Modern international relations have significantly increased the influence of American presidents. Three in particular served with similar events playing out: Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and Barack Obama. The terms of these presidents were denoted by tumult in Iran and a resurgent Russia, and as far as foreign policy is concerned, their legacies may not be pristine.
Jimmy Carter faced significant challenges in regards to Iran, whose revolution in 1979 instilled a theocratic regime devoted to Islamic law. The Ayatollah blamed the West for many of the region’s issues and when Carter allowed the deposed Shah to receive medical treatment in the US, Iranian students stormed the US embassy and took sixty hostages. Several experts have claimed that the Iran Hostage Crisis prevented Carter from gaining a second term, losing to Ronald Reagan. Regardless, Carter fell prey to the overly cautious State Department, causing significant inaction. Carter believed more peaceful means were necessary, and placed economic sanctions on Iran as his toughest form of foreign policy. President Obama also had to deal with Iran, in the form of a nuclear deal. The deal has numerous critics, with many saying Iran is still on its path towards a nuclear weapon, while UN/US sanctions are being relaxed. Obama’s handling of Iran is similar to Carter’s, in the sense that Iran has continued to defy international policy decisions, namely in Yemen. In contrast, Reagan approached differently. He was sworn into office after touch talks about terrorism and the hostage crisis. Iran released the hostages immediately. Reagan maintained a tough rhetoric, until his administration believed there were moderate elements that would eventually overthrow the current regime. This led to the Iran-Contra Affair. Regardless of the overall effect, Reagan maintained a harshness with the rogue regime that neither Carter nor Obama displayed.
President Carter took a tough line against the USSR, as he was a staunch supporter of human rights. Carter took direct action and supplied the Northern Alliance with weapons, as they fought the invading super power in Afghanistan. After Carter removed détente from US policy books, Reagan continued the anti-communist sentiment, but frequently negotiated with his Soviet counterpart, Mikhail Gorbachev. Reagan and Gorbachev met frequently to discuss many aspects of international relations. In his second term, Reagan brought the two nations closer together without confrontational means, though the Soviet economy had been damaged enough to collapse the system after decades of pressure. Though presiding during a period that has changed dramatically since the previous gentlemen, Barack Obama dealt with a resurging Russia similar to how Carter dealt with Iran. Russia created a crisis situation in the Ukraine, as the former President Viktor Yanukovych sought closer ties to the European Union under Russian pressure. Mass protests soon occurred, with the southern parts of the Ukraine supporting the Russian side, and the traditionally Ukrainian areas supporting the post-revolutionary government. Russia proceeded to occupy the Crimea, and has funded the Russian separatists fighting against the Ukrainian government. In addition, Russia propped his Syrian ally Bashar al-Assad, who instigated a civil war in his country after committing numerous human rights violations.
Obama placed large sanctions on Russia, but refused to intervene in a way other than economics. He threatened Assad before Russia intervened, with a “red line in the sand”, and threatened an imminent attack if they continued using chemical weapons. Assad supposedly agreed to turn over all of his weapons to avoid airstrikes, at the urging of the Russian Foreign Minister, but numerous cases of chemical gassing still occurred. The world essentially saw the President changed course, and Islamic fundamentalist groups like ISIS grew in power. President Obama projected weakness to the Russians, while Carter and Reagan did the opposite, and it led to the Russians putting troops on the ground in Syria. Russian planes also conducted airstrikes against US backed allies in the area, further increasing the tensions between the US and Russia.
Thus, each man chose a similar method at different times. Carter was soft on Iran but strong against Russia, while Reagan appeared to be the opposite. Much of Reagan’s success with Russia can be attributed to his leadership and negotiating skills with his opposite, Gorbachev, but Carter should be commended for directly opposing the USSR and crippling them economically. President Obama allowed Secretary of State John Kerry to negotiate the Iran deal, but he dealt with Russia directly, and softly at that. Sanctions worked on the USSR, but though the Russian economy is currently in shambles (cheap oil made it worse), Russian foreign policy has still remained very aggressive in nature, and has shown no sign of slowing down. The Iran Hostage Crisis hurt Carter’s legacy, and the Iran-Contra Affair nearly destroyed Reagan’s presidency; will Obama’s legacy be characterized by similar failings in dealing with the same adversaries?
Bibliography:
Foundation, WGBH Educational. “WGBH American Experience . Jimmy Carter.” 1996. Accessed June 4, 2016. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/carter-hostage-crisis/.
Otaiba, Yousef Al. “One Year After the Iran Nuclear Deal.” Wall Street Journal (wsj.com), April 3, 2016. http://www.wsj.com/articles/one-year-after-the-iran-nuclear-deal-1459721502.
Kemp, Geoffrey. “The Reagan Administration.” Accessed June 4, 2016. http://iranprimer.usip.org/resource/reagan-administration.
Sanchez, Dan. “They Sow the Cyclone — We Reap the Blowback.” November 23, 2015. Accessed June 4, 2016. http://www.dansanchez.me/feed/they-sow-the-cyclone-we-reap-the-blowback.
“Milestones: 1981–1988.” Accessed June 4, 2016. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1981-1988/u.s.-soviet-relations.
Taddonio, Patrice. “‘The president blinked’: Why Obama Changed Course on the ‘red line’ in Syria.” May 25, 2015. Accessed June 4, 2016. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/the-president-blinked-why-obama-changed-course-on-the-red-line-in-syria/.
