20 Jan 1981: Ronald Reagan takes oath of office – Iran releases hostages

Sometimes post hoc ergo propter hoc is not a fallacy.

From History:

Minutes after Ronald Reagan’s inauguration as the 40th president of the United States, the 52 U.S. captives held at the U.S. embassy in Teheran, Iran, are released, ending the 444-day Iran Hostage Crisis.

On November 4, 1979, the crisis began when militant Iranian students, outraged that the U.S. government had allowed the ousted shah of Iran to travel to New York City for medical treatment, seized the U.S. embassy in Teheran. The Ayatollah Khomeini, Iran’s political and religious leader, took over the hostage situation, refusing all appeals to release the hostages, even after the U.N. Security Council demanded an end to the crisis in an unanimous vote. However, two weeks after the storming of the embassy, the Ayatollah began to release all non-U.S. captives, and all female and minority Americans, citing these groups as among the people oppressed by the government of the United States. The remaining 52 captives remained at the mercy of the Ayatollah for the next 14 months.

President Jimmy Carter was unable to diplomatically resolve the crisis, and on April 24, 1980, he ordered a disastrous rescue mission in which eight U.S. military personnel were killed and no hostages rescued. Three months later, the former shah died of cancer in Egypt, but the crisis continued. In November 1980, Carter lost the presidential election to Republican Ronald Reagan. Soon after, with the assistance of Algerian intermediaries, successful negotiations began between the United States and Iran. On the day of Reagan’s inauguration, the United States freed almost $8 billion in frozen Iranian assets, and the hostages were released after 444 days. The next day, Jimmy Carter flew to West Germany to greet the Americans on their way home.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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2 Comments

  1. WmHesch says:

    It’s worth remembering that Novus-Ordo-architect-turned-Iranian-pro-nuncio Annibale Bugnini was also unsuccessful in ending the hostage crisis. Burke’s demotion to SMOM patron is nothing compared to Bugnini’s mysterious provincial appointment.

  2. Semper Gumby says:

    From Reagan’s Evil Empire speech:

    “…freedom prospers only where the blessings of God are avidly sought and humbly accepted. The American experiment in democracy rests on this insight. Its discovery was the great triumph of our Founding Fathers, voiced by William Penn when he said: ‘If we will not be governed by God, we must be governed by tyrants.’ Explaining the inalienable rights of men, Jefferson said: ‘The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time.’ And it was George Washington who said that ‘of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.'”

    Hopefully, the next president will comprehend the Founding Father’s and Reagan’s wisdom as much as this current president disdains it.

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