European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 7, 1981, Darmstadt, Hesse                                2 the stars and stripes William Safire january 1981 dear Jimmy still time for one last shot at Iran it was the time for president car Ter to walk away from negotiations with the outlaw nation that is holding United states foreign policy he just offered to increase the Iran zealots practice their own Brand of Christmas bombing a propaganda barrage at christmastime intended to wring the hearts of americans at the plight of our captive americas news Media cooperated the result was a Tele Vised human interest with Iran dangling its wares our diplomats in front of the opinion consumer com plete with Price tag for Early patience under such provocation is a Over a year when those concerned with National Honor suggested that an act of War should be answered by a another act of the response of the self Flagellar ing set in the White House and state department was to counsel patience and re we have seen the result of our policy of unprecedented weakness the diplomats still the aggressor nation presenting Ransom demands for billion and the United states held up to the latest Concession from Iran seems to be that the United states turn Over its right to decide its National interest to some third party a Carter is the Central Issue is not and never has the Freedom or the safety of those or some other americans it was and is the ability and the will of the government of the United states to defend its vital interests and the lives of its Law abiding citizens wherever in the world those interests or individuals May be threat president Carter has already paid for his or k ill null off wouts weakness with his his depart ing party line is that his political defeat was solely due to a faulty by even the softest carte rite must understand that unrestrained restraint is and that the fanatics in Iran have been strengthened by their ability to manipulate the Media to humiliate a instead of caving in he should be saying Itiat the offer made by the United states last month is our final the kidnapping nation of ignore the that will remove from the negotiating table our to generous along with president elect reagans approval of in the two remaining weeks of his presi Carter would have the Opportunity to apply the lessons he bought at such High Cost he should mine the harbours of that would be a symbolic since Little Oil is now being shipped but As symbolism it beats once again the dimming of the Christmas he should begin distributing some of the iranian assets Frozen in the United states to the hostage at the rate of i columns John Roche effective ref needs regular bases the precondition for Success of any rapid deployment Force is a fully equipped with the heavy equipment that troops cant lug with them 7000 Miles on a this repositioned Supply dump cant simply be sitting next to an air strip guarded by a Friendly Host country is but even then a bit of insurance is in order As the soviets Learned in Egypt and for instruction on the basics let us turn to the who have managed to Decolo most of their african holdings without losing a significant if you dont be Lieve look at the Trade More significantly look at the Structure of the French Force their rapid deployment As this is the Force is preparing to return to Chad and straighten out the mess Libya khad Afy has generated this is not an act of French generosity the Central african re and other nations Only stamp collectors know have immense Mineral notably the main body of troops is in Toulouse roughly paratroopers working in tandem with the French air transport should the French move into Chad the Paras will not be descending on the libyans from the they will land the transports in neighbouring niger or the Central african where there Are depots guarded by units of the foreign and Roll into Chad on the there May be some tactical air drops to Cut roads and the but the essential Point is the Force a intervention does not operate from an does not rely on Supply the French have Man aged to keep a very Low but they have repositioned Supply dumps and legionnaires in the Ivory and Senegal on the West coast of Africa and retain and artillery in Djibouti on the red Seal nor is it an Accident that the Island of near formerly British but now in dependent Mauritius and is technically part of metropolitan Mauritius has been making a nuisance of and the French cant want Law and order in their former hence reunion is the head quarters of the French South Indian Ocean Complete with a regiment of Why the French have not been admitted to the organization of african Unity is something of a just the other Day they flew some aircraft into the Republic of obviously As backup for further action in Zaire or when officials of that nation were queried about the they smiled and observed Gabon respected property the planes were French so it was none of their business what was done with to return to the command and control question which is plaguing our rapid deployment the French Force a intervention does not work for a commit it works directly under the command of the president of the advised by his top notably the Viceroy for Law and order in when they sickened of emperor Bokassa i of the Central Afri can they him out and a new president of the Central african Republic installed before the latter had even arrived in his they Are virtually immune from criticism because everyone knows the French  care for the United states to deploy an effective rapid deployment Force the following Steps Are necessary the president must give the matter top priority and order the Secretary of defense and the joint chiefs to set up the ref As an integral not As a coalition of air a and Navy units each responsible to its service this will make it for Lor air Force units now responsible to euro Pean command to land at Diego Garcia without getting permission from the com Mander in an Admiral in a the and other personnel assigned to the ref should be Given intensive unit training with the equipment they Are going to they trained the hostage Rescue team in one Brand of chopper and then used another we must move to preposition heavy equipment in secure states around the Middle East Complete with troops Call them maintenance men or technical advisers if and put them in shorts or for have to be kept in shape i hear that when we staged our last shipping tanks by air to their repositioned tank Parks in Germany a third of the tank batteries were position a Marine amphibious unit with sea lift somewhere West of Okina ref is their they Are Good at and Sultan taboos of Oman might Wel come them on Mas Ira he knows if we go he goes with c King features comments per Day per hostage in Captivity in the first per Day the second and so reparations Are not owed to any iranians reparations Are owed to the captured United states we can never turn Back the clock to the quo kidnapping As a National policy should not go Carter should order our rapid deployment such As it to the persian Gulf for whatever military action turns out to be necessary in the next administration if Iran leaders do not awaken to Iran National he should notify Pur allies in Western Europe that further Trade with Iran will be considered an unfriendly act by the United which is waging economic to protect its own citizens and to uphold the safety of diplomats he should Call in ambassador Dobrynin to warn the russians against intervening in a superpower has the right to apply coercion to free its nationals wherever terrorism strikes without Provok ing a reaction from the other would these actions free the hostages that is not the these actions would surely free United states foreign policy from its dangerous and better position the Reagan administration to listen to the pleas of iranians who will want the United states to return to the negotiating if our economic pressure causes the kid napping members of parliament to hold spy trials or otherwise abuse their it is not beyond american Power to make cer Tain that is the last time that such a Crimi Nal parliament is it in Jimmy Carters nature to Start this process or will he continue to negotiate away our National Honor a Loyal Carter whose eyes lit up for a moment As he considered mining the harbours in reaction to the latest Humilia responded sadly this president is not inclined to use american president Carter still has the time the moment could not be Riper but he is inclined to surrender to Iran Christmas o the new York times in column and on we in pres5nt Thow the in no i of the and stripes or the United