The 1980 Iranian Hostage Rescue Mission Decision

Résumé du document

"It was my decision to attempt the rescue operation. The responsibility is fully my own", stated President Carter after the failure of the rescue mission designed to save the American diplomats taken hostages in Iran, six months ago. By recognizing his full liability in this collapse, Carter offers a great illustration of the weight that rests on the shoulders of the American President. Therefore, understanding how the President reaches his decisions is of crucial importance. It implies to look at the decision-making process from two standpoints, to evaluate whether the President has the means to make an informed choice and to assess if his decision can be implemented. It also involves evaluating the balance between formal and informal processes. Examining President Carter's decision to launch a hostage rescue mission, entailed to adopt these prisms so to understand how he was led to consider this operation as the only possible solution of the crisis whereas it was contrary to his convictions and a highly risky operation.

Extraits

[...] GLAD Betty. MYERS Marissa. HOUGHTON David Patrick. HOUGHTON David Patrick. BRZEZINSKI Zbigniew. He was on a short vacations in Florida. HOUGHTON David Patrick. GLAD Betty. GLAD Betty. GLAD Betty. [...]

[...] President Carter was led to underestimate the risks of such operation because he was pressurized to act and comforted in his leaning by his advisors and the information he received. In addition, flaws in the conception of the mission reduced its chances of success. The collapse of the mission had great consequences since it contributed to the deterioration of the relations between Iran and the United States and was a key factor in Carter's defeat in the 1980 presidential election. It is therefore important to further investigate what failed in the decision- making process. [...]

[...] For instance, a CIA report stressing how perilous a rescue mission would be was not released[12]. Thus, President Carter had not all the means to take an informed decision.Examining the frame of advisors and the content of the released information shows that both were likely to confirm Carter's feeling that he should go for a military option. At that time, formal decision-making process further reinforced it. Three formal meetings, group think, blinding frame It is in this context that Carter took the decision of launching a hostage rescue mission. [...]

[...] Bibliography BRZEZINSKI Zbigniew, Power and Principle : Memoirs of the National Security Adviser, 1977-1981, Strauss and Giroux CARTER Jimmy, Keeping Faith, Memoirs of a President, The University of Arkansas Press HOUGHTON David Patrick, US Foreign Policy and the Iran Hostage Crisis, Cambridge University Press PORTER Roger, Presidential Decision Making, Cambridge University Press WAYNE Edwards, Presidential Leadership, Politics and Policy Making, St Martin's Press GLAD Betty, Personality, Political and Group Process Variables in Foreign Policy Decision-Making: Jimmy Carter's Handling of the Iranian Hostage in International Political Science Review / Revue internationale de science politique, Vol No Case Studies in Psychopolitics/L'analyse psychopolitique: études de cas (Jan., 1989), pages 35-61 MYERS Marissa, When Biased Advice Is A Good Thing : Information And Foreign Policy Decision Making in International Interactions 1998 OPA (Overseas Publishers Association) N.V Vol No pages 379-403. Extract from Jimmy Carter's speech, Rescue Attempt for American Hostages in Iran Address to the Nation. on April PORTER Roger. HOUGHTON David Patrick. HOUGHTON David Patrick. GLAD Betty. CARTER Jimmy. GLAD Betty. MYERS Marissa WAYNE Edward. [...]

[...] Therefore, understanding how the President reaches his decisions is of crucial importance. It implies to look at the decision-making process from two standpoints, to evaluate whether the President has the means to make an informed choice and to assess if his decision can be implemented. It also involves evaluating the balance between formal and informal processes. Examining President Carter's decision to launch a hostage rescue mission entailed to adopt these prisms so to understand how he was led to consider this operation as the only possible solution to the crisis whereas it was contrary to his convictions and a highly risky operation. [...]