US Foreign Policy and the Iran Hostage CrisisWhy did a handful of Iranian students seize the American embassy in Tehran in November 1979? Why did most members of the US government initially believe that the incident would be over quickly? Why did the Carter administration then decide to launch a rescue mission, and why did it fail so spectacularly? US Foreign Policy and the Iran Hostage Crisis examines these puzzles and others, using an analogical reasoning approach to decision-making, a theoretical perspective which highlights the role played by historical analogies in the genesis of foreign policy decisions. Using interviews with key decision-makers on both sides, Houghton provides an analysis of one of the United States' greatest foreign policy disasters, the events of which continue to poison relations between the two states. The book will be of interest to students and scholars of foreign policy analysis and international relations. |
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action American hostages analogical reasoning analysis Angus Ward Antelope Productions approach argued argument attempt Ayatollah Bay of Pigs bureaucratic politics Carter administration Christopher cognitive Cuban missile crisis Cyrus Vance decision decision-makers Dedre Gentner Delta Force domestic political effect embassy Entebbe ex-post explanation foreign policy Gary Sick groupthink Hamilton Jordan helicopters historical analogies Hostage Rescue Mission hostage takers Ibid instance international relations interview involved Iran hostage crisis Israeli Jimmy Carter Jimmy Carter Library Johnson Joint Chiefs Kennedy Khomeini Khong launch lessons Mayaguez military options missile crisis Mogadishu Mossadegh negotiation Nevertheless notes November planners policy-making President probably problem Prospect Theory Psychology Pueblo analogy raid recalls release rescue force rescue operation rescue team role secretary seems shah similar situation Son Tay Soviet Stansfield Turner suggested Tehran Terrorism and Democracy tion United Vance's Vietnam Warren Christopher White House Yazdi York Zbigniew Brzezinski