would have been killed, probably including the hostages and so I stood up against all that all that advice, and then eventually my prayers were answered and every hostage came home safe and free. And so I think I made the right decision in retrospect, but it was not easy at the time.
Sir Richard Branson: I think he was incredibly unfairly judged. I mean he was ahead of his time when he was in the White House… And I think if it hadn’t been for the Iran Hostage situation he would have had a second term and I think most likely would’ve been as well-respected for his time in office as for his time outside the office.
Tania: Bryer: Do you feel the American people have accepted that now, that it was the right decision?
Jimmy Carter: I think increasingly they have, as more facts are known and as people look back on those times. But there’s still a strong inclination in our country to take military action when I think it’s not necessary.
Tania Bryer: You left office sir, as you have said, involuntarily, if you had been re-elected what would you have liked to accomplish?
Jimmy Carter: I don’t have any doubt that if I’d had another term in office I could have implemented very firmly the peace agreement that I negotiated with Israel and its neighbors. That was never fully implemented. So now 35, 40 years later we still have Israel not at peace with its neighbors… But my successors were not very interested in the Mid East peace process, not as deeply as I was, and that’s one of the things I could have done differently.
During his one term in office, and efforts for peace, President Carter also facilitated the Camp David Accords, a treaty between Israel and Egypt that still exists almost 40 years later. Again, the world will never know the thousands, perhaps millions of lives that were spared over the last four decades due to that international agreement.
President Carter still believes there is much work to be done, and in a more recent interview, Carter adds, “We must never forget the plight of the Palestinians.” The lifelong humanitarian and author of over 25 literary books, Carter wrote about the issue in his piece, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, which was considered controversial to some, but then, Carter has proven he does not shy away from harsh criticism, especially when it comes to peace. He has often expressed that it his hope has to see the same kind of peace for Israel and Palestine as with Israel and Egypt.
In reference to another war not discussed about as much by world leaders, Jimmy Carter also speaks out about the abuses of women, and he addresses the problem in his book, A Call To Action: Women, Religion, Violence, And Power. Carter challenges the travesty and hypocrisy of religions today. He is a man of unabashed Christian faith, yet is very open and angry with male religions leaders who negatively impact the lives of women around the world. He also wrote about the subject in an op-ed entitled: Jimmy Carter: ‘Losing My Religion For Equality.’
At 91, our 39th President continues, with action and deeds, to advocate, human rights, democracy and the elimination of disease around the world through the The Carter Center (co-founded with Rosalynn Carter).
To honor the this great humanitarian and peacemaker, over 200k people have joined the Facebook page, Honoring Jimmy Carter where the content includes stories and memes, about Carter, and the page members share their thoughts about one of the most remarkable men that this country and world have ever known.