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That afternoon, Carter held an unprecedented news conference for Polish and U.S. journalists. Even though the Warsaw government barred three dissident reporters from attending, it was a remarkably freewheeling session. One Polish reporter, Konstanty Jazowski, editor of a Baptist newspaper, asked Carter if he could help stop Polish Catholic discrimination against Baptists. The President ducked the question. He did so again when ABC Correspondent Sam Donaldson provocatively recalled how Carter had ridiculed Gerald Ford for wrongly claiming during a campaign debate that Poland was not dominated by Moscow. Asked Donaldson: "Do you see a day when Poland may actually be free?" Visibly upset, Carter lamely replied that the Poles had "a desire and a commitment not to be dominated" and refused to answer Donaldson's follow-up question.*
After a formal banquet, featuring saddie of venison and ice-cold vodka, and a second night in their lavish quarters at the baroque 17th century Wilanow Palace outside Warsaw, the Carters flew to Tehran. When Air Force One rolled to a stop at Mehrabad Airport, Carter was the first person to pop out of the door, his tan trenchcoat and slightly disheveled appearance contrasting a bit with the regal elegance of his host, Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. On the way to the city, they drove along roads that were lined with more security men than well-wishers. Only a few hours earlier there had been five anti-American demonstrations.
During talks with the Shah at cream-colored Saadabad Palace, Carter played down his interest in human rights, dwelling instead on Arab-Israeli peace negotiations, Iran's desire to buy 400 U.S. combat fighters and American efforts to curb oil imports. They agreed on basic terms for the sale of six to eight nuclear reactors to Iran and to do what they can to end the war between Somalia and Ethiopia. That night Carter and the Shah, their wives and another visitor, Jordan's King Hussein, celebrated the new year at Tehran's Niavaran Palace.
Over breakfast the next morning, Carter sounded out Hussein about prospects for Arab-Israeli peace. Hussein fears that negotiations between Jerusalem and Cairo could founder unless Carter persuades the Israelis to permit self-determination for the Palestinians, at least some time in the future. Carter will explore the issue further when he meets on Wednesday for an hour or two with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat at Aswan-a stopover that was unexpectedly added to his schedule during the weekend (see WORLD).
From Tehran, Carter flew to India, where he was due to be welcomed by throngs of people at Delhi's Ram Lila Grounds, the same 19-acre field in which an estimated 1 million Indians waited for hours under a hot sun to greet Dwight Eisenhower in 1959. After spending the night at the red sandstone Rashtrapati Bhavan presidential palace. Carter on Monday was to begin a round of appearances that, says an aide, is designed to demonstrate U.S. support for a country that is trying to improve its lot "in the context of democratic institutions.''