Okay, pdq, back up a sec.

Despite the fact that the Shah's policies led to strong economic growth in Iran during the 1960s and 1970s, opposition grew in large part because he was pro-West. His good relations with Israel and the United States and his active support for women's rights were the main reasons for Islamic fundamentalist groups to attack his policies. On January 16, 1979 he and his wife left Iran at the behest of Prime Minister Shapour Bakhtiar, a long time opposition leader, who sought to calm down the situation. Bakhtiar allowed Ayatollah Khomeini to return to Iran after years in exile, asking him to create a Vatican-like state in Qom, a city about a hundred miles southwest of Tehran, and called upon the opposition to help preserve the constitution, promising free elections. Khomeini rejected Dr. Bakhtiar's demands and appointed an interim government of his own. Shortly thereafter, the dissolution of the monarchy was completed and Khomeini became religious dictator of Iran.

In the meantime, President Jimmy Carter allowed the Shah to come to the United States in late October of 1979 for medical treatment and for temporary sanctuary. The Shah left the United States on December 15, 1979 and lived for a short time in Panama. Finally he went back to Egypt where he died on July 27, 1980 at the age of 60.

While the Shah was in the United States, the Ayatollah urged demonstrations against the United States (which he began calling "the Great Satan"). The American Embassy in Tehran was taken over on November 4, 1979, and the Iran hostage crisis began. Carter's attempt to rescue the hostages failed, not because of anything Carter did. Quite the contrary. He sent the best strike force we had available at the time—and they managed to Keystone Kop the operation.

Now explain to me please:    In what way did Jimmy Carter give Iran to the Islamic fundamentalists?

Don Firth