By Mike Evans
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Carter presents himself as a neutral, third-party arbitrator, especially in Middle East affairs. Despite his role as intermediary at Camp David, Carter has, in recent years, made statements that might be construed as anti-Semitic. He continues to be a harsh and outspoken critic of Israel, and has often favored Israel’s enemies over the only democratic society in the Middle East.
Of course, there are many today who believe the Republican Party under the leadership of George W. Bush is solely responsible for the mess in the Middle East. In truth, the groundwork for this miasma was laid during the term of former Democratic President Jimmy Carter. It was all brought about in the name of change and hope; familiar themes being heard today from Democratic front-runners. It was Jimmy Carter who created a firestorm that destabilized our greatest firewall in the Muslim world, the Shah of Iran, in favor of a religious fanatic, the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Carter viewed Khomeini more as a religious holy man in a grassroots revolution than the founding father of modern terrorism. His advisors concurred: Ambassador to the UN Andrew Young said, “Khomeini will eventually be hailed as a saint.” Ambassador to Iran William Sullivan said, “Khomeini is a Gandhi-like figure.” Carter adviser James Bill proclaimed that Khomeini was not a mad mujahid, but a man of “impeccable integrity and honesty.” As a result, the Carter administration stood by while Iran descended into the chaos of a fanatical Islamic revolution and was stunned when American embassy employees were taken hostage and held for 444 days.
Ninety days following Khomeini’s declaration of the first day of the “Government of God” on April 1, 1979, President Jimmy Carter inked a top-secret document launching America on the path that in 2001 would lead to the deaths of 2,974 innocent American civilians. It was generally thought that U.S. aid to the Afghanistan Mujahedeen was initiated in 1980 under the Republican administration of Ronald Reagan. It was, however, the directive signed by Carter that favored supporting insurgent propaganda and other psychological operations in Afghanistan; establishing radio contact with the Afghan people through a third country; providing appropriate support either in funds or non-military supplies. Carter approved another infusion of $30 million in 1980; and in 1981 the amount was raised to $50 million.
Carter’s ill-advised execution of human rights guidelines and his decision to unseat the Shah ultimately caused the loss of more than 600,000 lives during the Iran/Iraq War. Why? With the departure of the Shah, Saddam Hussein saw his opportunity to boldly march into Iran and seize power in that country. Carter’s decision to abandon Iran to the Khomeini-implemented rule by the mullahs and ayatollahs was eventually responsible for Iraq’s attack on Kuwait and Desert Storm; it spawned the Soviet incursion into Afghanistan, the rise of the Taliban, HAMAS, and al-Qaeda.
