Hyde Comments on Democratic Attack on the President’s Foreign Policy
(WASHINGTON) –
U.S. Rep. Henry J. Hyde (R-IL), Chairman of the House Committee on International Relations, released the following statement after Democratic lawmakers and former Carter and Clinton administration officials criticized President Bush’s policies in the Middle East:
It strains the limit of humor to hear the foreign policy elite of the Democratic Party attempt to blame George W. Bush for enabling Iran to become a global menace. For it was a Democratic President, Jimmy Carter, who presided over the seizure of power in Tehran by Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979, with a mixture of ineptitude and admiration. And it was Carter’s National Security Advisor, Zbigniew Brzezinski, who oversaw this disastrous foreign policy.
Instead of the improved relations the Carter Administration predicted, the Iranians seized our diplomats, who were forced to endure 444 days of captivity. They were only released after the Carter Administration negotiated a considerable ransom, when Ronald Reagan was about to be inaugurated.
When the next Democratic Administration took office, the pattern continued. Secretary of State Albright appeared at a pro-Iranian banquet to apologize for past American behavior, proposing “better relations.” But the Iranians, who declared us their mortal enemies upon seizing power, would have none of it. Indeed, as the world knows all too well, the secret Iranian nuclear program was in full force during the Clinton years, as was Iranian support for Hezbollah and al-Qaeda terrorists.
Under the Bush Administration, in contrast, the world community is now mobilized to put an end to the Iranian nuclear program, and this country is finally on record in support of the Iranian people’s legitimate desire to be free. The Democrats sought an accommodation with the Iranian tyrants, while President Bush is moving to spread freedom. When it comes to foreign policy, at least the Democrats have the virtue of consistency. Unfortunately, they have been consistently wrong for as long as I can remember.
Wild Thing’s comment…..
This is SO good! Really hitting back against the Dems and their weak policies. Good for Chairman Hyde for giving condemnation where condemnation is due!
The Democrats are the enemy within. A vote for any Democrat is a vote for the enemy.
That’s the first time I’ve ever heard that Carter paid a ransom.
Me too, but if he paid a ransom it is not surprising.
Hyde is a very respectable man. He can speak very eloquently and still get his point across.
“They were only released after the Carter Administration negotiated a considerable ransom”
I didn’t know that Carter bought the release of the hostages. I guess maybe he did this after his plan to invade Iran with 5 helicopters and two C-130’s failed. What happened at Desert One, although tragic, was one of the best things that could have happened to the US Military. It showed the country what Carter allowed our military to become…a hollow force. Thank God for Ronald Reagan
The Nobel Prize winning President Carter sought mediation, and eventually agreed to ransom the hostages with the help of Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi. Iran, on December 21, 1980 demanded a specific ransom for the captives—$24 billion—deposited in Algeria. How much was paid I don’t know. To secure their freedom, President Jimmy Carter agreed in his last days in office to release $8 billion in frozen Iranian assets. Todays woes stem mostly from the weaknesses of that Democrat Presidency and their policies.
Svolich, me too, I never knew about that.
Tom I agree he is a wonderful speaker and a favorite of mine. This is his last year then he retires.
Bob, oh I loved Reagan so much. He is my all time favorite President. My second one would be Teddy Roosevelt.
Jack, fantastic, thank you so much for the information.
Sure he wasn’t paying the jizyah instead of a ransom?
I have never heard about a ransome…Hyde is an excellent person and that is something Jimmy Carter never was and never will be.