Transcripts For CSPAN3 Reel America 444 Days To Freedom What Really Happened In Iran - The... 20240713

November 4, 19 79, iranian student storm the American Embassy in tehran. Everybody thinks it will be an overnight affair, but it will not. music , this is the story of a traumatic crisis that lasted 444 days and ended in january 1981, a personal drama about 51 american men and two american women. We will be with you, hopefully, as soon as we can. Their crime was being associated with the u. S. Embassy in tehran, the punishment total incarceration. This will be an inside view, with exclusive iranian shot footage never seen before. When did you arrive in iran . September 19, 1979. I think today is the 19th of january. Your name and your job. This is what really happened as told by fugitive and captive americans, including the head of the u. S. Embassy. Our story starts at the white house on october 22, 1979. Day14, u. S. President jimmy carter believing the shaw of iran needed medical tests and treatment, allowed him to enter the United States. It was the right thing to do, and it was at the end of an almost full year of good relations with iran. Eight months earlier, the isla telik khomeini had returned home from exile in france, although provisional government existed, he became the supreme power in the country. His strengthened return was treated like the Second Coming of mohammed. The ayatollahs campaign to transform the republic began. The first target was the shaw, tried in absentia and the sentence was death. For 37 years, he was killing our people. This deep hatred for the shaw was well known. The fact that u. S. Had supported the shop prior to the revolution made the embassy in tehran a highrisk posting. Bruce lincoln. He felt strongly that u. S. Should not admit the shaw and said why in a topsecret butter. Thought until the revolution had put its own institutions in place and we had put an ambassador in place and signaled our acceptance of the revolution that it would be dangerous to proceed with his admission. Jimmy carters decision to admit the shop and since the iranian public. Daily demonstrations outside the main gates of the u. S. Embassy compound. Inside, security had already been beefed up to protect a reduced staff of 70. The embassys agricultural attache on november 4, 1979, he was leaving the grounds for his office off the compound a block and a half away. As i walked out this morning, there was chanting out front. We knew it was a celebration that was your previously students have been shot, people in the streets. On that particular morning, we did not perceive more threat than usual. However, he was concerned about security for the compound, so he went to the Iranian Foreign ministry to ask for more protection. With him was his political officer. The reaction generally when we asked for increased protection was one of sympathy. While iranian diplomat sympathized with the americans, at the embassy, hundreds of students were swarming the main gates. Just before 11 00 a. M. The attack began. They were over the walls, the chain on the main gate was cut. This was filmed by a student. Here showing the area being overrun. The motor pool was behind the main gates of the Embassy Compound. To the right was the chancery, the operational hub of the Embassy Housing the sensitive communication systems. Way behind the chancery, pass to fields and bungalows was the twostory consular building where visas were issued completely sealed off from the rest of the compound. The students apparently knew that the 13 marines in the compound had Standing Orders not to shoot, but to make sure, the women led the assault. As the attackers overran the motor pool area, marine Sergeant Jimmy lopez stationed at the consular building in the rear of the compound heard the news on his walkietalkie. As soon i heard the transmission, i got up and looked to my people behind me and there were already people running on the compound. The heavy front doors have been bolted shut. Inside were 45 americans plus iranian staff and citizens. The marine guards fired tear gas to buy time. When it was realized help was not coming, one that chancery Security Officers went outside to try to persuade the students to leave. He was immediately captured. The iranians had radios, jamming transmissions. The land lines, the telephones were impossible to get through because by the time the basement had been the students broken by breaking a basement window. This was all watched from the safety of his office from the compound. He was in regular contact with the besieged diplomats. Letting him know what was occurring on the roof of the embassy, people very early on managed to get on the roof, cutting cables, taking down antennas, pulling down the american flag. The students now threatened to shoot the captured american. This is Security Camera related the chilling scene inside the chancery. The people in the chancery had been told was the students just wanted him to come out and they would hold them for an hour or two. They were trying to make a statement about the shaw being allowed into the u. S. And continuing to stay in the u. S. We are not with ordinary people, american officials. We are opposite your government. With no help coming, the staff retreated 4 x 4. One person went out and was immediately blindfolded and bound and threatened with death. The americans surrendered. While this was happening 10 americans had locked themselves in the security vault, shredding confidential documents on the orders of the person who is at the ministry. There were people outside the vault door itself. We instructed the people to install that as long as they could in order to complete the Destruction Program in the vault, but when they reported they had done that, we told them to go ahead and surrender. There were still many secret documents locked away in his office, and he had the key. Later this would come to haunt the americans. None of these details were known to the americans hiding on the underside of the compound, which was walled off from the rest of the grounds. All they knew was the chancery had been overrun. The head of the consular section, dig more field. It was clear help was not going to be coming from the iranians. We heard people on the roof and began to smell smoke as they burned their way through the ceiling. Somebody then threw something through the window. He heard a crash. They put a ladder to the window and demonstrators tried to come in. I kicked open the door and came in so quickly, screaming my full head off, i shocked him iranian coming to the window in a bit of a panic, didnt know what to do because he saw made walking towards him and gary lee standing behind me with a shotgun, and he proceeded to scramble out the window as fast as possible. I popped a grenade and was getting ready to throw it out the window, then this head on the other side looked up to see if the coast was clear, and the grenade chose that moment to go off right in his face. Meanwhile, in the chancery, the captured americans blindfolded and bound work being taken to the ambassadors residence. The students started playing russian roulette with the women hostages to learn the combinations to bruce langan safe. At the same time, in the back of the compound, 12 americans and some iranians were preparing to leave the consular building. Two people were among them. Fortunately for us, the terrorists had not blocked the street entrance. The chancery has a direct door onto the back street. I went to open the door. So i opened it up and there were three or four police. I said we are leaving the building. He said ok. At that time people started to file out. The americans split into two parties, six in one group, led by the consular chief. We got another lock block or so, then a group of young militants surrounded us and said we were hostage, and at first i didnt catch that. I said you have got the building. Do whatever you want. Burn it down. They said, no, you dont understand, you are hostage. He said keep on walking from dont stop, dont talk. Just walk straight. As we started to walk off, the young man fired a shot. They surrounded us saying cia, cia, etc. He found a radio and started to walk off with it. He was going to take the radio. I said to come excuse me. He turned around and i smiled and used hand gestures to confuse him, grabbed the radio, smashed it on the wall and destroyed about 4000 worth of electrical equipment, and i handed the shattered components back to him and said, now you can have it. The second escaping group with these five americans, led by bob anders had taken a different route and were on their way to the British Embassy, a standard contingency plan, but their route became blocked by demonstrators. Bob said i am going home. We said we are going with you. We just wanted to get off the street, because i noticed at least it seemed like some people were starting to stare at us. The relative safety of his apartment was only four blocks away, but across the street from it was revolutionary Committee Headquarters. When we came to the street where the Committee Headquarters was, weep your to round the corner to see if anyone was looking and then make a mad for the building on the other side, and we did that one after the other and made it into bobs apartment, which was a relief, i think, for all of us. As soon week got in there, we got on the telephone and radio. Everyone had two way radios. We were trying to call different apartments and couldnt get answers anywhere. I became convinced we were the only ones able to get out. He was right. Back at the main gates of the embassy, the other captured group was being forced back to the motor pool area. By now it was Late Afternoon in tehran and the hostages were split into small groups. He and his colleagues were about to join them. They escorted us to the ambassadors house. My hands are bound with a nylon cord which cut off the circulation after while. Our hands were tied to the chairs and our feet were tied to the feet of the chair, and at which time they went through the show of questioning us before the cameras this young man had. There is one american who shall remain nameless who was telling the iranians who each american was coming giving them information. Should have been shot for that, but i dont set policy. Back in washington, d. C. The state department set up in iran working desk within hours of the takeover. Although secretary of state cyrus vance and officials were sure of the iranian government would eventually come to the rescue. By now it was getting dark in tehran and started to rain. The embassys takeover made for an evenings entertainment, whole families came to the embassy and chanted death to america. Death to the shop. Shaw. Meanwhile, bruce was still at the Foreign Ministry and told them to take three in the Swedish Embassy upstairs. I walked up the stairs to the Swedish Embassys office suite and they were expecting me. At the Foreign Ministry, the foreign minister met with him. He told the diplomats he would speak to the revolutionary counsel that not and assured him the crisis would soon be resolved. He asked me where i propose to spend the night and i said, well, that is your responsibility, mr. Foreign minister. I am here with the terms your government will provide protection for me in my mission. It is your responsibility. Can you assure me i will be safe on the streets . His attitude was i have enough headaches. Your people are just making my life more complicated than it need be. So they were then taken to an ornate ballroom used for diplomatic receptions. They demand telephones. They were taken in and plugged into the ballroom, so we could continue our discussion with washington on one of the lines, and use the other phone to make it was an uncomfortable, worrisome night. We could not except with assurance what he told us. Clearly we hope what he told us would be true by morning, but we had no assurance of that and were skeptical. Meanwhile at the Swedish Embassy, the end of day one of the hostage crisis left him with nowhere to go, so he stayed in the embassy. He was at least more comfortable than his 63 captured colleagues. We were sure this would be over in a day, at most. Day one of the 444day hostage crisis was finally over. music , as day two dawned, he continued to monitor the grounds. He was no less than the son of the ayatollah khomeini. If he had told him to release the hostages, there is no doubt they would have peered he didnt. Instead he gave him the ayatollahs support. Most were students mainly from tehran, zealous and conservative, angry at the government for maintaining normal relations with the United States, so in october, 1979, 30 or 40 of them met to plan in action, against the iranian government and the United States. As incredible as it sounds, the seizure of the u. S. Embassy was only supposed to last three to five days. When the government proved incapable of stopping the students in the ayatollah signaled his support publicly, the students found they had started something worth continuing. With massive popular support, including elements of the military, they demanded the return of the shaw as a way to end the takeover. The hostages are here because this is the only thing we can have here against america, and we tell them we do have the hostages until they send shah here. The iranians were looking for some people by name, and the word came back to the Swedish Embassy that my name happen to be one of them. The person whod then gave sanctuary to him was a scandinavian friend of his she worked in the Swedish Embassy. I was taken to a private residence and spent the next two weeks in that residence day and night. That day, a u. S. Information Cultural Agency called the iranianamerican society was being overrun. The director was kate. They escape the students and were given sanctuary by the germans in their kurt Russell Center there cultural center. The germans were absolutely fantastic. They not only provided us a safe space to get to immediately, but were willing to take us into their homes if we but they made the biggest mistake of their lives. They returned after hearing that the militants had left. There they were joined by the person who had been at the tehran airport during the takeover. Within 15 minutes of return, they were all captured. All three of them were being taken to the Embassy Compound to join the other people being held hostage there. At that point we realized we had to do something about the other five. The five consular staff were the only americans now out. They still trusted the Iranian Foreign ministry enough to tell them the six were free. When we first learned that the six were free in the city, we had informed the Foreign Ministry and saught their assistance. I said in effect that you should be aware that there are several people who were not caught by the student militants who are presently in tehran. It has never been revealed before that the Iranian Foreign Ministry Officials knew that the six americans were free. It is possible, 20, 30, more people knew. Later on november 5, terms were set for them to be picked up. I was at a housing compound in the northern part of the city. They put them up there. While they were safe behind the gates of the bridge compound, for one it was the start of 14 months of captivity. When we arrived at the Embassy Compound, we were separated and searched. The young woman who did my search sort of pat had a little bit here and there and was terribly embarrassed when she had asked me to take off my dress. So she did her job and left. Evidently she described what she had done because she came back a few minutes later and they said i didnt do a good job and i have to do it over. One of my colleagues has said at some point it was like teaching hostage 101 sometimes. The folks are removed who are tied to chairs, wrists were bound to chairs, then they said, no talk. The hostages would not be allowed to talk for four and a half months. They were separated and placed in the ambassadors residence on elsewhere on the compound. The seven captured women were segregated from the men. They ransacked the place, destroying papers, ripping up the books, just mass destruction, destruction for the sake of destruction. The students were convinced most of the americans were spies and tore the place apart in search of evidence. One suspect was kate, and they kept her apart they accused me of spying and all kinds of things. They said give us your jewelry. One of our experts will examine it. My thought was if you think youre going to get much ransome out of this, think again. So i pulled it off and i was handing it to him and i realized they were looking at it as though it were going to hold some sort of wondrous mysterious something or other. I am not sure what. As the days passed, the iranian students claimed they found proof of spying. We know there is spying because we have documents. One outlined a cover identity for a cia official. Fake passports were also found, along with lists of iranian contacts, false license plates for agent vehicles, and many payoff envelopes with used the dollar bills. The United States government, if it does not reply to the iranian peoples request, we will begin the trials and carry out the sentences. These discoveries gave the iranian students the leverage they needed. They had delivered to the iranian people evidence that the hostages were spies, not diplomats. The Prime Minister was powered last. The provisional revolutionary government also resigned that day. At that point, i think we again to think this was not going to be resolved immediately. Was the provisional government fell in powered evolved to the council, the students come in the streets, my capacity to function was severely limited. It was very clear, very quickly that those who held power were very reluctant to speak to us, to sully the reputation as politically, if you will. One of the casualties of the governments collapse was abraham, he was placed as foreign minister by who initially cited by the students in their demands. But president carter would firmly reject the return of the shah. The United States of america will not yield to blackmail or terrorism. And the crisis became carters personal name air. That night, the second night i was allowed to lie down, bound hand and foot and in the middle of the night someone came up and tapped me on the shoulder and woke me up and said are you mr. More field. I said i was, they said come with me, they untied my feet, let my hands tied, put a blanket over my head and took me away from the compound. So automobile changes, eventually i ended up in the sudan storm someplace. He and five others have been put out of the embassy to act as hostages in case the iranian government attempted a rescue, he is and terrorized. And the back of my head i heard the rifles being looted, these shots and then the click of a trigger on on an empty chamber. I think he was clearly intended to intimidate us at that time, it was also for me it was an indication that i might not get out and i was likely to be there for a long time. As chaos rain, fear spread throughout the community, u. S. Businessmen thread flat iran to invite on mass to anywhere. For the british hiding the fugitive americans, anxiety grew that theyre residential compound maybe ransacked. He suggested that it might not be safe to keep the five people and they had in the housing compound much longer. One of the british officers that we were going to have to leave. We were somewhat surprised, perhaps even a little shocked at this because we felt this was a good place to wait out the whole thing. The five had nowhere to go, so they turn to vic tom seth for how, he and term call this man he was a tie cook that worked for kate cope and our house, they would become her linked to freedom. I turn to him to see if he would be willing to help these people out, speaking to him into, which we were pretty sure the iranians were not understand. He told me to find a place for five of them to stay, then i decided and i told he said good, thats a good location. For the next five days the americans hid in this house, listening to the news on tv and radio. And they heard a Diplomatic Mission had failed to meet with their anxiety turn to fear and panic. For one week the most powerful nation had been unable to reach their hostages. We lost contact and the Foreign Ministry didnt allow or calls to go through. I decided to tell them we better move to another house. He took us to kate copes house, a couple of blocks away in a car driven by an iranian friend of aides who he trusted. It is right up against the street, and factory getting on the kitchen without risking being seen by a person walking down the sidewalk, i think we decided that within a few minutes of our arrival this is just not unacceptable hiding place, so i decided it would be a good idea to do something that i had in my back of my mind the whole time, it was to call the good friend from the Canadian Embassy. The phone rang and i got up to answer it and found john said to me, well, why didnt you call sooner . He says come on over a year you can stay with us and so of course i immediately felt very relieved about that. That offer of sanctuary by canadian secretary was to be the turning point for the five fugitive americans. He did not though have diplomatic immunity, decision to take in the americans was particularly courageous. At the Canadian Embassy in tirana, he told his boss ambassador can tailor about the fugitive of the americans. I was delighted to hear that saw made their way out and now we were in a position to be of some help to them. Taylor cable them about the americans on the run, despite the risks, he recommended canada officially sanctioned their offer of refuge. But the final decision rested with the canadian minister of foreign affairs. She and the Prime Minister resign that canada would help, unlike in new zealand, sweden, and britain all of whom turned down the request for sanctuary. And tear on the five americans were picked up by a two British Embassy cars and taken to the sheared on residents. We were told that we would not be allowed to Stay Together that we would have to go with ambassador taylor. It would make the point that this is a official act of policy and not just independent undertaken by john. So korea and mike, along with bob sanders, stayed there until november 10th. Joe and Kathy Stafford stated ambassador taylors house. That same day a few european diplomats were escorted in the u. S. Embassy to see the hostages, they only saw some of them and reported they were being well treated, others however were being terrorized. They grabbed us, blindfolded us took us up against the wall and slammed against the wall and put your hands up on the, wall we could hear them walking back, they pushed me against the wall like this. It was like holy shut whats going down. I thought for sure that we are going to be executed, i was sure of it and the next thing i know they started chambering rounds behind us, all of us it the temperature dropped another 30 degrees and i got real cold. I was just waiting for what i thought would be allowed crash and everything to fade out and that would be the end of life. Waiting for it in this morbid curiosity, wondering what i feel it . How long would the paint last . But everything goes slow motion . Would it be like being hit in the back of the hand, light at the end of the tunnel. Nothing else to be done, next thing you know and the next thing you know they say okay close the door. We just looked at each other and said what the how is that and it was over. Back in the u. S. Bewilderment turned into anger. Any iranian on the street had become a target. Jimmy carter chose to hit back on iran. No one should underestimate the resolve of the American Government and the American People in this matter. On november 12th he cut off oil imports, froze iranian assets and banks, despite this on november 18th after how from pbo al leader, ayatollah ordered release of three american hostages. The most difficult part was sitting in chairs for 16 hours a day arms tied to the arms of the chair. Their release was followed, for women and six flags, this was the first time they had seen each other since the takeover. There are police came as a complete surprise they were taken to the airport where they gave a press conference. Those still staying hostages, kate coop is an employee and an officer, and amanda is an officer. The news of the release took three months who were kept in total isolation. In february when i found out in fact that five women and eight others had been released was a day of euphoria, it is the next best thing to being sent oh myself. The free americans didnt talk about it, because khomeini was trying the remaining hostages. We have found no evidence that proof that these people are diplomats, all evidence prove that these people are spies. The date of the trouser not fixed because we believe that the United States must return the shah. As of any Foreign Embassy information gathered he is a prime importance and the iranians claimed that there were at least three cia operatives among the cia they were forced to show the detail of the undercover identity of the agents. This Embassy Staffer, no less than three different aliases with passports for each. Your occupation is out of a commercial occupation representative. These developments caused great concern, and cecilia was hiding. The ambassador needed help and confided saying that we could possibly offer some help, saying that we could be seen as a canadian, my response was yeah we possibly could because we have five but it did not realize we had the five, i think he is as outstanding as i was. Ambassador taylor arranged that i meet was someone who knew both of this, who would take us to where lee was staying, two people came in the door, one who i had never met before, the only thing i could think of was wow i finally met someone from the cia when we got to the house i was first of all unaware until on that trip that it was the canadians of the other people were with. It and say any thing because i wanted to keep it as a surprise, the first thing they did was sit down and have a drink. Back home in idaho lee was front page news, the state department had told his mother that was safe, but for god shall the. Rest in washington and new york either american journalists were also aware that some americans had escape the takeover, but the white house asked for a publication freeze and they all agree to it, for some that silence probably saved his life because the militants are now taking in the homes of the hostages and found him medicaid cohens house. One put that got into the stomach, and i said i dont work for the americans, my boss is american. If they found out that i hit the American People and how, them they would kill me thats why i left. He is an some hero of the u. S. Hostage crisis, he spent the next 18 months and hiding, living in the basements of friends homes, coming only at night to find food and fresh air. In a more strict it situation most of whom have been returned to the mushroom and, here in this windowless environment they were incarcerated for many months. So when youre locked in there its like a bank fault, not only did you see the sun but you were completely cut off from the world. It was quiet all the, time even the birds didnt sing over there and i was just the roaring silence all the time. Many hostages fans up to half a year here, under 24 hours of surveillance, talking was forbidden and. Nighttime was when they turned off the lights and daytime was turning on the, lights that was day and night, the only time we saw this was when we were taken outside for about 20 minutes to exercise, walk around and who is just such a tremendous feeling to be able to not only see the outside, to feel the breeze but to hear the birds, to hear that traffic. It was an exhilarating feeling to go outside. Back out the Foreign Ministry life was elise bearable, tom, seth, wrist a living in the ball room but more still prisoners. These pictures show the room they lived in. We had two means of communicating written messages, won a very much aboveboard and the other not. The first was via the Foreign Ministry intel acts that passed on to the state department. The other method was to give messages to visitors who came into see us. These visitors relate information about the hostages condition. The particular burden the rested on the three of us on the first days and indeed throughout the 444 was the appreciation and realization that we can do so little to help our colleagues in the compound because we had no way, no, leverage no power to do anything about our colleagues. I december foreign minister was replaced. That negotiation was stalled again. For government you sow port and in effect participate in the taking in holding of hostages is unprecedented and human history. Jimmy carter ordered most of the iranian diplomats out, following this the shaw left for panama, there was hope that the departure would bring a crisis to the end but it did not, however in iran a officials did allow the three americans held in the Foreign Ministry to see other diplomats, one of whom was cam taylor. He brought us some after shave lotion that seem to be scotch while now was followed by the swiss, who told us that he was in close contact on a plan that was involved but he did not share with us the specifics. The six houseguests in lighting knew nothing of these plans, they had a set into it daily routine of playing scrabble was it into the news reading and drinking more than they ever had before we waited for him to come home every night because he always had something of interest, or hopefully something of interest for us to hear about. A news they wanted a year was the crisis would be over by christmas but it was not to be however the canadian housemate the christmas a real high for the six fugitive americans. In many ways that was the best christmas but we had a really good christmas a lot better than our friends did and i guess that was something we always had to think about even when we are bombed out and depressed, we knew we were always better. The militants allowed three american clergyman to celebrate christmas with the hostages. I saw the film of the first christmas, it looks so nice, youre sitting on the couch and you have all these cookies and candies in front of you, and you have these people running and holding her hand and behind the camera there is people with weapons pointed at you, it was great, one guy was twirling a six shooter. We were not permitted to say anything on the camera there was a camera, i chose to ignore the science and everything to focus to ottawas central for the Christmas Services was a christmas worship. Not only was it spiritually uplifting but at the same time i brought back the memories, much more pointedly, her very poignant memories of past christmas and the contrast is pretty profound. I was livid that i was in polite to the minister who came, i was in no condition to think about peace on our, goodwill to the man on earth tonight. In the United States it was a painful christmas for the families of the hostages, including the parents of jimmy lopez, special services were held in churches and cathedrals across the country, mercy lopez jimmys sister symbolized the nations anguished. That hes okay and that he is not being treated badly, my goal is to get a home. The hostages are push from the headlines by the soviet a vision of galveston about six days later the hostages are back. As current the un secretary general arrives in iran to try and negotiate an end to the hostage crisis, after narrowly escaping a crowd meeting with government officials sympathizing with the victims of the police he was finally rebuffed by the ayatollah, the mission had collapsed. This news on subtlety six americans staying with the canadians. We felt so much time had passed that our problem was to separate one from that of the hostages and that some consideration should be given to giving this out. , at least one member of the staff Sergeant Jimmy edwards was gathering information, he was captured inside the Embassy Compound by iranian militants, attempting to find out where the hostages were, he was taken to the embassy guardhouse, questioned and released after he told the students he was only collecting posters for his collection. Some posters he said were stuck only on the inside of the walls the ambassador quickly send them back to canada where he received too declarations for bravery, the information they collected inside the embassy was in fact transmitted both to the cia and to the state department, it was used later by the pentagon in the planning for eagle claw, the American Rescue mission. I thought maybe the commando raid would be plausible, this was a collective it provided bogus passports for the house gets, the other federal documents such as false drivers license came from the provincial government of ontario and alberta. Then at the cias headquarters and langley virginia, six canadian passports were docked with the necessary stamps and photos of the americansy. The passports arrived at the airport by diplomatic career, canadian first secretary roger lucy who understood farsi inspected the passports for errors, there was a mistake. This state was being set aheady. The day they have forage show the stakes leaving iran before they had arrived, this error was rectified by a cia agent whom jimmy carter at century raju assist. We were given Background Information because unfortunately we were a letter it to the next door neighbor to the north. Learning to say a meeting with her left hand. I had to find out that is actually toronto canada instead of toronto canada. All of us were group of Canadian Business venture and checking out the situation in iran and thats why we were supposedly there, we were given our new names and dates of birth anachronistic often asked to start learning you were going to be. Now all the Embassy Staff and can taylors wife pad had left tehran supposedly on holiday. The escape from iran was to take place on january 28th during the iranian elections the americans made their way to the airport and our office cars as friends of mine, sitting there in the car and stark and youre driving and i began to imagine all sorts of terrible things were going to happen when we got there. I was wearing dark glasses and i think they used Eyebrow Pencil and the girls change their hairdo. To walk into a crowded airport lobby was scary, after we stood there for major so i was ok, that made me very nervous. Normally the man is to, their took a pass for, stamped it and you are on her way. That particular morning, took my passport looked at it and stepped into a small room. He looked at me and said is this you, it was a very stern picture, no smile well as talking to any of the officials and pull down my mustache and said yes. He smiled and i smiled and he handed me i passed for an on i went. Thats the point where you begin anticipating but there are a few more vital things to do and going on board and sitting down was just that close and we are counting two minutes and fortunately once here on board the takeoff was immediate we both lead over and looked at each other with a knowing law and smile and we are both very happy. So we went to the mountains and that was obviously the best part, flying out of there. Finally we landed in frankfort andy it was a great feeling to be out of that situation, you both looked at each other and then in unison and stomped our feet on the ground one more time and it was over for us. The four remaining staffed and they were supposed to be kept secret by the canadian journal sparked the story on the morning of january 29, it was called the canadian caper and became one of the few great moments in the long lead months. The stakes flew home to a heroes welcome. We walked into the lobby and i was filled with people. I was totally overwhelmed. It is the closest i came to cry, there was so much emotion in the air. Sooner or later here or anywhere in the world to canada will pay for this violation of the sovereignty of iran. After the iranian elections a new president s started secret negotiations with the americans, through two lawyers in france, these talks that you a scenario for transferring hostages which in turn would release them. Thank you for coming. It was also agree that the hostages could be visited. How are you doing . Im fine, thank you so much for coming. This is an answer to our prayer because its been two months since christmas and i was praying that we could have a chat, thank you. You are sick . I was sick. You dont look sick. Your hair is cleaned out. The plan calls for doctors to visit the hostages and report they were being mistreated. A practice opposed by islamic law, this would give them a reason to have as it is transferred to the iranian government. Its been weighing outside my body its been going on, can you see my eye . And in return for transferring the hostages they agreed to sit an inquiry into the crimes of the shot. The commission came and everything went according to plan. But then the a ayatollah changed his mind, on march the 11th the Un Commission left iran, the agreement had collapsed. It was obvious the government had no real power. To add to the problems the shot which was now in panama and threaded to iran took a president carters promise that he could return to the u. S. What do you dissuaded him he ruled that he would have to abdicate the peacock thrilled first. Here fused to do it, he flew to egypt which is to be the last flight of his life. Eastern 1980. Special report, back in the u. S. The hostage crisis had become a daily obsession. They were there for christmas and easter, stay number 155. Networks grafted opportunities to show pictures. Today was a narrow opening, it was a propaganda ploy to get world coverage. For the hostages it was an opportunity to communicate with their loved ones. Food is good and its more than adequate and the only reason im losing weight mother is because i decided that is one thing i could do i was here and. Its hard to do. I dont have we got back and realized we ended probably given a much more positive picture than we would have chosen to give an had we thought more carefully about it. So we determine right there and then if another time came that we would be a little more controlled and what we had to say. There wasnt any easier for the hostages to control whats when the visitors had to say. They have exercise bicycles, pingpong, tv, movies, video cassettes, the food is fine. I remember easter that was when rue came over, he really got a lot of us mad, he turned a blind eye to everything now is going on and saw only what he wanted to. They showed us their library, it was a room almost this size covered with books and theyre going to get more books. Is it possible to talk to the man . He didnt want to hear, you try to tell him something any shut you off. The visitor also an opportunity for the house just to get letters from home. I brought you a letter i thought maybe is too gets to america. The lack of mail was also a hot issue back in the states, many other relatives of the hostages complained about it. To me is clear that they were using male as an intimidation point either against us or families. This was too much you took the issue on national television. Why are we not being allowed to hear from the hostages . Why isnt there male coming out of that embassy in tehran . They were afraid my wife had been on national tv with the affairs and had accused to cia of withholding my mail. I dont think they realized how much they told me, they tell me for us so we had diplomatic relations with iran and that the hostages were an issue and the American People had not forgotten about the hostages, that our Living Conditions and mail was specifically an issue and that my wife had gone public and knowing my wife, my wife i presume was doing a fairly effective job and that is what was bothering them. To punish misses more field, to the iranians held back most of her husbands letters. And the 40 1 44 days only four got through to the states. There is a news blackout, they were telling us anything and we used to go out on fishing expeditions. The typical guards whose iq was not that high, we would Say Something off the wall like, so the American Forces landed in . They would say no, thats what we, heard know yeah youre just lying. No the American Forces are still flying off. So we would send messages saying still out there guys. Operation eagle clause, a rescue mission using her colleagues aircraft, a minimum of six choppers had to make it to desert one because of sandstorms only five arrived, colonel charlie was their leader. Without helicopters he could make it. The colonel had no choice but to abort the mission and president carter agreed, as they were leaving one of the helicopters hit a herculean transport, the explosion sent a ball of fire for hundred feet into the sky, the toll was eight servicemen and dead and five wounded. The courses were abandoned, along with mission plans. Late yesterday i canceled a carefully planned operation which was underway in iran to position our rescue team for a later withdraw of american hostages. Day 174 was a low point of the 440day hostage crisis. It was a humility blow for america, the bodies were displayed in coffins inside the compound. One iranian stat the body and the head. In early may they were returned to the u. S. Ayatollah spat farewell to the dead commandoes. The lone white house opponent was resigned and replaced by admin a musky. When the bodies of the americans were finally returned a period of National Mourning commenced in the United States. You are suffering, youre a loss, or not in vain, i fervently pray that those who are still held hostage will be freed with our more bloodshed. Although no one knew it the hostages head reached halfway mark of their captivity, many removed all around iran. I was put into a maximum security cell which was six by a nine with toilet and wash basin and a sought on adorn which they could fetus. That is the place where we were sleeping away the centipedes. There is not a whole lot you could do when youre locked in a small room, fortunately we had books, we did a lottery day, we exercised twice a day and we had a routine that took us approximately 45 minutes and for both of us this was a time of spiritual development. I was bored, i had nothing else to do and i had a piece of paper and pencil thats all i needed. I used to do cartoons of the jokes we had, the iranians different things, about them blowing off heads claim and the cia had done it. They used to love playing with rifles, they had this habit turn back he handle and then pull the trigger when there was no magazine and, it would charge and i would click and we would sit there 20 or 30 times, pull the turn, handle pulled attorney general and accomplish them forgot, when we would do that they would pull the trigger and pop off around. Although after the aborted mission some were moved out of tehran, Richard Queen was still in the embassy. One morning i woke up and i had a slight numbness and i thought i probably slept on my arm, but it didnt go away and it spreads slowly up the arm, until it eventually affects it the whole left half of my body, for declare the lefthand. Queen was examined by a doctor who left off his illness. I couldnt walk, i was notches, i was vomiting constantly, so eventually i thought that possibly it might be dying. To have a hostage die wouldve been embarrassing for the motions, so they said queen into it iran hospital, there they diagnosed his illness as multiple sclerosis, which is potentially lifethreatening. They said youre going, initially thought i was going back to the compound, so that it was soon because i had my interview. He said no youre going back home. Ayatollah has released to your parents and they turned on the radio there, was so i could make out my name. On july 10th uses taken to the airport. I got on the plane and they put me on first class so they stirred wheeling out this giant radar is not for me but for the passengers and i was stormed and famished and icers heating everything that came within grasp. In zurich he was taken to hospital and his parents were flown in to meet him. I i do remember my mother coming in, tears in her eyes, but things are blurry. Not a day later his condition had dramatically approved and he was flown back to the states than a week. I knew i was out, i could tell i was out but my mind didnt really down to that conclusion. I really cant express words of what its like to be back to america again, i really cant say much, more i just wish that there were 50 to war with me and there are 14 out now and 52 more to go. A july 27th 1980 was a day of euphoria in iran, the self proclaimed king of kings in the light of the area instead. Cancer had killed a man iranians call to the bloodsucker of this century. With his demise a major stumbling block for the hostages released was over. The ayatollah was now repaired to bargain. At the former west german ambassador to iran gary heart rate soul was contacted by a close aide of the ayatollah, secret meetings with the iranians were held in germany throughout september. But war intervened, on september 22nd 1980 iraqi event in iran and the talks were pushed aside once again, for the hostages the ordeal continued. There are a couple of people that cracked, they couldnt handle it and they went slightly crazy and others were pulling them through, there was one person who used to fry out, he would jump out and convulsing hop around the room and all this bundle of energy, mumbling and talking and giggling and crying. You go totally ballistic. There were released two unsuccessful suicide, but also efforts to escape, one made by steven. Three attempts are made by malcolm kelp, his window is what it shut. Six of them beat me into unconsciousness, kept me handcuffed and they kicked me in the temple a couple of times, i still have a consistent ringing in my ears. And then spend 374 days in solitary confinement. Another hostage, military attach a Charles Scott endured an incredible 408 days in a closet like still with no windows or air circulation. At this time some of the men underwent their second executed. Im steady and so on friday i said, that all with this, i sat down and the kid came up and said you must stay. I set up yours, the kid said if you do not it will be very seriously, i said what do you do shoe me . Like go ahead, i dont care anymore guy. So i sat there and make adverse to nobody say it down so i had a little victory for me. Scoring points against the guards was one way some of the hostages developed a psychological edge. The guards themselves began to show signs of strain. He stopped out and showed us that he almost had a nervous breakdown taking care of all of us and seeing nothing that happened to us, it had really been a straight on hand, five to seven months was one thing, but this had gotten a little too long, so i said send us home. As the fight between iran and iraq took its toll and sanctions taking effect, the hostage crisis was becoming a hindrance, on a day 365 the Iranian Parliament put out conditions for the hostages released. They wanted money and banks returned, and the u. S. To stay out of iran dropping all of its claims. Two days later on november 4th the anniversary of the takeover, americans headed to the polls for a president ial election. My thoughts and my prayers for house it is in iran, i thought they were my own sons and daughters, one air was too long to wait and the result was and also victory. The pace of the negotiations picked up, algeria was named and serious talks started on november 10th. Again i release appeared imminent, on november 12th and smith and kate cobu were the last hostages move from the compound to the prison. Then on november 27th that militants announced that they had officially handed the hostages to the government. The americans were not returned to Embassy Grounds are open to the public. For the students it was the end of their power. Kate kobe and and removed to a prison and eventually a prison where they got occasional sight of some of the man. Their appearances had changed, periods were ground, that sort of thing we had this feeling of being back among some of our colleagues. As the diplomacy with the algerians and iranians continue, to hope grew that the 52 hostages would be home for christmas. But this stream was dashed when the ayatollahs new Prime Minister Mohammed Ryan edgy demanded 24 billion dollars. The result was that the hostages had to spend their second christmas in captivity. We decided it was more important for our families to know that we are really all right more than anything else. So the question was what could you do or say. Im feeling good, and i have lost made for a child grateful, and i keep busy every day, we are reading and studying thankfully and i love you all very much, i look forward to being with you hopefully as soon as we can, Merry Christmas. I want to tell or how much i mr. , especially now a christmas, that i love her very much. And little baby grandson that i have not seen, michael that i hope to see him soon, Merry Christmas to all. And to my mother, dear mom scott, i expect too to continue the good work and school and help mom around the house and dont forget to heat the wild birds theyre probably gonna get hungry. I am all right, i do expect to come home, when i dont know. Lets just hope its over soon. Becky, jiang, emoluments, can you all saying with me . Plus all the children in our tender care and take us to. How goes the negotiations . Are you going home . They are going really good. On the first days of january the three of us were taken to prison and put into south, in solitary confinement. It simply was it just to let us go off scotfree, so we had to do a little time in this slammer. We were eventually released to the complex where we all that were gathered for the final several days. Things have been much better. They were all in the house somewhere in north tehran. I was convinced this was the beginning of the last act. Tom believed that if the deal was to be made a would have to be before reagans inauguration on january 20th. One a day before that deadline. On the night before the 20th they came in and said they would release some of us. We were told there would be examinations on the part of the doctors and another part of the building we were taken and blindfolded and then when the blindfolds were removed we realized we will be examined by algerian doctors, a clear sign that something is about to happen. We were interviewed on iranian tv. He said we need an interview, we want to tape you, just keep it a ride it is up to us whether you leave, in other words talk to us and if not youre staying here. I still say the same thing i said the day was a mistake in. Could anyone claim that you are being tortured here where weve been brainwashed here . Yeah thats a appropriate question, i hesitate to answer because i dont know what sort of agreements have been met between the negotiating committee on what to say about that. inaudible one hostage, Master Sergeant reagan refused to cooperate, for his defiance he was brutally beaten after the algerian doctors had seen him. We have now reached an agreement with iran which will result in a league in the freedom of our american hostages. They came in and told us to pack our trash. They did tell us why and we figured we were going back to prison. Boosted to where bruce and i had better and said we had 15 minutes to get ready to go to the airport. And i reached to get our getaway banks, were ready lets go. I felt an incredulous sensation that this thing was finally coming to an end. Then they hurt us down the stairs and they put us on this tour bus. We were not allowed to talk on the bus en route to the air force. They took off our blindfolds and he said wow theyre not supposed to do this, something was definitely different. They kept saying dont speak, but thats trying to stop niagara and we were all doing off the side of our mouth under our breath. By this time it was late at night and in the airport we could hear the jet engines there are bright lights on and at the airport we were taken out one by one and a blindfolds were removed and we walked out to the airplane of. By that time on even though we had to go through this line of students my feeling was this was their last gasp because they realized they had lost some. They were picking up people one at a time when you can hear the chanting death to carter, death to radiated, death to whoever they were taken across as they were pulling across one of the guards had this released earn a look and as i was going on i flipped him off and someone hit me in the back but i figured last shocked i take it, i dont know how deep down i still didnt believe i was going home. There are all of our colleagues standing therey my colleagues and my hugs and two questions and everyones here, and how are you. It was as you can appreciate it union at the point where the crew was despaired. I remember people said you have to sit down and will never get this plane off the ground. When it began to move there is a giant tear got up to the head of the runway and there is another chair, there was another each year when we left, we were airborne yet again and cheer. We were on an emotional high and last year it was on the inter calm and they broke out the champagney. I Ronald Reagan solemnly swear that i will execute the office of president of the United Statesy some 30 minutes ago they planes bearing our prisoners left iranian airspace and are now free. I remember getting off the plane in algeria and seeing our ambassador and his wife,s tears streaming down their cheeks and not really being able to comprehend. These pictures were beamed to the u. S. For the entire nation especially the families of the hostages were clear to the tv sense, this is a little has family. But theyre already and you can imagine their happiness, they are preparing to board the american planes for the last leg of the troop. They really went crazy when we got on the air force one. Everyone was trying to make up with all the nurses, it had been a long time in. Fowler frankfort everywhere they tried to the spot, arriving to the United States anne will be felt tired, we had been up for 24 hours, we are still going on adrenaline. We wish all the best for, you that you have the best time, and that you forget the 444 days. It was really sweet of them. After four days of hot showers, Long Distance phone calls, american cooking, and fresh air the clean shaven former hostages finally flew home. What is the reason youre gonna do when you go back . Take my wife in my arms. They were on their last played. The air force one jet carried the returning americans to the base and west point new york. We are so happy to be back, its wireless. I next day the hostages flew to washington d. C. To be showered with love for them this wednesday was thinking of their lives again, there are 444day crisis was finally over me me me me me me. The rugrats race through the crowd in my sister mercy and i was amazed at how much she had ground. Ten years later there are still american citizens, and see my face again i want you to look after yourself. They are not in iran but in lebanon where 19 americans have been kidnapped by various factions of the Islamic Jihad group, five of them have been released, two escaped and one rescued why am badly an Embassy Protocol officer died in captivity ordered by the captors, peter a librarian and Lieutenant Colonel William Higgins he was part of the United Nations peacekeeping force. Today, its americans remain hostage in lebanon. Journalist Teri Anderson has been held captive for 56 months, thats over 1700 days. The news here tells us you have these three professors from University College have been held for 34 months, and thats more than twice the length of the iranian hostage crisis. The state department is convinced the key to their freedom is held by iranian islamic since the death row due to their money in government has been this off top of the u. S. , but prospect for the imminent release of the hostages remained slight. As for the former hostages iran, the 42 who spent all this time in captivity have picked up their lives again, only one tenth style. The six americans who escaped through a canadian caper all well, the agricultural attache has left the government and became director of International Development for Dairy Company in the minneapolis. Hes not married with two sons. Mark and correlate also had two boys after postings in hong kong there are now where cholera teaches english and mark is the admission officer in the u. S. Embassy. John cat the staffer also became parents and joy especially posted in washington. Bob enters, the leader of the escape group, was posted to norway and then jamaica where he is now the council of the u. S. Embassy. He retires in march 1919. Canadian passive the cantilever see the u. S. Congressional medal. He was honored with canadas highest award, as was his wife path along with john shooter, and his wife. The canadian caper can tailor international hero, he then moved to new york in private industry. Richard queen released by houdini after under 50 days still suffers from multiples and he came to lock. I cant walk great distances but i have a feeling it will get back to where i was. Kim remains positive, is now working at the state department in washington and it was married in february 89. Kate cohen, on the two women hot it is one of my who wrote a book after she was freed. She put on all the ways she lost and based in west germany where she is the director of an American Culture Information Center she still has a faith. I think of the hostages being held in the middle east but hopefully working together maybe will be able to change things for them. That would be i wish today. And swiftly was locked up with kate cope is not in the Borough Council observer that they department. Counselor chief thick more feel tired and we 1989, his last posting was his economic section chief of the u. S. Embassy in mexico. He lives outside washington with his wife or the who remains active in Amnesty International with the victims of crime movement. And they both americans say they were proud of their country and they love their country anticipate openly and not be ashamed about it, then from my point of view everywhere was worth it. Sergeant jerry lopez came home and all american hero, making the front cover of life magazine. I dont know if people want to let me because theyre sincere about it or its just to get some of the fallout. For this girl, there was no doubt. At the she married lopez in november 1997 after posting in japan in april motion hes now on duty in california. Victims and, the senior political officer in iran has also been promoted, today its a deputy and chief of mission in bangkok thailand. He never forgot to help the tire group gave six americans on the run. Through the assistance of his wife sometime move to the United States in 1985 his family was reunited in boston. Finally bruce the former head of the u. S. Embassy interact who warned his government not admit to shaw, after his release from iran he became the Vice President of the national depends university in washington. All the now retired, hes executive director of the National Commission of the public service. Looking back on the second every of the future of our embassy, it is a time to remember the fact that eight americans were denied their freedom because of the threat of terrorism in the middle east. American history to produce kind of cspan online store. Go to cspan store that or to see whats new for American History tv and check out all of the cspan products. From 1970 19 1981, 52 americans were held hostage in the u. S. Embassy in iran. Next, the Wilson Center discussing how they ran out it traces has impacted u. S. Foreign policy since then. Good morning, welcome to the Wilson Center. My name is christian ostermann. I have the privilege to direct the history of Public Policy program here at the center. Thank you for joining us today for this Panel Discussion on the for the understeer of iran hostage crisis. On november 4th 1979, 52 american diplomats and citizens were taken hostage by a crowd of iranian students who stormed u. S. Embassy