James Miller Center: Video: President Jimmy Carter: Statement on Iran Rescue Mission

The failed rescue attempt in 1980 during the Iranian Hostage Crisis, was a disaster for several reasons. One, it showed that the greatest superpower in the world was still be held hostage by a group of Islamic terrorist thugs from the third world. And that America was unprepared and not up for the job in dealing with and ending this crisis. They weren’t sure who they were dealing as far as the people, but also what type of weather they were dealing with and how far they would have to go to make the rescue attempt. Being short on fuel, which is why the helicopter crashed. As well as just being another reminder about the energy shortage back home in America with people not able to afford, or having enough fuel of their own for their own automobiles.

And a hostage crisis in one of the top 3-5 oil and natural gas producers in the world and a country like Iran. Where America use to get some of their oil and gas from, was not helping the situation. But that’s just the policy disasters of the situation. And then you get to the politics of it. This meant that the chances of the Carter Administration being able to rescue the American hostages before the 1980 general elections, were probably not going to happen. And that this along with a weak economy, with high unemployment, high interest rates and inflation, cost of living basically across the board.

And on top of that an energy shortage, were going to be issues that Ronald Reagan, Congressional Republicans and the Republican National Committee were going to be able to use. Against President Carter and Congressional Democrats for the entire 1980 general elections. And these would be issues that Democrats were simply going to have to deal with and not be able to run from. And would see everyday. So this failed rescue attempt during the Iranian Hostage Crisis, was a disaster on several fronts. It just made the United States look very weak compared with a group of third world Islamic terrorists. And just another reminder of how bad things were at home in America.