Richard Haass: ‘Jimmy Carter Was a Really Interesting Foreign Policy Person, Who at the Same Time Was Both an Idealist and a Realist’

SCARBOROUGH Richard Haass first ░░░░░░░░ all an observation about ░░░░░░░░ Carter that I noticed ░░░░░░░░ around Dr Brzezinski and ░░░░░░░░ Carter at times One ░░░░░░░░ how different a leader ░░░░░░░░ Carter was and that ░░░░░░░░ brokered dissent active dissent ░░░░░░░░ have read through Dr ░░░░░░░░ s memoirs his diaries ░░░░░░░░ the White House years ░░░░░░░░ at times you read ░░░░░░░░ Mika and I go ░░░░░░░░ God how did Jimmy ░░░░░░░░ keep Dr Brzezinski in ░░░░░░░░ Because he was constantly ░░░░░░░░ back and fighting him ░░░░░░░░ fact in his office ░░░░░░░░ Maine he had a ░░░░░░░░ of Carter and him ░░░░░░░░ and jogging and Jimmy ░░░░░░░░ Jimmy Carter s line ░░░░░░░░ that s it that ░░░░░░░░ the picture was Zbig ░░░░░░░░ that s one time ░░░░░░░░ we were in step ░░░░░░░░ just don t see ░░░░░░░░ anymore with presidents They ░░░░░░░░ it their way or ░░░░░░░░ highway But let s ░░░░░░░░ about Jimmy Carter for ░░░░░░░░ second Of course his ░░░░░░░░ remembered for Iran and ░░░░░░░░ Iranian hostage crisis and ░░░░░░░░ there and let s ░░░░░░░░ about some other things ░░░░░░░░ because I m fascinated ░░░░░░░░ 1979 may be one ░░░░░░░░ the more pivotal years ░░░░░░░░ history other than say ░░░░░░░░ and 47 in recent ░░░░░░░░ history You had the ░░░░░░░░ David accords that ended ░░░░░░░░ ground warfare for a ░░░░░░░░ in the Middle East ░░░░░░░░ had the normalization of ░░░░░░░░ in early 79 which ░░░░░░░░ the globalization era in ░░░░░░░░ we live for better ░░░░░░░░ for worse You had ░░░░░░░░ Soviet invasion of Afghanistan ░░░░░░░░ Carter s reaction And ░░░░░░░░ specifically let s just ░░░░░░░░ it Dr Brzezinski s ░░░░░░░░ not only that but ░░░░░░░░ to Poland when solidarity ░░░░░░░░ up He came up ░░░░░░░░ a porcupine doctrine that ░░░░░░░░ have made it too ░░░░░░░░ for the Soviets to ░░░░░░░░ go into Poland as ░░░░░░░░ had with Hungary and ░░░░░░░░ before that And then ░░░░░░░░ had the Polish pope ░░░░░░░░ the week that changed ░░░░░░░░ world when the Polish ░░░░░░░░ went there went to ░░░░░░░░ the rise of solidarity ░░░░░░░░ really you can go ░░░░░░░░ to 1979 and the ░░░░░░░░ cracks really in the ░░░░░░░░ of the iron curtain ░░░░░░░░ in 1979 with a ░░░░░░░░ of the Carter Administration ░░░░░░░░ policies That of course ░░░░░░░░ of course has overshadowed ░░░░░░░░ because of the Iranian ░░░░░░░░ crisis But I want ░░░░░░░░ to do two things ░░░░░░░░ if you will for ░░░░░░░░ friends watching this morning ░░░░░░░░ want you to talk ░░░░░░░░ the Carter legacy successes ░░░░░░░░ and all that we ░░░░░░░░ talked about here but ░░░░░░░░ I want you to ░░░░░░░░ that last piece Iran ░░░░░░░░ how ironically now in ░░░░░░░░ s death you have ░░░░░░░░ at the weakest state ░░░░░░░░ has been in since ░░░░░░░░ year 1979 HAASS So ░░░░░░░░ s go back to ░░░░░░░░ For me it was ░░░░░░░░ important year It was ░░░░░░░░ year I went to ░░░░░░░░ for Jimmy Carter I ░░░░░░░░ the Pentagon that year ░░░░░░░░ other things working on ░░░░░░░░ and Afghanistan two of ░░░░░░░░ big events of that ░░░░░░░░ I actually think Jimmy ░░░░░░░░ you know all the ░░░░░░░░ about his post presidency ░░░░░░░░ as impressive as it ░░░░░░░░ is in some ways ░░░░░░░░ him with praise It ░░░░░░░░ to underestimate the accomplishments ░░░░░░░░ his presidency You had ░░░░░░░░ arms control agreements with ░░░░░░░░ Soviet Union the SALT ░░░░░░░░ accords You mentioned the ░░░░░░░░ with China Camp David ░░░░░░░░ Panama Canal treaty which ░░░░░░░░ criticized but people who ░░░░░░░░ him I want to ░░░░░░░░ in mind the fact ░░░░░░░░ this canal has stayed ░░░░░░░░ and operating and we ░░░░░░░░ had unlimited access at ░░░░░░░░ same rates as everybody ░░░░░░░░ ever since We re ░░░░░░░░ fighting a guerrilla war ░░░░░░░░ the canal So I ░░░░░░░░ think Jimmy Carter was ░░░░░░░░ really interesting foreign policy ░░░░░░░░ who at the same ░░░░░░░░ was both an idealist ░░░░░░░░ a realist In some ░░░░░░░░ if you think about ░░░░░░░░ he was the forerunner ░░░░░░░░ Ronald Reagan He put ░░░░░░░░ rights front and center ░░░░░░░░ the foreign policy agenda ░░░░░░░░ he was still willing ░░░░░░░░ deal with regimes like ░░░░░░░░ and the Soviet Union ░░░░░░░░ to me you know ░░░░░░░░ impressive And he by ░░░░░░░░ end he was increasing ░░░░░░░░ defense spending significantly He ░░░░░░░░ that yes he was ░░░░░░░░ man of peace but ░░░░░░░░ understood the we re ░░░░░░░░ wasn t there So ░░░░░░░░ went through the Camp ░░░░░░░░ thing but he jacked ░░░░░░░░ American defense spending significantly ░░░░░░░░ of our military capabilities ░░░░░░░░ the Middle East what ░░░░░░░░ now call Central Command ░░░░░░░░ what they had their ░░░░░░░░ in late 79 early ░░░░░░░░ under Jimmy Carter and ░░░░░░░░ Pentagon So I actually ░░░░░░░░ there s much more ░░░░░░░░ between Carter and Reagan ░░░░░░░░ anybody understands and so ░░░░░░░░ would give him a ░░░░░░░░ of credit for what ░░░░░░░░ did Coming back to ░░░░░░░░ today you re right ░░░░░░░░ actually think this is ░░░░░░░░ remarkable moment What the ░░░░░░░░ Administration is doing is ░░░░░░░░ off the Middle East ░░░░░░░░ the incoming Trump Administration ░░░░░░░░ there is more opportunity ░░░░░░░░ progress than there has ░░░░░░░░ in longer than a ░░░░░░░░ And take Iran which ░░░░░░░░ been the principle problem ░░░░░░░░ and indirectly now for ░░░░░░░░ through its proxies you ░░░░░░░░ given the loss in ░░░░░░░░ given that Hezbollah has ░░░░░░░░ devastated Hamas has been ░░░░░░░░ Israel can act militarily ░░░░░░░░ Iran with impunity what ░░░░░░░░ opportunity for the United ░░░░░░░░ to approach Iran and ░░░░░░░░ say Look we are ░░░░░░░░ tolerating your support of ░░░░░░░░ militarily We are done ░░░░░░░░ you to move ever ░░░░░░░░ to nuclear weapons We ░░░░░░░░ prepared to have an ░░░░░░░░ with you a modus ░░░░░░░░ but only if you ░░░░░░░░ severe constraints on your ░░░░░░░░ policy If you are ░░░░░░░░ to do that we ░░░░░░░░ even talk about easing ░░░░░░░░ but if you are ░░░░░░░░ we are prepared to ░░░░░░░░ military force to make ░░░░░░░░ you do not get ░░░░░░░░ to nuclear weapons and ░░░░░░░░ cannot resume your military ░░░░░░░░ of proxies If there ░░░░░░░░ ever a moment to ░░░░░░░░ diplomacy back by the ░░░░░░░░ of force this is ░░░░░░░░ moment Donald Trump likes ░░░░░░░░ think of himself as ░░░░░░░░ dealmaker I actually think ░░░░░░░░ has a serious opportunity ░░░░░░░░ Joe.”