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Article: Lessons from Iran hostage crisis.(Opinion)
- Article from:
- The Christian Science Monitor
- Article date:
- November 2, 1999
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 The Christian Science Publishing Society. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The seizure of the American Embassy in Tehran 20 years ago this week ignited a bitter political crisis. The fallout still afflicts the United States, Iran, and the Middle East.
America's humiliation in Iran helped produce Ronald Reagan's victory over President Carter and a deficit-busting defense buildup that stunted civilian development. Preoccupation with Iran probably prevented Carter from building on the Camp David accords in a second term to add Palestinians and Syria to Israel's peace with Egypt.
Iran, weakened by crisis-generated isolation and sanctions, was severely damaged by the eight years of war that Iraq initiated when that weakness created ...