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ANNOUNCER:
This program contains content

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which may not be suitable
for all audiences.

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Viewer discretion is advised.

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(car horns honking)

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REPORTER:
The American embassy in Tehran
is in the hands

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of Muslim students tonight.

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ED BRADLEY:
They're holding hostages,
one report says

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as many as 100,
most of them American.

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TED KOPPEL:
The State Department
has set up a special task force.

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SAM DONALDSON:
Here in New York,
Iranian students

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chained themselves
to the Statue of Liberty.

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REPORTER:
The reaction in New York,

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whether or not
it's a coincidence,

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has been the occupation
of the Statue of Liberty.

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REPORTER:
The demonstrators draped
a banner demanding

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the United States return
the Shah to Iran.

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BARBARA ROSEN:
My mother-in-law,

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she would keep the radio on
all night.

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And it was the first thing
that she heard.

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Reports say as many as
90 Americans may be involved,

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others say as few as 35.

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BARBARA ROSEN:
We hadn't had any calls
from the State Department.

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It just came across
as a news report.

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The government would not
release the names

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of any of the people
who were being held.

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REPORTER:
At a news conference inside
the compound,

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we were shown photographs
taken yesterday

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of U.S. Marine guards
at the embassy after they were

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taken prisoner and blindfolded
by their captors.

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Outside the compound,

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"Give us the Shah!" they cried,

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"And we will free
the Americans."

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REPORTER
The U.S. does not have
a great number of options

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in dealing with what is a very

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sensitive situation in which
there is no central authority.

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But one thing is certain:
there will be no bowing

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to the mob's demand
for the return of the Shah.

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In answer to the question, are
we considering handing him over,

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or are there any plans to do so
or to meet that demand?

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The answer is no.

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REPORTER:
Your Highness, could I talk
to you for just a moment?

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How is your husband?

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QUEEN FARAH:
He's fine. Thank you.

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REPORTER:
Because of what's happening
in Iran, would you consider

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going to another country
for treatment?

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PROTESTERS:
Burn! Burn! Burn!

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MAN:
They invaded a sacred part--

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the embassy.

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An embassy is a sacred part
of any nation.

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That's what they invaded.

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The Ayatollah
is condoning this.

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And we want him!

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(protesters shouting)

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BARBARA ROSEN:
There was demonstrations

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in the United States
against Iran.

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Americans were very angry,
and rightly so.

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PROTESTERS:
Go home! Go home! Go home!

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REPORTER:
Despite a police ban,

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up to a thousand Iranian and
anti-Iranian demonstrators

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massed in Beverly Hills,

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the Iranians outnumbered
and targets of violence.

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There is little sympathy
for Iranian students

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supporting the takeover.

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JOHN JOHNSON:
Given the fact that most of

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the Iranian students here
in the United States

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are receiving the benefits
of American education,

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and at the same time supporting

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your student counterparts
in Iran

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who are holding
Americans hostages,

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the American public has begun
to ask,

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"Should you be allowed to stay
in the country?"

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CROWD:
Go home! Go home!

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I think the Iranians, if they
don't like our government

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and they don't like our system,

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I think they need to go back
to Iran.

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(crowd agreeing)

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We're sick of being stomped on!

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We're not gonna take it anymore!

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We're sick of it!

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(crowd cheering)

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America! America!

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♪ ♪

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♪ ♪

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♪ ♪

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♪ ♪

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(cars rushing past)

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(car horn honks)

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BARBARA ROSEN:
1979

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was a time in American history

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when we weren't feeling

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very good about ourselves.

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(protesters shouting)

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The Vietnam War had ended
in a terrible evacuation

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of our people from the embassy.

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I remember the images

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of people clawing to get on
the last helicopters going out.

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The economy was not doing
very well.

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Everything in the country
was like negative, negative.

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REPORTER:
A gasoline shortage

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led to violence over the weekend

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in Levittown, Pennsylvania,
just outside of Philadelphia

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REPORTER:
A new study shows the American
people spend one-fourth

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of their entire personal income
on buying and operating

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cars and trucks.

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It is a crisis of confidence.

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It is a crisis that strikes at
the very heart, and soul,

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and spirit of our national will.

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America had just been battered
from one side to another.

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We have another oil crisis

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so that basically people
are waiting at the pumps.

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The economy was tanking.

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Everything seemed to be

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going wrong at the same time.

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And this simply added
to that sense.

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REPORTER:
Any encouraging news

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from Iran Mr. President?
No.

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Status quo, sir?

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Yes, I'm afraid so.

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REPORTER:
President Carter's special
two-man diplomatic mission

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to Iran remains stalled
in Turkey.

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REPORTER:
The spokesman tried to counter
a spreading bleak impression

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that all diplomatic trails

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have led to a dead end.

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BARBARA ROSEN:
The America who, you know,

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of John F. Kennedy could go
to the moon,

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all of a sudden we can't
do anything right,

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and here's our people being held
hostage in Iran.

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And, again,
we can't do anything.

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♪ ♪

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HILARY BROWN:
Initially, it wasn't easy
for anybody to get into Iran

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in the first few days after
the seizure on the hostages.

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But then the Ayatollah
and his supporters realized that

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this was a wonderful way
to get the world's attention.

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And a wonderful platform
for their anti-American message

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was to let the press in,

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so then the press corps

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came in in droves

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and I was among those people

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who were allowed in.

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(archival):
At the embassy today,

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members of the
Revolutionary Guard...

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(interview):
What made it riveting was that

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they had been able to do this.

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That they've been able to seize

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American diplomats, and, you
know, and the odd Marine,

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and hold them hostage
inside the American embassy,

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which they had occupied--
3,000 of them, apparently--

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in total defiance
of international law.

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♪ ♪

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(telephone dialing out)

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CAROLE JEROME
I received a phone call

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one morning in my hotel room.

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It was this voice saying,
"This is the Student Followers

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"of the Imam's Line.

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"We are calling you from
the Nest of Spies to tell you

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"to be here at 9:00 because

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we have revelations to make."

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(man singing over loudspeaker)

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It was rather haunting to know

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that the American hostages

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were right there

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within shouting distance,

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but we could do nothing
for them.

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We were taken in to
one of the Marine guard huts,

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I believe it was,

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where the students would hold
their press conferences.

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(camera shutters clicking)

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The main reason of our
occupation

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in United States embassy

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is to attack to America,

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and its actions,

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and the expulsion of
Shah from America.

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JEROME:
They were very naive if they
thought that the United States

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could just hand the Shah over.

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MAN:
If the America doesn't answer
to our demand,

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we will never release
the hostages,

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and we will never release
the embassy.

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In case if United States

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decide to do something
to release these hostages,

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you must be sure that they will
definitely be killed.

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JEROME:
I'm not even sure
they fully understood

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that seizing the embassy
was an act of war.

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♪ ♪

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As far as we knew, everybody in
the embassy had been taken.

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For the first 72 hours it was
basically just what we could get

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from our intelligence sources,
which, of course, was limited.

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REPORTER:
At the State Department,

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a special working group
was on duty around the clock

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trying to monitor developments
in Iran.

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But there's a tremendous sense
of frustration...

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SICK:
We had a report from
the Iranians

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actually covering the event,

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that the son of
Ayatollah Khomeini

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came to the embassy and climbed
over the wall, lost his turban,

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and then got in and announced

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the Iranian government
was fully behind

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the people who took
the hostages.

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And at that point,

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it was very clear that
until Khomeini changed his mind

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or decided to do something
differently,

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that the people were there
to stay.

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(crowd shouting indistinctly)

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People in the West don't
appreciate just how shocking

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this was not just to us,
but even to people in Iran.

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(people shouting in distance,
horns honking)

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REPORTER:
Well, here in Washington,
there's a real sense

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of humiliation and depression,

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and I think, above all,
helplessness.

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The president has no intention
of handing over the Shah.

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I think that the bottom line
may be that the only hope

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for a solution here is that
the Ayatollah,

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that he may come around
to reason...

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SICK:
At that point,

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we realized that this was going
to be a marathon

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and not a sprint.

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I told my family
that basically they had lost me

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until this was over.

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You were basically dedicating
yourself to something.

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I actually felt like it was
sort of taking religious orders.

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(applause)

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The actions of Iranian leaders
and the radicals who invaded

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our embassy were completely
unjustified.

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They and all others must know

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that the United States
of America will not yield

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to international terrorism
or to blackmail.

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(loud explosion)

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JAMES ROBERTS:
There were a number of
terrorist incidents...

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(loud explosion)

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...in the mid- to late-'70s.

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REPORTER:
Six guerrillas stormed the
OPEC offices with a barrage

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of submachine gun fire
just before noon today.

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(rapid gunfire)
Three men were killed.

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The terrorist issued a host
of...

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ROBERTS:
Hostage-taking became
a cottage industry.

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WALTER CRONKITE:
Waiting in the sweltering heat

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of a metal aircraft,

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hostages of the 20th century
equivalent

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of the Barbary pirates.

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ROBERTS:
There was the hijacking
of a Lufthansa aircraft

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that went to Mogadishu.

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There was the Munich Olympics
hostage-taking

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and disastrous results there.

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REPORTER:
Five Arab commandos

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carrying submachine guns climbed
the Olympic compound fence,

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broke into the
Israeli team's quarters,

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shot and killed two Israelis,
and held nine others hostages

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all day and into the night.

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♪ ♪

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ROBERTS:
So there was definitely
a whole series of events

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that attracted military
professionals

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00:12:56,933 --> 00:13:00,966
because these events began
to create that demand

252
00:13:00,966 --> 00:13:02,600
among Western governments

253
00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:05,300
for the building of specialized

254
00:13:05,300 --> 00:13:06,866
hostage rescue forces.

255
00:13:06,866 --> 00:13:09,133
(alarm ringing,
man shouting "go" repeatedly)

256
00:13:09,133 --> 00:13:12,266
(helicopter whirring)

257
00:13:18,900 --> 00:13:22,433
SICK:
The idea of a rescue mission

258
00:13:22,433 --> 00:13:27,066
was discussed within hours after
the taking of the hostages.

259
00:13:27,066 --> 00:13:30,633
I was not involved
in that planning process,

260
00:13:30,633 --> 00:13:33,333
but I was aware that it was,
was going on.

261
00:13:34,966 --> 00:13:38,933
ROBERTS:
Military planning began
right away.

262
00:13:38,933 --> 00:13:42,766
I was called, I think, within
the first three or four days.

263
00:13:43,933 --> 00:13:48,266
They were looking for people
who spoke Farsi,

264
00:13:48,266 --> 00:13:50,100
who knew the embassy,

265
00:13:50,100 --> 00:13:51,866
folks who would be able to help

266
00:13:51,866 --> 00:13:53,400
get an assault force

267
00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:57,466
that deep inside Iran,
and that deep inside a city

268
00:13:57,466 --> 00:14:01,000
of six million people,
without being discovered.

269
00:14:03,066 --> 00:14:05,300
The next day,
I flew to Washington.

270
00:14:08,833 --> 00:14:12,300
I told the guy that picked me
up, "I can tell you right now

271
00:14:12,300 --> 00:14:13,966
you can count me in."

272
00:14:16,466 --> 00:14:19,666
♪ ♪

273
00:14:21,333 --> 00:14:23,033
The chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff

274
00:14:23,033 --> 00:14:28,566
pulled together a small group
of planners in the Pentagon.

275
00:14:28,566 --> 00:14:31,400
They put a new cipher lock
on the door.

276
00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:32,700
They shut it off
from everybody else.

277
00:14:32,700 --> 00:14:38,300
But the planning started
immediately.

278
00:14:38,300 --> 00:14:44,366
The control of the number of
people exposed was draconian.

279
00:14:44,366 --> 00:14:50,533
♪ ♪

280
00:14:50,533 --> 00:14:52,366
BARRY ROSEN:
In the beginning, I assumed

281
00:14:52,366 --> 00:14:53,733
the United States Air Force

282
00:14:53,733 --> 00:14:54,633
was going to come in

283
00:14:54,633 --> 00:14:58,900
and maybe bomb Abadan,

284
00:14:58,900 --> 00:15:05,333
make it incrementally difficult
for Iran to export anything.

285
00:15:05,333 --> 00:15:07,900
And maybe that would stop them.

286
00:15:07,900 --> 00:15:10,366
But again,
the question would be:

287
00:15:10,366 --> 00:15:11,933
would they take it out on us?

288
00:15:11,933 --> 00:15:16,200
(indistinct chatter)

289
00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:18,833
The C.I.A. had various agents
as embassy personnel

290
00:15:18,833 --> 00:15:22,500
to each of whom a cover was
assigned so that the true nature

291
00:15:22,500 --> 00:15:24,700
of his job would not be exposed.

292
00:15:26,633 --> 00:15:28,600
FRANK REYNOLDS:
In one respect, at least,
the Iranians

293
00:15:28,600 --> 00:15:31,700
have succeeded, you might say,
because they have

294
00:15:31,700 --> 00:15:34,633
forced themselves into the
consciousness of this country.

295
00:15:34,633 --> 00:15:36,866
And they have made it very
difficult, if not impossible,

296
00:15:36,866 --> 00:15:39,400
for the highest officials
of this government

297
00:15:39,400 --> 00:15:40,533
to deal with anything else.

298
00:15:40,533 --> 00:15:42,200
♪ ♪

299
00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:44,333
TV ANNOUNCER:
This is an ABC News Special.

300
00:15:44,333 --> 00:15:48,166
"The Iran Crisis:
America Held Hostage."

301
00:15:48,166 --> 00:15:50,366
SICK:
This was the story of the year.

302
00:15:50,366 --> 00:15:53,466
And it was the only story
of the year in many respects

303
00:15:53,466 --> 00:15:56,633
because it just kept coming
at you day after day.

304
00:15:56,633 --> 00:16:00,133
And that has affected us
ever since.

305
00:16:00,133 --> 00:16:01,800
...committee on Iran.
Hours are spent...

306
00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:05,166
BROWN:
It led to huge audience ratings.

307
00:16:07,133 --> 00:16:10,366
The appetite that the American
viewing audience

308
00:16:10,366 --> 00:16:12,400
has for news

309
00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:17,533
was kind of discovered
with this story.

310
00:16:17,533 --> 00:16:18,933
It's Saturday morning there.

311
00:16:18,933 --> 00:16:20,600
And we are going to switch
live to Tehran...

312
00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:23,833
(protesters chanting)

313
00:16:23,833 --> 00:16:25,133
PETER JENNINGS:
Iranians are well aware

314
00:16:25,133 --> 00:16:26,733
that these demonstrations
are being seen

315
00:16:26,733 --> 00:16:28,133
in American living rooms.

316
00:16:28,133 --> 00:16:31,300
Some of them actually believe
they will convince Americans

317
00:16:31,300 --> 00:16:35,066
to see the Shah
and the embassy occupation

318
00:16:35,066 --> 00:16:38,866
as they, Iranians, see it.

319
00:16:38,866 --> 00:16:41,633
(protesters shouting)

320
00:16:41,633 --> 00:16:44,700
(camera shutters clicking,
indistinct chatter)

321
00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:52,433
The long and the short of it is
that terrorism is theater.

322
00:16:52,433 --> 00:16:53,833
It's political theater.

323
00:16:53,833 --> 00:17:00,333
You're drawn to the events
like bugs to a light.

324
00:17:00,333 --> 00:17:04,333
We watched every inch
of footage.

325
00:17:04,333 --> 00:17:07,033
Of the guards,

326
00:17:07,033 --> 00:17:08,433
of the people around
the embassy,

327
00:17:08,433 --> 00:17:10,833
of their demeanor,

328
00:17:10,833 --> 00:17:12,100
of their military training,

329
00:17:12,100 --> 00:17:13,933
of how they were holding
their weapons,

330
00:17:13,933 --> 00:17:15,666
of where their guard posts were,

331
00:17:15,666 --> 00:17:17,833
trying to get

332
00:17:17,833 --> 00:17:22,666
an ever-more-accurate picture
of the situation

333
00:17:22,666 --> 00:17:26,833
around the outside of
the embassy walls, as well as

334
00:17:26,833 --> 00:17:29,800
any pictures that we could get
from inside the embassy.

335
00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:33,733
(indistinct chatter)

336
00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:38,466
BARRY ROSEN:
The students became

337
00:17:38,466 --> 00:17:42,966
quite sophisticated
in bringing in media people,

338
00:17:42,966 --> 00:17:45,300
bringing in officials.

339
00:17:45,300 --> 00:17:48,066
They would say, "Okay,

340
00:17:48,066 --> 00:17:52,300
"I want your room cleaned up,

341
00:17:52,300 --> 00:17:55,433
"you sit down there
and smile.

342
00:17:55,433 --> 00:18:01,100
And we will do stills and have
videographers coming in."

343
00:18:03,233 --> 00:18:05,866
The Iranians were
trying to make a point

344
00:18:05,866 --> 00:18:07,933
that we were treated well.

345
00:18:07,933 --> 00:18:13,266
♪ ♪

346
00:18:13,266 --> 00:18:15,933
And there were posters all over

347
00:18:15,933 --> 00:18:19,300
about what America had done
to Iran.

348
00:18:19,300 --> 00:18:20,333
It was just everywhere.

349
00:18:20,333 --> 00:18:23,866
♪ ♪

350
00:18:23,866 --> 00:18:27,700
They knew that they were
the center of all the news

351
00:18:27,700 --> 00:18:33,933
that could be used by the
government and by foreign press.

352
00:18:35,233 --> 00:18:40,133
♪ ♪

353
00:18:40,133 --> 00:18:41,666
BARBARA ROSEN:
As time goes on,

354
00:18:41,666 --> 00:18:43,100
I also became very angry

355
00:18:43,100 --> 00:18:45,733
that there were American
reporters who were standing

356
00:18:45,733 --> 00:18:49,200
outside the embassy

357
00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:53,033
giving them a platform
in the United States.

358
00:18:53,033 --> 00:18:55,333
We shouldn't have been there.

359
00:18:57,366 --> 00:19:00,466
♪ ♪

360
00:19:00,466 --> 00:19:03,800
BROWN:
Yeah, of course, we realized
that we were being played.

361
00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:04,966
Yes.

362
00:19:04,966 --> 00:19:08,466
We were providing
a daily platform for them,

363
00:19:08,466 --> 00:19:11,533
for their anti-American
grievances.

364
00:19:11,533 --> 00:19:13,966
There is a kind of
symbiotic relationship

365
00:19:13,966 --> 00:19:16,566
between the hostage-takers
and the press.

366
00:19:19,166 --> 00:19:24,300
It worked both ways, I suppose,
in that sense.

367
00:19:24,300 --> 00:19:26,433
But we had to cover this.

368
00:19:26,433 --> 00:19:28,600
HOSTAGE TAKERS (in Farsi):

369
00:19:51,533 --> 00:19:53,833
MAN:
I ask them
to introduce themselves.

370
00:19:56,566 --> 00:20:00,700
QUARRELS:
My name is
Sergeant William Quarrels,

371
00:20:00,700 --> 00:20:04,300
United States Marine Corps.

372
00:20:04,300 --> 00:20:06,933
REPORTER:
Three Americans from among the
80 hostages at the U.S. Embassy

373
00:20:06,933 --> 00:20:09,833
in Tehran have been freed
by their Muslim captors

374
00:20:09,833 --> 00:20:12,333
and are now in hospital
in West Germany.

375
00:20:12,333 --> 00:20:15,033
Ten others later told
foreign reporters that they too

376
00:20:15,033 --> 00:20:17,066
would be released later tonight.

377
00:20:17,066 --> 00:20:18,466
WALTER CRONKITE:
Good evening.

378
00:20:18,466 --> 00:20:21,866
 
Ten more American hostages--
four women, six Black men--

379
00:20:21,866 --> 00:20:24,900
at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran
prepared this evening to leave

380
00:20:24,900 --> 00:20:29,366
Iran having been ordered freed
by Ayatollah Khomeini.

381
00:20:29,366 --> 00:20:32,433
MALE HOSTAGE:
They indicated that
we are being released

382
00:20:32,433 --> 00:20:34,833
not as a compromise,

383
00:20:34,833 --> 00:20:39,966
but because they felt some type
of... of feeling for us

384
00:20:39,966 --> 00:20:41,400
as Blacks and women.

385
00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:46,033
JEROME:
Yeah, they thought that would
make Americans say,

386
00:20:46,033 --> 00:20:48,133
"Oh, they're wonderful, folks,
they let these other

387
00:20:48,133 --> 00:20:51,733
"persecuted minorities--
Blacks and women--

388
00:20:51,733 --> 00:20:53,533
they let them free."

389
00:20:53,533 --> 00:20:55,966
And they actually thought that
would garner them some support

390
00:20:55,966 --> 00:20:58,133
in the United States.

391
00:21:01,366 --> 00:21:04,300
They actually thought
the Black people of America

392
00:21:04,300 --> 00:21:06,766
would rise up and support them.

393
00:21:08,966 --> 00:21:13,733
VERNON JORDAN:
The freeing of the Black
and female hostages in Iran

394
00:21:13,733 --> 00:21:19,200
is a cynical attempt to divide
the American public.

395
00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:21,966
We join today

396
00:21:21,966 --> 00:21:25,333
with all Americans in demanding
the release of

397
00:21:25,333 --> 00:21:28,966
all of the hostages in Tehran
today.

398
00:21:30,900 --> 00:21:33,000
JACKSON:
The recent statement
by the Ayatollah Khomeini

399
00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:36,633
calling on Afro Americans
to join his struggle

400
00:21:36,633 --> 00:21:38,600
against the United States

401
00:21:38,600 --> 00:21:42,600
is convincing evidence of
how sadly and perhaps

402
00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:46,800
how tragically misinformed he is
about our country.

403
00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:50,133
(crowd chanting)

404
00:21:50,133 --> 00:21:52,300
JEROME:
Their ignorance of America

405
00:21:52,300 --> 00:21:56,900
was only equaled by
American ignorance of Iran.

406
00:21:56,900 --> 00:22:00,633
REPORTER:
You've seen it before this week
around the country.

407
00:22:00,633 --> 00:22:03,833
Today happened in Atlanta,
the burning of the Iranian flag.

408
00:22:03,833 --> 00:22:07,333
(crowd cheering)

409
00:22:07,333 --> 00:22:09,800
JEROME:
You've never seen two countries

410
00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:12,700
that understood each other
so little,

411
00:22:12,700 --> 00:22:17,500
even after all those decades of
being an alliance, as it were.

412
00:22:17,500 --> 00:22:22,466
(crowd chattering indistinctly)

413
00:22:22,466 --> 00:22:25,033
MASSOUMEH "MARY" EBTEKAR:
The United States is an
imperialist power.

414
00:22:25,033 --> 00:22:26,933
And it's one of the
characteristics

415
00:22:26,933 --> 00:22:28,866
of an imperialist power

416
00:22:28,866 --> 00:22:31,666
to plant spy dens

417
00:22:31,666 --> 00:22:36,633
and spy networks all over
a country to control

418
00:22:36,633 --> 00:22:43,500
all its major political, social,
economical systems,

419
00:22:43,500 --> 00:22:47,000
and to control these systems
for its own benefits.

420
00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:48,966
But are you really saying
that the people that

421
00:22:48,966 --> 00:22:50,000
you have taken prisoner,

422
00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:51,000
that you're holding
in this building,

423
00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:53,266
are responsible
for that in a way?

424
00:22:53,266 --> 00:22:55,633
We don't say that these hostages
are innocent-- no.

425
00:22:55,633 --> 00:22:58,533
They were the people
through which these crimes,

426
00:22:58,533 --> 00:22:59,966
many of them, have been done,

427
00:22:59,966 --> 00:23:01,433
and yet they bring...

428
00:23:01,433 --> 00:23:02,733
But they're still hostages,
aren't they?

429
00:23:02,733 --> 00:23:04,833
I mean, they were diplomats
and they're now hostages.

430
00:23:04,833 --> 00:23:07,266
Well, what does that have to--
I mean...

431
00:23:07,266 --> 00:23:09,000
I mean, that is, that is
the basis, if you like,

432
00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:10,600
of international anger.
That is the basis

433
00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:12,200
but what about,
what about the crimes?

434
00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:13,166
That international law...

435
00:23:13,166 --> 00:23:14,466
that international law
has been broken?

436
00:23:14,466 --> 00:23:17,233
What about, what about
international law in the case of

437
00:23:17,233 --> 00:23:19,166
the crimes that the Shah
committed?

438
00:23:19,166 --> 00:23:23,166
In the case of 60,000 martyrs
we gave in this country?

439
00:23:23,166 --> 00:23:26,933
JEROME:
We all got very curious
about Mary.

440
00:23:26,933 --> 00:23:30,300
She spoke excellent English
and we asked her

441
00:23:30,300 --> 00:23:31,900
where she'd learned her English.

442
00:23:31,900 --> 00:23:33,166
And she said she learned it

443
00:23:33,166 --> 00:23:34,633
in Tehran, but she was lying.

444
00:23:34,633 --> 00:23:36,033
Because Mary

445
00:23:36,033 --> 00:23:39,000
had been educated
in the United States.

446
00:23:40,266 --> 00:23:43,033
Mary was not her name.

447
00:23:43,033 --> 00:23:46,766
At that time I learned her name
was Niloofar Ebtekar.

448
00:23:46,766 --> 00:23:50,333
And I gather she since became
Massoumeh.

449
00:23:50,333 --> 00:23:52,833
♪ ♪

450
00:23:57,133 --> 00:23:59,000
She was obviously very dedicated

451
00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:03,466
to this revolution
that she was a part of

452
00:24:03,466 --> 00:24:07,900
and certainly very, very
hardline about the hostages.

453
00:24:07,900 --> 00:24:09,866
Are you at all worried that
there could be some kind of

454
00:24:09,866 --> 00:24:12,400
psychological damage to these
people that you're holding

455
00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:14,433
as a result of
their captivity?

456
00:24:14,433 --> 00:24:16,566
Psychological damage
to the hostages?

457
00:24:16,566 --> 00:24:18,300
Yes, that quite simply,
that some of them might,

458
00:24:18,300 --> 00:24:20,133
if you hold on much longer,
just go mad.

459
00:24:20,133 --> 00:24:21,833
Why should they?

460
00:24:21,833 --> 00:24:25,366
I mean, in our prisons
at the time of SAVAK,

461
00:24:25,366 --> 00:24:28,933
tens of thousands of our
most brilliant youngsters

462
00:24:28,933 --> 00:24:31,633
were kept in dungeons
and tortured.

463
00:24:31,633 --> 00:24:35,433
No one cared for their
psychological after effects.

464
00:24:35,433 --> 00:24:37,500
♪ ♪

465
00:24:37,500 --> 00:24:40,366
BARRY ROSEN:
Sister Mary.

466
00:24:40,366 --> 00:24:45,866
She was there to interrogate
most of us.

467
00:24:45,866 --> 00:24:49,600
Accusing us, threatening trials.

468
00:24:52,766 --> 00:24:55,733
I had very negative feelings
toward her.

469
00:24:55,733 --> 00:24:58,866
I just felt that...
(exhales)

470
00:24:58,866 --> 00:25:00,833
...she brought out the worst
in me.

471
00:25:00,833 --> 00:25:05,100
You say you will follow the
orders of Ayatollah Khomeini.

472
00:25:05,100 --> 00:25:08,166
BARRY ROSEN:
And she had lived in the
United States as a young woman.

473
00:25:08,166 --> 00:25:09,933
She spoke English.

474
00:25:09,933 --> 00:25:11,833
Her English was good enough
so that she could

475
00:25:11,833 --> 00:25:14,433
speak to reporters.

476
00:25:14,433 --> 00:25:17,400
So she was the basic PR person.

477
00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:20,400
The only way is that
the American government,

478
00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:24,600
led by the criminal Carter,
return Mohammad Reza Pahlavi,

479
00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:27,066
the cause of corruption
and the exploitation

480
00:25:27,066 --> 00:25:28,800
of the Iranian people.

481
00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:31,500
Must be returned to Iran
with the property

482
00:25:31,500 --> 00:25:35,266
of the Iranian people and must
be tried in a court of justice.

483
00:25:35,266 --> 00:25:38,066
And this court of justice
will be the trial

484
00:25:38,066 --> 00:25:40,900
of the American presidents
of his time as well.

485
00:25:40,900 --> 00:25:46,566
♪ ♪

486
00:25:51,100 --> 00:25:54,366
SAM DONALDSON:
Mr. President, can this crisis
go on indefinitely?

487
00:25:54,366 --> 00:25:55,733
Or ought the Ayatollah Khomeini

488
00:25:55,733 --> 00:25:58,533
understand that at some point

489
00:25:58,533 --> 00:25:59,600
the American people may demand,

490
00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:00,966
and other nations may expect,

491
00:26:00,966 --> 00:26:04,733
that you move forward
to resolve it by whatever means

492
00:26:04,733 --> 00:26:07,200
you find necessary?

493
00:26:10,133 --> 00:26:13,200
It would not be possible
or even advisable for me

494
00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:18,066
to set a deadline about when or
if I would take a certain action

495
00:26:18,066 --> 00:26:20,466
in the future.

496
00:26:20,466 --> 00:26:24,433
This is an ever-present
consideration on my mind.

497
00:26:24,433 --> 00:26:28,100
I'm carrying out all the duties
that normally fall on

498
00:26:28,100 --> 00:26:31,933
the president's shoulder,
which are adequate.

499
00:26:31,933 --> 00:26:36,433
But I never forget one moment
that I'm awake

500
00:26:36,433 --> 00:26:40,733
about the hostages whose lives
and whose safety depend on me.

501
00:26:40,733 --> 00:26:42,733
♪ ♪

502
00:26:42,733 --> 00:26:45,166
SICK:
People were really behind
the president.

503
00:26:45,166 --> 00:26:47,666
They were prepared
to support him.

504
00:26:47,666 --> 00:26:50,400
And, you know, to be
brutally honest,

505
00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:54,500
he was taking advantage
of that too.

506
00:26:54,500 --> 00:26:58,466
Presidents are politicians.

507
00:27:01,966 --> 00:27:04,466
BARBARA ROSEN:
All the families were invited
down to Washington

508
00:27:04,466 --> 00:27:09,600
for a meeting and to let us know
what was going on.

509
00:27:10,933 --> 00:27:13,200
Jimmy Carter and Rosalyn Carter
were standing up front

510
00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:14,733
and each one of the
family members

511
00:27:14,733 --> 00:27:19,166
 
who were there came up and spoke
to them for a few minutes.

512
00:27:20,666 --> 00:27:24,933
They didn't tell us a whole lot.

513
00:27:24,933 --> 00:27:26,133
And I gave them a picture

514
00:27:26,133 --> 00:27:27,466
of the two children, and I said,

515
00:27:27,466 --> 00:27:28,833
"Just remember that their father

516
00:27:28,833 --> 00:27:30,666
"is one of the people

517
00:27:30,666 --> 00:27:32,166
"in the embassy.

518
00:27:32,166 --> 00:27:37,366
So keep that in mind whatever
it is that you decide to do."

519
00:27:37,366 --> 00:27:38,800
He put it in his...

520
00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:43,466
his jacket pocket and, you know,
he held my hand and he said,

521
00:27:43,466 --> 00:27:45,233
"I will always put
the well-being

522
00:27:45,233 --> 00:27:47,000
"of the hostages first,

523
00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:49,033
that's the most important thing
to me."

524
00:27:51,333 --> 00:27:54,300
SICK:
Carter is a very empathetic
person.

525
00:27:54,300 --> 00:27:57,400
And he met with
the hostage families.

526
00:27:57,400 --> 00:27:59,066
He was advised not to.

527
00:27:59,066 --> 00:28:02,666
Brzezinski said, "Don't do it.

528
00:28:02,666 --> 00:28:04,700
"Send me, send somebody else
to talk to them.

529
00:28:04,700 --> 00:28:06,400
"But don't you, as president,

530
00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:07,633
sit down with the hostage
families."

531
00:28:07,633 --> 00:28:08,833
Because he knew

532
00:28:08,833 --> 00:28:11,033
you would hear some
terrible stories

533
00:28:11,033 --> 00:28:14,900
and you would probably say
something that you shouldn't.

534
00:28:14,900 --> 00:28:16,633
All of which he did.

535
00:28:16,633 --> 00:28:22,600
I am not going to take any
military action that would cause

536
00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:28,100
bloodshed or arouse the unstable
captors of our hostages

537
00:28:28,100 --> 00:28:30,333
to attack them
or to punish them,

538
00:28:30,333 --> 00:28:31,766
I'm going to be very moderate,

539
00:28:31,766 --> 00:28:34,300
very cautious.

540
00:28:34,300 --> 00:28:36,866
Our purpose is to get the
hostages home and get them safe.

541
00:28:36,866 --> 00:28:38,266
That's my total commitment.

542
00:28:39,933 --> 00:28:41,466
SICK:
Meeting with the hostage
families,

543
00:28:41,466 --> 00:28:44,733
telling them he's not going
to do anything that will harm

544
00:28:44,733 --> 00:28:47,100
their people, that quickly,

545
00:28:47,100 --> 00:28:49,966
you know,
filtered out into the world.

546
00:28:49,966 --> 00:28:54,500
And the Iranians knew that
the price they might have to pay

547
00:28:54,500 --> 00:28:56,966
for keeping people there
was minimal.

548
00:28:56,966 --> 00:28:59,633
(indistinct chatter,
camera shutter clicking)

549
00:28:59,633 --> 00:29:02,966
BARBARA ROSEN:
You know, I'm deeply grateful as

550
00:29:02,966 --> 00:29:04,833
the wife of one of the hostages,

551
00:29:04,833 --> 00:29:08,600
how deeply Jimmy Carter felt
about the hostages.

552
00:29:08,600 --> 00:29:14,000
But I think there had to be
a separation of--

553
00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:16,500
and, you know, this is like
a hard thing to say--

554
00:29:16,500 --> 00:29:19,300
of the humanity of the people
who are being held

555
00:29:19,300 --> 00:29:23,266
and what you have to do
diplomatically.

556
00:29:23,266 --> 00:29:25,300
And he was never able
to do that.

557
00:29:25,300 --> 00:29:30,033
So he suffered greatly because
he felt the responsibility

558
00:29:30,033 --> 00:29:35,966
of the lives of the people
who were being held.

559
00:29:39,566 --> 00:29:42,933
(subway clacking on tracks)

560
00:29:46,666 --> 00:29:49,566
In the beginning of the crisis,

561
00:29:49,566 --> 00:29:54,033
the news media didn't have
any idea of where I was,

562
00:29:54,033 --> 00:29:59,166
and I kept my own location
secret.

563
00:29:59,166 --> 00:30:00,800
I didn't want anybody to know.

564
00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:03,300
I was never a public person.

565
00:30:03,300 --> 00:30:07,866
I don't like people knowing
who I am.

566
00:30:07,866 --> 00:30:11,400
However, the media went ahead
and called every Rosen

567
00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:15,333
in the Brooklyn phone book
trying to find out

568
00:30:15,333 --> 00:30:18,300
if this was the family
of Barry Rosen.

569
00:30:18,300 --> 00:30:20,900
Barbara Rosen is with us
tonight.

570
00:30:20,900 --> 00:30:23,533
Her husband is the press attaché
at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

571
00:30:23,533 --> 00:30:25,666
And he's been in Iran
in November.

572
00:30:25,666 --> 00:30:28,233
And he is now one of the 50
people who are being held there.

573
00:30:28,233 --> 00:30:30,633
BARBARA ROSEN:
It was very difficult.

574
00:30:30,633 --> 00:30:32,133
I've never done this before.

575
00:30:32,133 --> 00:30:34,433
I was a public school teacher.

576
00:30:34,433 --> 00:30:38,233
I'm a mother, I'm a wife,
I'm not a media personality.

577
00:30:39,933 --> 00:30:43,033
What do you do and how do you
navigate this?

578
00:30:43,033 --> 00:30:44,533
How do you feel about

579
00:30:44,533 --> 00:30:46,400
Iranians right now?

580
00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:47,533
I have absolutely nothing

581
00:30:47,533 --> 00:30:49,666
against the Iranian people.

582
00:30:49,666 --> 00:30:51,933
Um, I know quite a few Iranians.

583
00:30:51,933 --> 00:30:54,100
My husband has been a graduate

584
00:30:54,100 --> 00:30:56,266
student of Iranian studies.

585
00:30:56,266 --> 00:30:57,900
And as a result of that

586
00:30:57,900 --> 00:30:59,400
we know a lot of Iranians.

587
00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:00,866
And it's not the fault

588
00:31:00,866 --> 00:31:02,733
of the Iranian people.

589
00:31:02,733 --> 00:31:04,366
It's one group of terrorists

590
00:31:04,366 --> 00:31:05,700
who are holding them,

591
00:31:05,700 --> 00:31:07,366
and it has nothing to do

592
00:31:07,366 --> 00:31:09,300
with the people of Iran.

593
00:31:09,300 --> 00:31:11,433
BARBARA ROSEN (interview):
I said one time
on a news program,

594
00:31:11,433 --> 00:31:13,666
I called them terrorists and
then I, you know, it was like,

595
00:31:13,666 --> 00:31:15,800
"Oh my God, what did I just say?

596
00:31:17,600 --> 00:31:20,666
"What if this affects
how he's being held

597
00:31:20,666 --> 00:31:22,333
"and what they're doing to him?

598
00:31:22,333 --> 00:31:23,833
Can I take that back?"

599
00:31:23,833 --> 00:31:25,266
And they say,
"No, you've already said it."

600
00:31:27,500 --> 00:31:29,633
And so you just were on your own
to figure out

601
00:31:29,633 --> 00:31:32,800
exactly what to say,
what not to say.

602
00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:34,633
Can you believe
that this happened?

603
00:31:34,633 --> 00:31:36,000
No, and there were days

604
00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:37,866
that I can still, you know...

605
00:31:37,866 --> 00:31:40,700
(voiceover):
It was difficult.

606
00:31:40,700 --> 00:31:43,700
At times it was also very
helpful for me.

607
00:31:43,700 --> 00:31:45,400
What can we do for you,

608
00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:46,966
all of us Americans?

609
00:31:46,966 --> 00:31:48,833
BARBARA ROSEN:
In that I felt
that I could

610
00:31:48,833 --> 00:31:52,000
maybe influence what was
happening.

611
00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:53,100
Well, for us personally,

612
00:31:53,100 --> 00:31:53,766
I don't think there's much

613
00:31:53,766 --> 00:31:55,066
that can be done.

614
00:31:55,066 --> 00:31:56,766
We just have to go through
the situation.

615
00:31:56,766 --> 00:31:57,900
But for the hostages,

616
00:31:57,900 --> 00:31:59,533
to send the postcards.

617
00:31:59,533 --> 00:32:00,900
Christmas cards?
You like that?

618
00:32:00,900 --> 00:32:02,033
Christmas cards and postcards

619
00:32:02,033 --> 00:32:03,433
to the Iranian Embassy

620
00:32:03,433 --> 00:32:04,566
asking that the,

621
00:32:04,566 --> 00:32:06,000
the hostages be freed

622
00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:08,166
and to the Iranian mission

623
00:32:08,166 --> 00:32:09,600
at the United Nations.

624
00:32:09,600 --> 00:32:12,533
And perhaps by so many thousands

625
00:32:12,533 --> 00:32:14,100
of postcards coming in,

626
00:32:14,100 --> 00:32:15,433
we will be able to effect

627
00:32:15,433 --> 00:32:16,766
a change in their attitude.

628
00:32:16,766 --> 00:32:21,933
♪ ♪

629
00:32:30,500 --> 00:32:33,100
REPORTER:
Christmas time usually brings
people together,

630
00:32:33,100 --> 00:32:36,033
and this Christmas, a lot of
people have gotten together

631
00:32:36,033 --> 00:32:37,400
because of a good cause.

632
00:32:37,400 --> 00:32:40,766
Some say we haven't been this
united since Pearl Harbor.

633
00:32:40,766 --> 00:32:43,200
(birds twittering)

634
00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:51,133
MAN:
People are... angry, frustrated,
supportive, together, unified.

635
00:32:51,133 --> 00:32:52,866
They want to do something.

636
00:32:57,266 --> 00:33:03,200
BARRY ROSEN:
What amazed me
was the amount of mail

637
00:33:03,200 --> 00:33:08,700
that we would receive
from any American.

638
00:33:08,700 --> 00:33:10,766
Piles would come in.

639
00:33:10,766 --> 00:33:14,200
Guards would bring in these bags
and they'd open them up

640
00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:15,433
and then-- (exhales)--

641
00:33:15,433 --> 00:33:17,666
hundreds and letters.

642
00:33:18,600 --> 00:33:21,700
♪ ♪

643
00:33:29,100 --> 00:33:31,733
And that was really, really

644
00:33:31,733 --> 00:33:35,600
the first time that I realized

645
00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:38,166
how people were supporting us
in the United States.

646
00:33:39,866 --> 00:33:43,533
WOMAN:
I'm an American
and I want those hostages home.

647
00:33:43,533 --> 00:33:45,600
Say it again, kids.

648
00:33:45,600 --> 00:33:50,200
ALL:
I'm an American
and I want those hostages home!

649
00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:54,966
BARBARA ROSEN:
Penny Laingen, who is the wife
of Bruce Laingen,

650
00:33:54,966 --> 00:33:58,700
the chargé at the embassy,
came up with the idea of

651
00:33:58,700 --> 00:34:04,600
a yellow ribbon to show support
for the hostages.

652
00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:07,033
And it caught on.

653
00:34:07,033 --> 00:34:09,300
You would go anywhere
practically in the country

654
00:34:09,300 --> 00:34:13,933
and there were yellow ribbons
tied for the hostages.

655
00:34:13,933 --> 00:34:16,866
(archival):
The families of the hostages
feel so good to know

656
00:34:16,866 --> 00:34:19,366
that there are so many people
out here in the United States

657
00:34:19,366 --> 00:34:22,266
who care so deeply for the
ordeal that we've gone through.

658
00:34:22,266 --> 00:34:26,666
And it helps give us the support
that we need to go on.

659
00:34:26,666 --> 00:34:29,533
♪ ♪

660
00:34:29,533 --> 00:34:31,533
(present-day):
We had a large maple tree

661
00:34:31,533 --> 00:34:33,100
in front of the
house in Brooklyn,

662
00:34:33,100 --> 00:34:37,133
and we tied a big yellow ribbon
around the tree.

663
00:34:37,133 --> 00:34:38,666
ROBERT STONE:
Tie a yellow ribbon...

664
00:34:38,666 --> 00:34:40,966
Yes, tie a yellow ribbon around
the old oak tree.

665
00:34:40,966 --> 00:34:43,066
♪ ♪

666
00:34:43,066 --> 00:34:46,466
It's a lot nicer than going out
and you're having demonstrations

667
00:34:46,466 --> 00:34:48,500
where you're burning or,
you know,

668
00:34:48,500 --> 00:34:50,300
yelling hatred at somebody.

669
00:34:53,433 --> 00:34:56,133
We pray that you'll impart
your infinite wisdom

670
00:34:56,133 --> 00:34:58,166
with the leaders of
both nations.

671
00:34:58,166 --> 00:35:00,800
The end arrangements
will be swiftly arrived at,

672
00:35:00,800 --> 00:35:03,400
which these hostages
will be set free

673
00:35:03,400 --> 00:35:05,933
to return to our nation,
and to their loved ones.

674
00:35:07,933 --> 00:35:11,766
BARBARA ROSEN:
We always celebrated
both holidays.

675
00:35:11,766 --> 00:35:14,866
We did a Hanukkah celebration
with my mother-in-law

676
00:35:14,866 --> 00:35:17,300
in my brother-in-law's house.

677
00:35:17,300 --> 00:35:19,600
And then we did a little
Christmas with, you know,

678
00:35:19,600 --> 00:35:22,900
the kids at my parents'.

679
00:35:22,900 --> 00:35:24,066
I believe it was that

680
00:35:24,066 --> 00:35:28,266
Christmas Day that they showed
the, the film

681
00:35:28,266 --> 00:35:30,633
of the the hostages' Christmas.

682
00:35:33,466 --> 00:35:36,100
(piano playing)

683
00:35:36,100 --> 00:35:39,566
REVEREND SLOANE COFFIN:
♪ Silent night ♪

684
00:35:39,566 --> 00:35:41,700
♪ Holy night ♪

685
00:35:41,700 --> 00:35:43,066
BARRY ROSEN:
Christmas.

686
00:35:43,066 --> 00:35:47,700
They brought in Reverend Sloane
Coffin from New York,

687
00:35:47,700 --> 00:35:51,900
who is very, very famous.

688
00:35:51,900 --> 00:35:54,633
Videographers came in
and photographers came in

689
00:35:54,633 --> 00:35:58,366
for propaganda purposes.

690
00:35:58,366 --> 00:36:02,433
That was their way to show
they care about

691
00:36:02,433 --> 00:36:06,433
the hostages and their holiday.

692
00:36:06,433 --> 00:36:08,000
And that they were going to

693
00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:10,866
broadcast it to
the families outside

694
00:36:10,866 --> 00:36:13,333
to show that we're all right.

695
00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:18,333
I must have garnered about
20 oranges

696
00:36:18,333 --> 00:36:19,866
and every other possible fruit.

697
00:36:19,866 --> 00:36:22,800
They were in my pockets,
everywhere.

698
00:36:22,800 --> 00:36:25,100
We had no fruit, all that time.

699
00:36:25,100 --> 00:36:29,066
COFFIN (in background):
♪ Holy night ♪

700
00:36:29,066 --> 00:36:31,300
BARBARA ROSEN:
We heard that
Reverend Sloane Coffin

701
00:36:31,300 --> 00:36:35,033
was going to be one of the
ministers going over to Iran,

702
00:36:35,033 --> 00:36:38,600
and we gave him letters
to bring to Barry.

703
00:36:38,600 --> 00:36:40,300
BARRY ROSEN:
He whispered to me,

704
00:36:40,300 --> 00:36:44,366
"Here are the photos that
Barbara sent to you.

705
00:36:44,366 --> 00:36:46,766
(singing continues)

706
00:36:46,766 --> 00:36:48,100
She sent her love."

707
00:36:48,100 --> 00:36:51,000
And I said,
"Please send my love to her."

708
00:36:52,266 --> 00:36:54,166
BARBARA ROSEN:
You're watching it.

709
00:36:54,166 --> 00:36:57,033
And that's your husband,
the father of your children,

710
00:36:57,033 --> 00:37:00,433
halfway around the world
being held hostage.

711
00:37:00,433 --> 00:37:05,166
He looks okay, but you
don't know that he's okay.

712
00:37:05,166 --> 00:37:07,833
It's a very strange experience.

713
00:37:07,833 --> 00:37:11,400
COFFIN:
♪ ...peace ♪
(song ends)

714
00:37:11,400 --> 00:37:16,500
Communicating with our families
was very strange.

715
00:37:16,500 --> 00:37:20,200
♪ ♪

716
00:37:22,400 --> 00:37:25,000
We would write letters
never knowing

717
00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:26,900
if they would ever get there.

718
00:37:28,633 --> 00:37:30,333
We had to be very careful
in what we said,

719
00:37:30,333 --> 00:37:34,000
just sort of very cursory
letters about,

720
00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:37,066
"How are the kids, Ari and Zan?'

721
00:37:37,066 --> 00:37:42,600
"I love you both
and send my love to Mommy."

722
00:37:42,600 --> 00:37:45,633
Well, I think he's trying to
tell me that he's being treated,

723
00:37:45,633 --> 00:37:49,833
you know, as well as possible
under the...

724
00:37:49,833 --> 00:37:51,133
under the circumstances.

725
00:37:51,133 --> 00:37:54,366
And I was very heartened by
what he did write.

726
00:37:54,366 --> 00:37:56,233
His spirit seems to be very high

727
00:37:56,233 --> 00:38:00,666
and he seems to be handling
the situation very well.

728
00:38:00,666 --> 00:38:02,200
REPORTER:
Mrs. Rosen,
how did your son react

729
00:38:02,200 --> 00:38:04,166
to this gorgeous cartoon?

730
00:38:04,166 --> 00:38:06,733
♪ ♪

731
00:38:12,033 --> 00:38:16,400
BARRY ROSEN:
I remember writing a little
cartoon for Alexander,

732
00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:21,633
where I'm mailing a letter
to him with my love.

733
00:38:21,633 --> 00:38:23,566
BARBARA ROSEN:
Oh, he loves it.
He's only three.

734
00:38:23,566 --> 00:38:25,566
I mean, he sits and looks at it
and, you know,

735
00:38:25,566 --> 00:38:27,600
we explain it to him.

736
00:38:27,600 --> 00:38:29,100
REPORTER:
Does he have any idea
what's going on?

737
00:38:29,100 --> 00:38:31,466
BARBARA ROSEN:
Oh, he does know where his
father is.

738
00:38:31,466 --> 00:38:35,366
He does know the names
of the people involved.

739
00:38:35,366 --> 00:38:37,466
He knows Ayatollah Khomeini.

740
00:38:37,466 --> 00:38:39,633
He knows... he's able
to pronounce Ghotbzadeh,

741
00:38:39,633 --> 00:38:41,866
which a lot of people here
can't do.

742
00:38:43,466 --> 00:38:48,000
BARR:
That became something for me
that was very, very important,

743
00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:51,666
was my direct communication
with him.

744
00:38:51,666 --> 00:38:56,800
I didn't want him to forget me.

745
00:38:56,800 --> 00:39:02,000
(crowd chanting)

746
00:39:05,966 --> 00:39:08,833
Early today,
Iranian television broadcast

747
00:39:08,833 --> 00:39:11,433
a film called "Spy Confessions."

748
00:39:11,433 --> 00:39:13,766
It was produced by
the embassy militants

749
00:39:13,766 --> 00:39:15,566
and it showed
two of their hostages

750
00:39:15,566 --> 00:39:19,600
alleging that this embassy
was engaged in espionage.

751
00:39:19,600 --> 00:39:22,400
...not like wolf and the lamb.

752
00:39:22,400 --> 00:39:24,166
♪ ♪

753
00:39:24,166 --> 00:39:26,633
EBTEKAR:
We have found no evidence
that proves

754
00:39:26,633 --> 00:39:28,666
that these people are diplomats.

755
00:39:28,666 --> 00:39:32,700
All evidence proves
that these people are spies.

756
00:39:32,700 --> 00:39:35,000
♪ ♪

757
00:39:35,000 --> 00:39:38,266
BARRY ROSEN:
There were very few Farsi
speakers in the embassy.

758
00:39:38,266 --> 00:39:40,433
I think there were three of us.

759
00:39:44,166 --> 00:39:49,100
It didn't register at all
to our hostage-takers

760
00:39:49,100 --> 00:39:52,000
that three Farsi speakers
could not be overthrowing

761
00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:53,433
the Iranian government

762
00:39:53,433 --> 00:39:57,566
or trying to pervert Iran.

763
00:39:57,566 --> 00:40:01,800
We know that they are spy
because we have the documents.

764
00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:05,500
TOM BROKAW:
This film shows militants
and the paper shredder

765
00:40:05,500 --> 00:40:06,533
embassy officials used

766
00:40:06,533 --> 00:40:08,266
to destroy U.S. documents.

767
00:40:08,266 --> 00:40:11,866
Apparently, they believe
the repaired documents

768
00:40:11,866 --> 00:40:15,366
will support their charges of
American crimes against Iran.

769
00:40:15,366 --> 00:40:17,866
♪ ♪

770
00:40:28,400 --> 00:40:34,833
BARRY ROSEN:
One day, there's this phalanx
of guards with rifles,

771
00:40:34,833 --> 00:40:39,933
and they march me to this desk.

772
00:40:39,933 --> 00:40:44,366
And I'm told,
"Sign this piece of paper,"

773
00:40:44,366 --> 00:40:46,500
which confirms that I am a spy,

774
00:40:46,500 --> 00:40:50,800
and I was working for
the C.I.A.

775
00:40:50,800 --> 00:40:53,966
I'm saying to myself,
"Hmm, Barry,

776
00:40:53,966 --> 00:40:57,900
I'm a member of the Foreign
Service, I can't do this."

777
00:40:57,900 --> 00:41:00,333
And then I'm thinking about
Barbara and the kids,

778
00:41:00,333 --> 00:41:02,933
and I'm saying, "Look,
they're not going to do...

779
00:41:02,933 --> 00:41:05,500
"I mean they're not going to
kill me.

780
00:41:05,500 --> 00:41:06,500
"They're not.

781
00:41:06,500 --> 00:41:08,566
They need me."

782
00:41:08,566 --> 00:41:09,900
But I don't know.

783
00:41:09,900 --> 00:41:12,166
So I think the better part
of valor is to sign.

784
00:41:12,166 --> 00:41:16,833
♪ ♪

785
00:41:16,833 --> 00:41:20,733
BARBARA ROSEN:
Barry was accused of being

786
00:41:20,733 --> 00:41:23,300
"the great spy and plotter."

787
00:41:23,300 --> 00:41:25,866
His photo was
on the front page

788
00:41:25,866 --> 00:41:27,800
of the "Post."

789
00:41:27,800 --> 00:41:30,000
REPORTER:
Do you want these
people to go on trial?

790
00:41:30,000 --> 00:41:30,966
EBTEKAR:
Yes.

791
00:41:30,966 --> 00:41:32,200
And the hostages
will be tried

792
00:41:32,200 --> 00:41:36,033
in a Islamic court
and the sentences will be

793
00:41:36,033 --> 00:41:37,800
carried out on them.

794
00:41:37,800 --> 00:41:42,400
BARBARA ROSEN:
When we saw the accusations that
were being made against him,

795
00:41:42,400 --> 00:41:47,033
it was extremely, extremely
upsetting.

796
00:41:47,033 --> 00:41:48,533
And I think it became

797
00:41:48,533 --> 00:41:51,633
very hard on Barry because

798
00:41:51,633 --> 00:41:53,200
it wasn't too long after that

799
00:41:53,200 --> 00:41:54,600
when, you know, pictures came

800
00:41:54,600 --> 00:41:56,066
out and he was pretty sick.

801
00:41:58,400 --> 00:42:01,433
REPORTER:
A doctor from the local version
of the Red Cross

802
00:42:01,433 --> 00:42:04,800
takes a close look
at the hostages.

803
00:42:04,800 --> 00:42:07,066
There's little doubt that
the release of the film by Iran

804
00:42:07,066 --> 00:42:09,733
is to try to allay
nagging doubts abroad,

805
00:42:09,733 --> 00:42:12,900
especially in America,
about their wellbeing

806
00:42:12,900 --> 00:42:14,800
and physical condition.

807
00:42:14,800 --> 00:42:16,133
It's hardly definitive evidence.

808
00:42:18,533 --> 00:42:21,833
In January,

809
00:42:21,833 --> 00:42:25,733
I had what I thought was
a convulsion.

810
00:42:25,733 --> 00:42:28,133
My heart started to beat
very fast.

811
00:42:28,133 --> 00:42:29,933
And my stomach and everything...

812
00:42:29,933 --> 00:42:35,366
(present-day voiceover):
I was undergoing a panic attack.

813
00:42:35,366 --> 00:42:39,033
I was in a pretty deep
depression.

814
00:42:39,033 --> 00:42:42,833
♪ ♪

815
00:42:52,933 --> 00:42:59,100
You know, it's very hard to talk
about the issue of depression.

816
00:42:59,100 --> 00:43:01,666
I was in a black hole.

817
00:43:01,666 --> 00:43:06,000
I totally was in a situation
where I felt hopeless

818
00:43:06,000 --> 00:43:12,200
and helpless and only thought
very negatively about myself.

819
00:43:12,200 --> 00:43:16,833
(no dialogue)

820
00:43:16,833 --> 00:43:18,500
In the beginning of the
captivity

821
00:43:18,500 --> 00:43:20,933
I was trying to be tough.

822
00:43:20,933 --> 00:43:23,166
But I was worn down.

823
00:43:23,166 --> 00:43:26,933
I was totally worn down.

824
00:43:26,933 --> 00:43:32,266
There were moments and times
where I thought about

825
00:43:32,266 --> 00:43:34,900
doing away with myself.

826
00:43:34,900 --> 00:43:38,800
And it was not inconceivable
because

827
00:43:38,800 --> 00:43:42,000
several of us...

828
00:43:42,000 --> 00:43:45,233
slit their wrists,
tried to commit suicide

829
00:43:45,233 --> 00:43:50,600
by knocking their heads
against cement walls.

830
00:43:50,600 --> 00:43:53,600
REPORTER (on television):
...and Barry Rosen
in the center,

831
00:43:53,600 --> 00:43:56,500
the press attaché,
he is from Brooklyn.

832
00:43:56,500 --> 00:43:59,233
(crying)

833
00:43:59,233 --> 00:44:03,066
BARBARA ROSEN:
My mother-in-law became
extremely, extremely depressed.

834
00:44:03,066 --> 00:44:05,966
As anybody would.

835
00:44:09,100 --> 00:44:10,733
(crying):
President Carter,

836
00:44:10,733 --> 00:44:14,966
this is my plea to you
as a mother to a father.

837
00:44:14,966 --> 00:44:18,066
Not as a president,
but as a mother to a father.

838
00:44:18,066 --> 00:44:21,933
Please listen to my plea.

839
00:44:21,933 --> 00:44:25,566
My husband is gone
but I want my son back.

840
00:44:25,566 --> 00:44:27,933
Barry is fading away.

841
00:44:29,966 --> 00:44:32,400
BARBARA ROSEN (voiceover):
I feel a lot of times
during the whole crisis

842
00:44:32,400 --> 00:44:34,366
I was always the one

843
00:44:34,366 --> 00:44:36,966
who was trying to hold these
different things together.

844
00:44:36,966 --> 00:44:39,000
I had to represent Barry.

845
00:44:39,000 --> 00:44:41,333
I had to take care of
the children,

846
00:44:41,333 --> 00:44:45,466
I had to take care of the
extended family, you know,

847
00:44:45,466 --> 00:44:48,233
and how do you do
all of this?

848
00:44:49,833 --> 00:44:51,900
REPORTER:
Does Alexander ever say
"When's Daddy coming home?"

849
00:44:51,900 --> 00:44:54,900
Just about every night
when I put him to bed.

850
00:44:54,900 --> 00:44:56,200
What do you...
what do you tell him?

851
00:44:56,200 --> 00:44:57,966
Soon, we hope.

852
00:44:57,966 --> 00:45:03,200
♪ ♪

853
00:45:16,733 --> 00:45:18,566
CARTER:
I continue to share
with all of you

854
00:45:18,566 --> 00:45:21,200
the sense of outrage
and impatience.

855
00:45:21,200 --> 00:45:22,600
We are attempting to secure

856
00:45:22,600 --> 00:45:24,333
the release of the Americans

857
00:45:24,333 --> 00:45:25,333
through the International Court

858
00:45:25,333 --> 00:45:26,400
of Justice,

859
00:45:26,400 --> 00:45:27,966
through the United Nations,

860
00:45:27,966 --> 00:45:31,566
and through public and private
diplomatic efforts.

861
00:45:31,566 --> 00:45:35,033
We are determined to achieve
this goal.

862
00:45:35,033 --> 00:45:38,233
We hope to do so
without bloodshed.

863
00:45:38,233 --> 00:45:41,966
SICK:
The White House chief of staff,
Hamilton Jordan,

864
00:45:41,966 --> 00:45:43,233
and President Carter,

865
00:45:43,233 --> 00:45:47,166
they were conducting
negotiations behind the scenes

866
00:45:47,166 --> 00:45:50,166
with a couple of people

867
00:45:50,166 --> 00:45:54,633
who represented Ghotbzadeh.

868
00:45:54,633 --> 00:45:57,000
JEROME:
Ghotbzadeh was made
foreign minister

869
00:45:57,000 --> 00:45:59,233
during the hostage crisis.

870
00:45:59,233 --> 00:46:05,100
He desperately wanted
to get the hostages released.

871
00:46:05,100 --> 00:46:09,700
He understood the threat
that this hostage seizure was

872
00:46:09,700 --> 00:46:15,566
to any kind of moderation
in the Islamic Revolution.

873
00:46:15,566 --> 00:46:18,033
And it was gradually forcing

874
00:46:18,033 --> 00:46:20,633
any other voices to be silent.

875
00:46:20,633 --> 00:46:23,366
♪ ♪

876
00:46:23,366 --> 00:46:26,833
You know, we have to remember
that Sadegh Ghotbzadeh

877
00:46:26,833 --> 00:46:28,966
had been sent to live and study
with Mossadegh

878
00:46:28,966 --> 00:46:31,400
when he was a young man.

879
00:46:31,400 --> 00:46:35,266
Mossadegh had been
the prime minister

880
00:46:35,266 --> 00:46:40,000
before the C.I.A. coup in 1953.

881
00:46:40,000 --> 00:46:45,200
But this was in the mid-'50s,
after the coup.

882
00:46:45,200 --> 00:46:52,600
So Sadegh studied with him
and was very, very much affected

883
00:46:52,600 --> 00:46:53,866
by his teachings.

884
00:46:56,066 --> 00:47:00,566
Ghotbzadeh saw himself very much
as a son of Mossadegh

885
00:47:00,566 --> 00:47:03,933
and wanted to carry on
in that tradition.

886
00:47:07,400 --> 00:47:09,433
REPORTER:
One last question:

887
00:47:09,433 --> 00:47:11,033
some Americans
are characterizing you

888
00:47:11,033 --> 00:47:12,433
as a hardliner.

889
00:47:12,433 --> 00:47:14,366
Is that fair?

890
00:47:14,366 --> 00:47:15,500
Well, I'm a nice guy.

891
00:47:15,500 --> 00:47:17,333
(laughter)

892
00:47:18,966 --> 00:47:21,966
PETER JENNINGS:
In the revolutionary atmosphere,
Mr. Ghotbzadeh has at times

893
00:47:21,966 --> 00:47:25,033
shown a willingness to find
a compromise solution

894
00:47:25,033 --> 00:47:27,766
to the Iranian-American
confrontation.

895
00:47:30,833 --> 00:47:32,266
JEROME:
He had spent a lot of his years

896
00:47:32,266 --> 00:47:34,500
of exile in America,

897
00:47:34,500 --> 00:47:37,966
where he was a big part of the
Student Revolutionary Movement,

898
00:47:37,966 --> 00:47:40,733
and the Liberation Movement
of Iran.

899
00:47:40,733 --> 00:47:43,933
And he had a lot of admiration
for some of the best

900
00:47:43,933 --> 00:47:49,033
of what America had to offer.

901
00:47:49,033 --> 00:47:51,533
Has the hostage crisis
become more of

902
00:47:51,533 --> 00:47:54,933
an obstacle than a rallying
point for the revolution?

903
00:47:54,933 --> 00:47:56,733
Is it blocking you
from getting on with

904
00:47:56,733 --> 00:47:57,733
the business of governing?

905
00:47:57,733 --> 00:47:59,700
The reality of the things...

906
00:47:59,700 --> 00:48:02,333
JEROME (voiceover):
I was not aware at the time

907
00:48:02,333 --> 00:48:03,766
that Sadegh was meeting

908
00:48:03,766 --> 00:48:05,533
with Hamilton Jordan.

909
00:48:05,533 --> 00:48:07,633
♪ ♪

910
00:48:07,633 --> 00:48:09,900
That was a complete secret,
and he would never have told me

911
00:48:09,900 --> 00:48:12,966
something like that,
that was so explosive.

912
00:48:15,166 --> 00:48:18,433
And he and Jordan got along
fairly well in that,

913
00:48:18,433 --> 00:48:21,533
and they came up with this
scenario of the U.N. Commission.

914
00:48:21,533 --> 00:48:24,733
SAM DONALDSON:
A special U.N.-sponsored
commission to be part of a deal

915
00:48:24,733 --> 00:48:26,166
that would free the hostages.

916
00:48:26,166 --> 00:48:27,700
JEROME:
Investigators would come

917
00:48:27,700 --> 00:48:30,700
and report on Iran's history

918
00:48:30,700 --> 00:48:35,300
and the crimes of the Shah.

919
00:48:35,300 --> 00:48:39,466
The idea was they would be able
to visit the hostages.

920
00:48:39,466 --> 00:48:42,700
And when they issued
their report,

921
00:48:42,700 --> 00:48:44,100
the hostages could be released.

922
00:48:44,100 --> 00:48:47,566
♪ ♪

923
00:48:47,566 --> 00:48:51,900
KOPPEL:
Hope for the release of the 50
inside continues to be fueled

924
00:48:51,900 --> 00:48:55,300
by reports from Iran
and the United Nations.

925
00:48:55,300 --> 00:48:57,533
The hostages could be released
within three weeks.

926
00:48:57,533 --> 00:49:00,866
Recently, there have been
some positive signs.

927
00:49:00,866 --> 00:49:03,900
Although experience
has taught us to guard against

928
00:49:03,900 --> 00:49:05,800
excessive optimism.

929
00:49:05,800 --> 00:49:07,866
BARBARA ROSEN:
We were all hopeful.

930
00:49:07,866 --> 00:49:09,266
Things would come back

931
00:49:09,266 --> 00:49:12,433
from Iran that
we're negotiating.

932
00:49:12,433 --> 00:49:16,800
Ghotbzadeh would say, "Oh, we're
getting close to an agreement."

933
00:49:16,800 --> 00:49:18,300
And the students would say
something else.

934
00:49:18,300 --> 00:49:20,100
REPORTER:
The students are ready to allow

935
00:49:20,100 --> 00:49:22,833
the U.N. commission inside
the embassy,

936
00:49:22,833 --> 00:49:24,800
but only on their terms.

937
00:49:24,800 --> 00:49:26,333
REPORTER:
The commission failed
to get into the U.S. embassy

938
00:49:26,333 --> 00:49:28,333
to visit the hostages.

939
00:49:28,333 --> 00:49:30,233
A power struggle between
the students

940
00:49:30,233 --> 00:49:32,300
and Foreign Minister Ghotbzadeh,

941
00:49:32,300 --> 00:49:36,333
 
refereed by the Ayatollah
Khomeini, made that impossible.

942
00:49:36,333 --> 00:49:38,900
SICK:
The fact is that the people
who were doing the negotiating

943
00:49:38,900 --> 00:49:40,966
were representing Ghotbzadeh,

944
00:49:40,966 --> 00:49:42,500
whose power was actually

945
00:49:42,500 --> 00:49:43,666
slipping at that point.

946
00:49:43,666 --> 00:49:44,866
And the real power

947
00:49:44,866 --> 00:49:45,866
in the country was Khomeini.

948
00:49:45,866 --> 00:49:47,433
(crowd shouting)

949
00:49:47,433 --> 00:49:49,766
REPORTER:
They sang and chanted
to those who gathered outside

950
00:49:49,766 --> 00:49:52,333
the embassy gates waiting
to hear Tehran radio

951
00:49:52,333 --> 00:49:55,700
broadcast Ayatollah Khomeini's
ruling on the U.N. commission's

952
00:49:55,700 --> 00:49:56,900
visit to the hostages.

953
00:49:56,900 --> 00:50:01,466
♪ ♪

954
00:50:01,466 --> 00:50:03,866
JEROME:
Sadegh worked very hard
to try to make

955
00:50:03,866 --> 00:50:06,066
some of these things work.

956
00:50:06,066 --> 00:50:07,966
But at every step,
Khomeini would pull the rug out

957
00:50:07,966 --> 00:50:09,533
from under him.

958
00:50:12,100 --> 00:50:13,200
REPORTER:
As the five commissioners

959
00:50:13,200 --> 00:50:14,566
emerged from a meeting with

960
00:50:14,566 --> 00:50:16,333
Foreign Minister
Sadegh Ghotbzadeh,

961
00:50:16,333 --> 00:50:18,733
they declined all comment
to the press.

962
00:50:18,733 --> 00:50:24,000
CRONKITE:
The U.N. commission will leave
Tehran tomorrow.

963
00:50:24,000 --> 00:50:25,933
Khomeini's statement to

964
00:50:25,933 --> 00:50:27,633
"Fight against America
until death"

965
00:50:27,633 --> 00:50:30,200
shattered the first real hope
in this prolonged crisis.

966
00:50:30,200 --> 00:50:33,933
(crowd chanting)

967
00:50:33,933 --> 00:50:36,133
JEROME:
Khomeini smelled power.

968
00:50:37,533 --> 00:50:39,366
He realized very quickly

969
00:50:39,366 --> 00:50:43,166
that this was a way to hold
the Americans over a barrel

970
00:50:43,166 --> 00:50:48,433
and at the same time to silence
all moderate voices in Iran.

971
00:50:48,433 --> 00:50:51,300
(crowd shouting)

972
00:50:51,300 --> 00:50:56,233
SICK:
There was no end to this
that you could see.

973
00:50:56,233 --> 00:50:58,933
Basically the hostages
were going to be there

974
00:50:58,933 --> 00:51:01,200
until Khomeini decided
to let them go.

975
00:51:01,200 --> 00:51:04,833
(crowd chanting)

976
00:51:07,000 --> 00:51:11,200
♪ ♪

977
00:51:11,200 --> 00:51:15,500
Here is a guy who is in his 80s.

978
00:51:15,500 --> 00:51:18,600
He has single-handedly ended
the monarchy

979
00:51:18,600 --> 00:51:22,433
as a 2,500-year-old institution
in Iran.

980
00:51:22,433 --> 00:51:26,933
And he's got God on his side
and he truly believes that.

981
00:51:26,933 --> 00:51:29,266
(crowd clamoring)

982
00:51:29,266 --> 00:51:32,066
And he won't even talk
to diplomats,

983
00:51:32,066 --> 00:51:34,766
so almost nobody gets
to see him.

984
00:51:34,766 --> 00:51:36,933
So how do you approach that?

985
00:51:36,933 --> 00:51:38,666
REPORTER:
Secretary of State Cyrus Vance

986
00:51:38,666 --> 00:51:40,166
emerged from several hours

987
00:51:40,166 --> 00:51:42,766
of talks with U.N.
Secretary General Kurt Waldheim

988
00:51:42,766 --> 00:51:44,666
 
and the members
of the U.N. Commission.

989
00:51:44,666 --> 00:51:46,433
VANCE:
I am counseling patience.

990
00:51:46,433 --> 00:51:48,833
I believe that this is

991
00:51:48,833 --> 00:51:50,700
the best course to follow.

992
00:51:50,700 --> 00:51:53,400
As I indicated,
the door is not closed,

993
00:51:53,400 --> 00:51:57,300
and I think we should continue
to pursue this option.

994
00:51:57,300 --> 00:51:59,700
♪ ♪

995
00:51:59,700 --> 00:52:02,666
SICK:
When we got to April
and all of these negotiations

996
00:52:02,666 --> 00:52:07,800
had broken down,
I was approached by

997
00:52:07,800 --> 00:52:10,300
a delegation of people
from the State Department

998
00:52:10,300 --> 00:52:13,233
who didn't want it to be known

999
00:52:13,233 --> 00:52:16,033
that they were approaching
the White House.

1000
00:52:16,033 --> 00:52:18,366
They said it was time to do
something.

1001
00:52:18,366 --> 00:52:19,800
That basically,

1002
00:52:19,800 --> 00:52:21,600
if there was something
that could be done,

1003
00:52:21,600 --> 00:52:23,266
this was the moment to do it

1004
00:52:23,266 --> 00:52:24,766
because clearly the Iranians

1005
00:52:24,766 --> 00:52:27,033
were not negotiating
in good faith.

1006
00:52:27,033 --> 00:52:28,933
But the reason they didn't
want it to be known

1007
00:52:28,933 --> 00:52:32,800
is that their boss, Cy Vance,
didn't share their view at all.

1008
00:52:32,800 --> 00:52:37,366
Vance was a lovable character,
and his staff

1009
00:52:37,366 --> 00:52:41,400
in the State Department,
they loved him.

1010
00:52:41,400 --> 00:52:44,833
They despised Brzezinski.

1011
00:52:44,833 --> 00:52:46,766
BRZEZINSKI:
My view is that in addition

1012
00:52:46,766 --> 00:52:49,100
to being guided
by moral concerns,

1013
00:52:49,100 --> 00:52:50,966
we have to recognize the

1014
00:52:50,966 --> 00:52:52,766
continuing relevance of power.

1015
00:52:52,766 --> 00:52:53,766
Be strong.

1016
00:52:53,766 --> 00:52:54,933
Be strategically innovative.

1017
00:52:54,933 --> 00:52:56,633
Take tough decisions.

1018
00:52:56,633 --> 00:53:01,633
SICK:
The one place where Brzezinski
and Vance would clearly disagree

1019
00:53:01,633 --> 00:53:06,100
with each other was over the
actual use of military force.

1020
00:53:06,100 --> 00:53:09,600
And so whenever that subject
came up, Vance opposed it.

1021
00:53:09,600 --> 00:53:12,566
KOPPEL:
There's been a serious drop
in public support

1022
00:53:12,566 --> 00:53:15,133
for President Carter's handling
of the hostage crisis.

1023
00:53:15,133 --> 00:53:17,066
WOMAN:
Right from the beginning
this has been

1024
00:53:17,066 --> 00:53:18,400
a total fiasco.

1025
00:53:18,400 --> 00:53:20,033
I'm not so sure if they kill

1026
00:53:20,033 --> 00:53:22,333
every one of them tomorrow
that he'd do anything.

1027
00:53:22,333 --> 00:53:25,966
People were tired of this whole
business of negotiating

1028
00:53:25,966 --> 00:53:28,000
with no real hope
of accomplishing anything

1029
00:53:28,000 --> 00:53:29,600
and that every effort
had been made.

1030
00:53:29,600 --> 00:53:32,566
Patience had really run out.

1031
00:53:32,566 --> 00:53:34,966
I wrote a memo to Brzezinski.

1032
00:53:34,966 --> 00:53:37,466
My first line was
"the hawks are flying."

1033
00:53:37,466 --> 00:53:42,233
I said that if there is
in fact a plan

1034
00:53:42,233 --> 00:53:45,233
for a rescue mission,
this is the moment to do it.

1035
00:53:45,233 --> 00:53:48,333
♪ ♪

1036
00:53:48,333 --> 00:53:50,733
CARTER:
The authorities in Iran
should realize

1037
00:53:50,733 --> 00:53:54,366
that the availability
of peaceful measures

1038
00:53:54,366 --> 00:53:58,433
like the patience of the
American people is running out.

1039
00:53:58,433 --> 00:54:05,033
The American hostages
must be freed.

1040
00:54:05,033 --> 00:54:09,433
BARBARA ROSEN:
I never thought that the
United States would try to free

1041
00:54:09,433 --> 00:54:12,100
the hostages with
military action.

1042
00:54:12,100 --> 00:54:17,400
At least through
the beginning of April.

1043
00:54:17,400 --> 00:54:20,133
And all of a sudden
I started to hear

1044
00:54:20,133 --> 00:54:22,933
instead of the well-being
of the hostages,

1045
00:54:22,933 --> 00:54:27,700
and the honor of the United
States, things became flipped.

1046
00:54:27,700 --> 00:54:32,400
And I started becoming
a little bit more concerned.

1047
00:54:32,400 --> 00:54:34,066
To me, that was a

1048
00:54:34,066 --> 00:54:37,666
marker that something
was going to happen.

1049
00:54:37,666 --> 00:54:41,666
♪ ♪

1050
00:54:41,666 --> 00:54:44,366
REPORTER:
Barbara Rosen wants people
to know that the families

1051
00:54:44,366 --> 00:54:47,000
of the hostages are against
the use of military force.

1052
00:54:47,000 --> 00:54:48,833
It is a very real fear.

1053
00:54:48,833 --> 00:54:51,800
I think most of the family
members have this fear

1054
00:54:51,800 --> 00:54:54,500
that things are escalating
to a point that there...

1055
00:54:54,500 --> 00:54:56,533
that there'll be
no turning back.

1056
00:54:56,533 --> 00:54:58,200
And we don't want to see..

1057
00:54:58,200 --> 00:54:59,466
we don't want to see fighting.

1058
00:54:59,466 --> 00:55:00,666
We don't want to see a war.

1059
00:55:00,666 --> 00:55:02,233
We don't want to see people
dying.

1060
00:55:03,466 --> 00:55:05,333
(voiceover):
Within about

1061
00:55:05,333 --> 00:55:07,766
a month of the takeover,

1062
00:55:07,766 --> 00:55:11,300
the families organized into
the Family Liaison Action Group,

1063
00:55:11,300 --> 00:55:12,800
or FLAG.

1064
00:55:12,800 --> 00:55:15,833
JOHN CHANCELLOR:
A group of mothers and wives
of American hostages

1065
00:55:15,833 --> 00:55:18,233
who are in favor of
peaceful pressure against Iran

1066
00:55:18,233 --> 00:55:19,800
and against military action.

1067
00:55:19,800 --> 00:55:22,233
BARBARA ROSEN (voiceover):
They organized trips
to Washington,

1068
00:55:22,233 --> 00:55:26,666
where we met with President
Carter a number of times.

1069
00:55:26,666 --> 00:55:31,766
And they also organized the trip
to Europe that I went on.

1070
00:55:31,766 --> 00:55:34,533
We wanted to humanize
the hostages

1071
00:55:34,533 --> 00:55:36,266
and to ask for as much help

1072
00:55:36,266 --> 00:55:38,233
as they were
able to give us.

1073
00:55:38,233 --> 00:55:39,866
I was in Germany.

1074
00:55:39,866 --> 00:55:42,533
I met with the Chancellor,
Helmut Schmidt,

1075
00:55:42,533 --> 00:55:46,133
and tried to get sanctions
to be placed against Iran.

1076
00:55:46,133 --> 00:55:48,600
♪ ♪

1077
00:55:48,600 --> 00:55:50,500
I kept saying, gee,
I shouldn't be here,

1078
00:55:50,500 --> 00:55:52,266
Barry should be doing this.
(laughs)

1079
00:55:52,266 --> 00:55:55,633
I don't know what I'm doing,
I don't know what I'm saying.

1080
00:55:55,633 --> 00:55:57,600
REPORTER:
It was an extraordinary meeting.

1081
00:55:57,600 --> 00:55:59,100
It lasted one hour.

1082
00:55:59,100 --> 00:56:01,466
Mrs. Rosen said it was
not meant to undermine

1083
00:56:01,466 --> 00:56:03,133
President Carter's policies,

1084
00:56:03,133 --> 00:56:06,133
but rather to reinforce
the message that the families

1085
00:56:06,133 --> 00:56:09,066
and the European allies
have unlimited patience

1086
00:56:09,066 --> 00:56:11,166
as long as the
hostages are safe.

1087
00:56:11,166 --> 00:56:12,966
♪ ♪

1088
00:56:12,966 --> 00:56:14,966
AUSTRALIAN REPORTER:
Since he came into office,
many Americans

1089
00:56:14,966 --> 00:56:17,766
and allied leaders have
had trouble figuring out

1090
00:56:17,766 --> 00:56:19,666
what Jimmy Carter would do next.

1091
00:56:19,666 --> 00:56:22,166
And he is still
keeping them guessing.

1092
00:56:22,166 --> 00:56:26,566
♪ ♪

1093
00:56:28,266 --> 00:56:30,700
SICK:
The hostage rescue mission

1094
00:56:30,700 --> 00:56:35,900
was officially presented
to the key individuals involved

1095
00:56:35,900 --> 00:56:39,166
when Vance was on
vacation in Florida.

1096
00:56:40,633 --> 00:56:44,400
He then came back
to Washington and then

1097
00:56:44,400 --> 00:56:47,300
privately, he told Carter
that if they go ahead

1098
00:56:47,300 --> 00:56:51,000
with a hostage rescue,
no matter how it turned out,

1099
00:56:51,000 --> 00:56:53,666
he was going to resign.

1100
00:56:53,666 --> 00:56:55,100
He thought it was
likely to fail,

1101
00:56:55,100 --> 00:56:58,200
and he thought it was
likely to end up in bloodshed.

1102
00:56:58,200 --> 00:57:02,100
(helicopter whirring)

1103
00:57:02,100 --> 00:57:06,833
♪ ♪

1104
00:57:06,833 --> 00:57:10,866
(helicopter whirring)

1105
00:57:10,866 --> 00:57:12,833
(shots firing)

1106
00:57:12,833 --> 00:57:17,466
JAMES ROBERTS:
In the history of
special operations,

1107
00:57:17,466 --> 00:57:19,800
this is, in my opinion,

1108
00:57:19,800 --> 00:57:23,433
the most complex ever tried.

1109
00:57:23,433 --> 00:57:28,233
♪ ♪

1110
00:57:28,233 --> 00:57:31,866
The concept of
the operation was...

1111
00:57:31,866 --> 00:57:36,233
C-130s with the assault
force on board

1112
00:57:36,233 --> 00:57:39,066
was supposed to fly from
the Masirah Island,

1113
00:57:39,066 --> 00:57:42,033
up through the gut
of central Iran,

1114
00:57:42,033 --> 00:57:46,733
to the rendezvous point
at Desert One.

1115
00:57:46,733 --> 00:57:48,300
(helicopters whirring)

1116
00:57:48,300 --> 00:57:51,066
At the same time,
eight helicopters

1117
00:57:51,066 --> 00:57:52,833
were supposed to take
off from the Nimitz,

1118
00:57:52,833 --> 00:57:55,833
and fly close to the
ground to avoid Iranian

1119
00:57:55,833 --> 00:58:00,900
radar and rendezvous
at Desert One.

1120
00:58:00,900 --> 00:58:04,266
We would refuel
the helicopters,

1121
00:58:04,266 --> 00:58:07,466
and transfer the assault force

1122
00:58:07,466 --> 00:58:11,966
from the C-130s
to the helicopters.

1123
00:58:11,966 --> 00:58:15,366
Then, depart Desert One

1124
00:58:15,366 --> 00:58:18,700
and head towards
the mountainous valley

1125
00:58:18,700 --> 00:58:21,966
east of Tehran, Desert Two.

1126
00:58:21,966 --> 00:58:24,500
♪ ♪

1127
00:58:24,500 --> 00:58:27,566
Once nightfall occurred,
we would drive in a loose

1128
00:58:27,566 --> 00:58:31,766
convoy formation
into the city and drive up

1129
00:58:31,766 --> 00:58:35,433
along the eastern wall
of the embassy.

1130
00:58:36,700 --> 00:58:39,900
The assault force would
climb over the wall,

1131
00:58:39,900 --> 00:58:43,100
rescue the hostages,
kill the terrorists,

1132
00:58:43,100 --> 00:58:46,166
and then,
run across the street

1133
00:58:46,166 --> 00:58:49,666
to the soccer stadium.
(helicopter whirring)

1134
00:58:49,666 --> 00:58:52,733
The helicopters
would fly in, land,

1135
00:58:52,733 --> 00:58:56,566
and everybody would fly
to a little-used airfield

1136
00:58:56,566 --> 00:59:00,933
to the southwest of Tehran
called Manzariyeh.

1137
00:59:00,933 --> 00:59:03,800
The Iranian forces
would be eliminated,

1138
00:59:03,800 --> 00:59:06,633
the runway would be cleared.

1139
00:59:06,633 --> 00:59:09,900
Everybody would transition
to the airplanes

1140
00:59:09,900 --> 00:59:13,100
and fly out back to Germany.

1141
00:59:13,100 --> 00:59:16,566
That's what was supposed
to have happened.

1142
00:59:20,333 --> 00:59:22,800
Although many of us believed

1143
00:59:22,800 --> 00:59:27,766
this was going to be a very
long shot proposition,

1144
00:59:27,766 --> 00:59:31,766
we could see how many
moving parts there were.

1145
00:59:31,766 --> 00:59:35,866
Many of us knew how
far it was to get from

1146
00:59:35,866 --> 00:59:38,000
the coast of Iran,
all the way to Tehran,

1147
00:59:38,000 --> 00:59:40,333
and then get all
the way back out.

1148
00:59:42,233 --> 00:59:45,966
But I believed everybody
was willing to go

1149
00:59:45,966 --> 00:59:49,066
on the mission
because we believed

1150
00:59:49,066 --> 00:59:53,233
in the righteousness
and the justness of our cause.

1151
00:59:57,000 --> 00:59:59,466
And you got to try.

1152
00:59:59,466 --> 01:00:01,566
I mean, that's what,
you know...

1153
01:00:01,566 --> 01:00:04,266
if you don't try, who are you?

1154
01:00:04,266 --> 01:00:08,033
(jet engines screeching)

1155
01:00:08,033 --> 01:00:11,266
The Delta Force moves
from Fort Bragg

1156
01:00:11,266 --> 01:00:15,766
to Masirah Island,
off the coast of Oman.

1157
01:00:17,233 --> 01:00:19,266
The night before the mission,

1158
01:00:19,266 --> 01:00:21,833
we have the
Delta Force on Masirah.

1159
01:00:21,833 --> 01:00:23,900
When it's time to go,

1160
01:00:23,900 --> 01:00:25,933
I get on the airplane,

1161
01:00:25,933 --> 01:00:29,600
and we took off
and we flew into Iran.

1162
01:00:31,366 --> 01:00:34,300
(radio chatter)

1163
01:00:36,166 --> 01:00:37,800
At the same time,

1164
01:00:37,800 --> 01:00:42,800
the helicopters
leave the Nimitz,

1165
01:00:42,800 --> 01:00:45,366
and they fly inland

1166
01:00:45,366 --> 01:00:48,166
with Desert One
as their ultimate goal.

1167
01:00:48,166 --> 01:00:51,833
MAN (over radio):
Destination is Oscar, Oscar,

1168
01:00:51,833 --> 01:00:54,366
Mike, Alpha.

1169
01:00:54,366 --> 01:00:56,433
ROBERTS:
In the very early stages

1170
01:00:56,433 --> 01:00:58,933
of the helicopter flight,

1171
01:00:58,933 --> 01:01:01,233
two helicopters are lost.

1172
01:01:01,233 --> 01:01:05,833
MAN (over radio):
Be advised, there are two
aircraft

1173
01:01:05,833 --> 01:01:07,600
that apparently have been
overdue.

1174
01:01:07,600 --> 01:01:09,700
ROBERTS:
One has some kind

1175
01:01:09,700 --> 01:01:13,000
of a malfunction and lands.

1176
01:01:13,000 --> 01:01:15,833
The other one lands beside

1177
01:01:15,833 --> 01:01:18,266
that one and picks
up that crew.

1178
01:01:18,266 --> 01:01:22,066
And then, they turn around
and fly back to the Nimitz.

1179
01:01:22,066 --> 01:01:24,766
(helicopter whirring)

1180
01:01:24,766 --> 01:01:27,600
Before we get 45 minutes

1181
01:01:27,600 --> 01:01:30,200
into the helicopter flight,

1182
01:01:30,200 --> 01:01:33,133
we are at six helicopters,

1183
01:01:33,133 --> 01:01:36,866
which is the number
required to go forward.

1184
01:01:36,866 --> 01:01:39,566
(helicopters whirring)

1185
01:01:39,566 --> 01:01:41,333
Eventually,
all the other helicopters

1186
01:01:41,333 --> 01:01:44,833
and the assault force
arrives at Desert One,

1187
01:01:44,833 --> 01:01:47,766
which is supposed to be
a place lost in the middle

1188
01:01:47,766 --> 01:01:50,200
of the desert where
nobody ever goes.

1189
01:01:50,200 --> 01:01:52,733
♪ ♪

1190
01:01:52,733 --> 01:01:55,700
A few minutes after the
first airplane touches down,

1191
01:01:55,700 --> 01:01:57,900
along comes a bus

1192
01:01:57,900 --> 01:01:59,700
with 40 Iranians on it.

1193
01:01:59,700 --> 01:02:01,600
(bus brakes squeal)

1194
01:02:01,600 --> 01:02:04,866
The force stops the bus,
pulls all the people off,

1195
01:02:04,866 --> 01:02:07,566
sets them over
beside the road.

1196
01:02:07,566 --> 01:02:10,166
Shortly thereafter,

1197
01:02:10,166 --> 01:02:12,900
another vehicle
comes through the mist.

1198
01:02:12,900 --> 01:02:14,833
And this is a fuel truck,

1199
01:02:14,833 --> 01:02:18,000
followed by a pickup truck.

1200
01:02:18,000 --> 01:02:21,466
The security force
shoots the fuel truck.

1201
01:02:21,466 --> 01:02:23,933
(explosion)

1202
01:02:23,933 --> 01:02:27,500
The fuel truck explodes
in a ball of flame.

1203
01:02:27,500 --> 01:02:30,000
The driver and passenger

1204
01:02:30,000 --> 01:02:33,033
jump in the pickup truck
and take off.

1205
01:02:33,033 --> 01:02:35,200
♪ ♪

1206
01:02:35,200 --> 01:02:39,266
The mission has
gone wildly awry.

1207
01:02:40,700 --> 01:02:42,600
OPERATOR:
The president's on the line.
Go ahead, gentlemen.

1208
01:02:42,600 --> 01:02:44,133
DAVID JONES:
Yes, sir, Dave Jones.

1209
01:02:44,133 --> 01:02:46,700
The one disturbing thing,

1210
01:02:46,700 --> 01:02:48,666
when they landed,

1211
01:02:48,666 --> 01:02:51,700
two vehicles were
stopped on the road,

1212
01:02:51,700 --> 01:02:54,600
but a third vehicle escaped.

1213
01:02:56,500 --> 01:03:00,000
The vehicles included
a bus with 44 passengers,

1214
01:03:00,000 --> 01:03:02,000
and that there were no injuries,

1215
01:03:02,000 --> 01:03:03,500
but a gas truck's on fire.

1216
01:03:03,500 --> 01:03:06,833
JIMMY CARTER:
David, how close is
there a settlement

1217
01:03:06,833 --> 01:03:09,133
or town to Desert One?

1218
01:03:09,133 --> 01:03:12,466
JONES:
It's quite a distance
to the first town.

1219
01:03:12,466 --> 01:03:13,833
GENERAL:
Yes, quite a distance.

1220
01:03:13,833 --> 01:03:17,133
CARTER:
Do you recall
why we decided to land

1221
01:03:17,133 --> 01:03:20,100
just adjacent to a highway?

1222
01:03:20,100 --> 01:03:22,400
(fire crackling)

1223
01:03:22,400 --> 01:03:25,200
(men shouting)

1224
01:03:25,200 --> 01:03:30,100
ROBERTS:
We have a huge fire
burning on the south end.

1225
01:03:30,100 --> 01:03:32,333
The desert is lit up
like it's daylight,

1226
01:03:32,333 --> 01:03:35,600
and we have this group
of 40 Iranians huddled over

1227
01:03:35,600 --> 01:03:37,233
on the side of the road worried

1228
01:03:37,233 --> 01:03:40,600
that we're going to kill them
all.

1229
01:03:40,600 --> 01:03:45,000
The deal is that you need six
helicopters to move forward.

1230
01:03:45,000 --> 01:03:50,133
Finally, it comes to pass that
one of the six is not flyable.

1231
01:03:50,133 --> 01:03:54,066
So that meant that
we couldn't go forward.

1232
01:03:54,066 --> 01:03:56,033
The order says,

1233
01:03:56,033 --> 01:03:59,266
fewer than six helicopters,
abort the mission.

1234
01:03:59,266 --> 01:04:03,033
So, the decision was made that
we would abort the mission.

1235
01:04:04,866 --> 01:04:08,500
We continued to refuel
the helicopters.

1236
01:04:08,500 --> 01:04:11,466
In the midst of
the refueling process,

1237
01:04:11,466 --> 01:04:14,933
one of the helicopters took off,

1238
01:04:14,933 --> 01:04:19,033
and as he lifted up,
he lost his orientation

1239
01:04:19,033 --> 01:04:22,766
and he flew into the left side

1240
01:04:22,766 --> 01:04:27,200
of the C-130 that was
sitting on the ground.

1241
01:04:27,200 --> 01:04:31,800
I can see the crew on fire
inside the cockpit.

1242
01:04:31,800 --> 01:04:35,400
Some of the crew were trying
to get out as they burned.

1243
01:04:35,400 --> 01:04:38,233
An image that you cannot forget.

1244
01:04:38,233 --> 01:04:40,200
(flames roaring,
people shouting)

1245
01:04:40,200 --> 01:04:44,066
And then the ammunition
and the fuel on the airplane

1246
01:04:44,066 --> 01:04:47,733
started cooking off live rounds,
flying all over the place

1247
01:04:47,733 --> 01:04:50,666
as we moved away
from that airplane

1248
01:04:50,666 --> 01:04:52,400
and over toward
the remaining C-130s.

1249
01:04:52,400 --> 01:04:54,866
(people shouting)

1250
01:04:54,866 --> 01:04:59,300
I just knew I wanted to have
my butt on one of those C-130s.

1251
01:04:59,300 --> 01:05:04,433
I was on the airplane that lost
an engine on takeoff.

1252
01:05:04,433 --> 01:05:07,166
The airplane was just

1253
01:05:07,166 --> 01:05:09,300
barely flying.

1254
01:05:09,300 --> 01:05:11,400
We were way
over-gross on weight,

1255
01:05:11,400 --> 01:05:14,166
we had a whole bunch
of people on board.

1256
01:05:14,166 --> 01:05:18,000
We flew all the way back to
Masirah Island on three engines.

1257
01:05:18,000 --> 01:05:19,533
When we landed,

1258
01:05:19,533 --> 01:05:21,933
they determined
who the eight were

1259
01:05:21,933 --> 01:05:23,600
who were left behind.

1260
01:05:23,600 --> 01:05:28,400
♪ ♪

1261
01:05:34,100 --> 01:05:38,233
♪ ♪

1262
01:05:42,266 --> 01:05:44,066
The day of the failed mission

1263
01:05:44,066 --> 01:05:46,000
was one of the worst
days of my life,

1264
01:05:46,000 --> 01:05:48,933
perhaps the worst
day of my life.

1265
01:05:48,933 --> 01:05:51,800
There was a possibility
that the assault force

1266
01:05:51,800 --> 01:05:54,933
and everybody involved
would have accomplished

1267
01:05:54,933 --> 01:05:57,500
the ultimate special operation.

1268
01:05:59,066 --> 01:06:01,033
You live for that.

1269
01:06:01,033 --> 01:06:03,133
That's your business.

1270
01:06:05,633 --> 01:06:08,033
OPERATOR:
General Jones, one moment.
Mr. President, sir.

1271
01:06:09,033 --> 01:06:10,100
CARTER:
Hello.

1272
01:06:10,100 --> 01:06:11,333
JONES:
Yes sir, Mr. President.

1273
01:06:11,333 --> 01:06:12,633
CARTER: Heard anything else?
JONES: Yes, sir.

1274
01:06:12,633 --> 01:06:14,833
I've just got a report
from (inaudible).

1275
01:06:14,833 --> 01:06:18,100
He believes that
all the Americans

1276
01:06:18,100 --> 01:06:20,633
who are alive are
off the ground.

1277
01:06:20,633 --> 01:06:22,166
CARTER:
All Americans what?

1278
01:06:22,166 --> 01:06:24,433
JONES:
Who are, he said, who are alive.

1279
01:06:24,433 --> 01:06:27,066
The pilot is missing

1280
01:06:27,066 --> 01:06:29,433
and presumed dead.

1281
01:06:29,433 --> 01:06:31,433
The passengers, most got out,

1282
01:06:31,433 --> 01:06:33,733
but there may have been
some trapped in there.

1283
01:06:33,733 --> 01:06:37,000
And they haven't been able
to make an exact account.

1284
01:06:37,533 --> 01:06:40,366
(deep exhalation)

1285
01:06:40,366 --> 01:06:42,466
CARTER:
I understand.

1286
01:06:42,466 --> 01:06:46,633
♪ ♪

1287
01:06:46,633 --> 01:06:48,666
SICK:
I was awakened in
the middle of the night

1288
01:06:48,666 --> 01:06:53,533
and told that our
forces had not made it

1289
01:06:53,533 --> 01:06:56,333
and were on their way out.

1290
01:06:57,866 --> 01:07:00,166
The failure of the mission was

1291
01:07:00,166 --> 01:07:03,266
extremely hard to take.

1292
01:07:03,266 --> 01:07:05,366
I still feel that way about it.

1293
01:07:05,366 --> 01:07:06,766
I think it was the worst day

1294
01:07:06,766 --> 01:07:09,466
of my life,

1295
01:07:09,466 --> 01:07:10,800
both for the benefit

1296
01:07:10,800 --> 01:07:12,100
of the hostages,

1297
01:07:12,100 --> 01:07:15,366
and the U.S. government,
and Carter, and everything.

1298
01:07:16,766 --> 01:07:19,333
I, you know, came in

1299
01:07:19,333 --> 01:07:22,600
and we did damage control
as best we could.

1300
01:07:22,600 --> 01:07:26,000
But basically, there was
not much damage control

1301
01:07:26,000 --> 01:07:28,700
that you could really do.

1302
01:07:31,300 --> 01:07:33,566
CARTER:
It was my decision

1303
01:07:33,566 --> 01:07:35,866
to attempt
the rescue operation.

1304
01:07:35,866 --> 01:07:38,666
It was my decision
to cancel it

1305
01:07:38,666 --> 01:07:41,333
when problems
developed in the placement

1306
01:07:41,333 --> 01:07:46,300
of our rescue team for
a future rescue operation.

1307
01:07:46,300 --> 01:07:48,566
The responsibility
is fully my own.

1308
01:07:51,566 --> 01:07:54,100
REPORTER:
The landing site
the Americans chose

1309
01:07:54,100 --> 01:07:56,666
was through the mountains
out in the flat remote desert,

1310
01:07:56,666 --> 01:07:58,700
ten miles from habitation.

1311
01:07:58,700 --> 01:08:01,333
But across it runs
a road upon which perhaps

1312
01:08:01,333 --> 01:08:03,900
a dozen vehicles
pass each hour.

1313
01:08:03,900 --> 01:08:06,266
The Americans seem not to have
anticipated

1314
01:08:06,266 --> 01:08:08,666
that one would pass
whilst they were here.

1315
01:08:13,100 --> 01:08:15,866
ROBERTS:
The first thing in my
mind's eye that went wrong

1316
01:08:15,866 --> 01:08:19,000
was the choice of Desert One.

1317
01:08:22,000 --> 01:08:25,166
I, of course, in hindsight
have thought long and hard

1318
01:08:25,166 --> 01:08:27,466
about why the hell
did we do this there?

1319
01:08:27,466 --> 01:08:29,600
And I don't know.

1320
01:08:29,600 --> 01:08:32,900
But I do know that the C.I.A.

1321
01:08:32,900 --> 01:08:35,200
helped us pick that site.

1322
01:08:35,200 --> 01:08:40,366
The C.I.A. didn't pick
that site off a map.

1323
01:08:40,366 --> 01:08:44,466
In all likelihood,
they had used that site

1324
01:08:44,466 --> 01:08:49,933
for a small airplane in-fill
or for agent exfils,

1325
01:08:49,933 --> 01:08:54,600
or for some other purpose
down through history.

1326
01:08:54,600 --> 01:08:58,766
And instead of looking
for a piece of terrain

1327
01:08:58,766 --> 01:09:01,566
that was really
remote and isolated,

1328
01:09:01,566 --> 01:09:05,633
they went with the known.

1329
01:09:05,633 --> 01:09:09,100
And, of course,
the known resulted in

1330
01:09:09,100 --> 01:09:11,466
two vehicles driving
through the middle of our

1331
01:09:11,466 --> 01:09:13,366
clandestine special operation

1332
01:09:13,366 --> 01:09:16,000
before we were
an hour into it.

1333
01:09:17,000 --> 01:09:20,566
♪ ♪

1334
01:09:20,566 --> 01:09:23,700
CARTER:
Do you recall why
we decided to land

1335
01:09:23,700 --> 01:09:25,600
just adjacent to a highway?

1336
01:09:25,600 --> 01:09:27,533
JONES:
It's not a highway, sir,
it's that little road.

1337
01:09:27,533 --> 01:09:29,900
It was the only place
we've been able to find

1338
01:09:29,900 --> 01:09:32,266
so far that we could, uh...

1339
01:09:32,266 --> 01:09:35,333
land the 130s.

1340
01:09:35,333 --> 01:09:37,533
And we looked
and looked and looked

1341
01:09:37,533 --> 01:09:41,266
and it's the only
place we found.

1342
01:09:41,266 --> 01:09:44,366
CARTER:
Okay, thank you. Bye.

1343
01:09:44,366 --> 01:09:46,800
And the fact that General Jones
couldn't answer the president,

1344
01:09:46,800 --> 01:09:50,266
and fact that the president
asked the question point blank,

1345
01:09:50,266 --> 01:09:52,666
that rang bells for me.

1346
01:09:52,666 --> 01:09:57,833
♪ ♪

1347
01:10:05,133 --> 01:10:10,133
BARBARA ROSEN:
I was in Germany when the
rescue mission took place,

1348
01:10:10,133 --> 01:10:13,600
and I had a premonition
the night before.

1349
01:10:13,600 --> 01:10:16,133
The next morning when I woke up,

1350
01:10:16,133 --> 01:10:18,733
one of the reporters who had
been with us came and told us

1351
01:10:18,733 --> 01:10:23,600
eight men had been killed
trying to free the hostages.

1352
01:10:23,600 --> 01:10:26,933
♪ ♪

1353
01:10:30,166 --> 01:10:32,766
You know, they tried.

1354
01:10:32,766 --> 01:10:34,966
It was just so sad.

1355
01:10:34,966 --> 01:10:38,233
The fire and the loss of life,

1356
01:10:38,233 --> 01:10:40,166
it's just...

1357
01:10:40,166 --> 01:10:43,333
it hurts, it still hurts.

1358
01:10:43,333 --> 01:10:46,800
(indistinct chatter)

1359
01:10:57,100 --> 01:11:00,433
CAROLE JEROME:
I was in the CBS suite in Tehran

1360
01:11:00,433 --> 01:11:04,766
with a bunch of very, very
seasoned American correspondents

1361
01:11:04,766 --> 01:11:11,000
watching the film
of Ayatollah Khalkhali

1362
01:11:11,000 --> 01:11:12,800
and the other Iranians
displaying

1363
01:11:12,800 --> 01:11:15,000
the bodies of the dead Marines

1364
01:11:15,000 --> 01:11:17,500
and crowing over it.

1365
01:11:17,500 --> 01:11:20,133
AYATOLLAH KHALKHALI
(speaking Farsi):

1366
01:11:24,300 --> 01:11:26,000
 
JEROME:
In addition

1367
01:11:26,000 --> 01:11:29,033
to the indecency

1368
01:11:29,033 --> 01:11:32,600
of displaying these bodies,

1369
01:11:32,600 --> 01:11:34,966
they were actually cheering.

1370
01:11:34,966 --> 01:11:38,700
And very seasoned,

1371
01:11:38,700 --> 01:11:43,433
hardened correspondents
in that suite were in tears.

1372
01:11:45,666 --> 01:11:47,766
ROBERTS:
Very disturbing footage.

1373
01:11:47,766 --> 01:11:50,600
I mean,
it's despicable behavior.

1374
01:11:51,966 --> 01:11:54,300
For senior officials

1375
01:11:54,300 --> 01:11:56,400
in an alleged government

1376
01:11:56,400 --> 01:11:59,366
to be behaving like that

1377
01:11:59,366 --> 01:12:01,800
is truly beyond the pale.

1378
01:12:01,800 --> 01:12:04,600
♪ ♪

1379
01:12:04,600 --> 01:12:07,266
As they left Iran,

1380
01:12:07,266 --> 01:12:09,666
following an
unpredictable accident

1381
01:12:09,666 --> 01:12:12,066
during the withdrawal stage,

1382
01:12:12,066 --> 01:12:16,700
with eight of their
fellow warriors dead,

1383
01:12:16,700 --> 01:12:20,500
they carefully released,
without harm,

1384
01:12:20,500 --> 01:12:23,900
44 Iranians who had
passed by the site

1385
01:12:23,900 --> 01:12:26,233
and who were detained to protect

1386
01:12:26,233 --> 01:12:29,400
the integrity of the mission.

1387
01:12:29,400 --> 01:12:31,366
This is in sharp comparison

1388
01:12:31,366 --> 01:12:34,900
to the ghoulish action

1389
01:12:34,900 --> 01:12:36,700
of the terrorists
and some of the government

1390
01:12:36,700 --> 01:12:38,666
officials in Iran
in our embassy.

1391
01:12:38,666 --> 01:12:42,800
JOHN CHANCELLOR:
The question being asked
most often today was,

1392
01:12:42,800 --> 01:12:45,000
will the president
get some sympathy

1393
01:12:45,000 --> 01:12:46,533
because he tried and failed?

1394
01:12:46,533 --> 01:12:48,833
Or, will the failure
of the mission make

1395
01:12:48,833 --> 01:12:51,300
even more people question
Mr. Carter's competence?

1396
01:12:51,300 --> 01:12:52,833
(reporters clamoring)

1397
01:12:52,833 --> 01:12:55,000
RADIO HOST:
Good morning, you're on
KDA Conversations,

1398
01:12:55,000 --> 01:12:56,300
this is Jim DiMarco.

1399
01:12:56,300 --> 01:12:58,100
CALLER 1:
Hello, I'd just like to say that

1400
01:12:58,100 --> 01:13:00,733
I've never been an admirer
of President Carter's,

1401
01:13:00,733 --> 01:13:03,700
but I think that what he has
done now is wonderful.

1402
01:13:03,700 --> 01:13:05,633
I'm very proud of him.

1403
01:13:05,633 --> 01:13:06,933
Even if it did fail,

1404
01:13:06,933 --> 01:13:09,133
then it makes me proud
to be an American.

1405
01:13:09,133 --> 01:13:10,866
RADIO HOST:
Good morning,
you're on KDA Conversations.

1406
01:13:10,866 --> 01:13:12,833
CALLER 2:
I'm wondering why
the president hasn't done

1407
01:13:12,833 --> 01:13:14,233
something before now.

1408
01:13:14,233 --> 01:13:15,900
He has waited...

1409
01:13:15,900 --> 01:13:18,066
SICK:
Whatever else one may believe,

1410
01:13:18,066 --> 01:13:20,766
the rescue mission
probably doomed

1411
01:13:20,766 --> 01:13:24,266
Carter's reelection campaign.

1412
01:13:24,266 --> 01:13:28,066
RONALD REAGAN:
Isn't it about time that
we decided we don't care

1413
01:13:28,066 --> 01:13:30,733
if they don't like us,
we're going to be respected.

1414
01:13:30,733 --> 01:13:32,033
(applause)

1415
01:13:32,033 --> 01:13:34,766
Let us be respected
to the point that never again

1416
01:13:34,766 --> 01:13:37,300
will a demented dictator
dare to invade

1417
01:13:37,300 --> 01:13:40,933
an American embassy
and hold our people hostage.

1418
01:13:40,933 --> 01:13:43,666
(applause)

1419
01:13:43,666 --> 01:13:46,833
BARBARA ROSEN:
If the hostages had been rescued

1420
01:13:46,833 --> 01:13:50,000
from under the noses
of the Iranians,

1421
01:13:50,000 --> 01:13:53,833
Carter would have
won the election.

1422
01:13:53,833 --> 01:13:55,966
He would have been the hero,
and that would have been it.

1423
01:13:55,966 --> 01:13:58,100
If, on the other hand,
it had failed,

1424
01:13:58,100 --> 01:14:01,333
and the hostages
had been killed,

1425
01:14:01,333 --> 01:14:04,600
it could be argued
that we tried.

1426
01:14:06,433 --> 01:14:09,033
What happened was
the worst thing

1427
01:14:09,033 --> 01:14:12,566
that could possibly happen
to Jimmy Carter.

1428
01:14:12,566 --> 01:14:14,833
The rescue mission failed.

1429
01:14:14,833 --> 01:14:18,300
And the hostages
were still hostage.

1430
01:14:20,400 --> 01:14:22,033
(horn honks)

1431
01:14:26,500 --> 01:14:29,133
BARRY ROSEN:
On April 24, they took us

1432
01:14:29,133 --> 01:14:32,133
out of the embassy

1433
01:14:32,133 --> 01:14:35,600
and everybody was dispersed
all over the country.

1434
01:14:40,333 --> 01:14:42,633
♪ ♪

1435
01:14:42,633 --> 01:14:46,200
I not only felt terrible
for the American military men,

1436
01:14:46,200 --> 01:14:49,833
but I also felt that
we were no longer

1437
01:14:49,833 --> 01:14:52,700
going to have any type of exit.

1438
01:14:52,700 --> 01:14:55,866
There was no way that
the United States was going

1439
01:14:55,866 --> 01:14:58,700
to try this again.

1440
01:14:58,700 --> 01:15:02,566
At the time, I was upset that

1441
01:15:02,566 --> 01:15:05,633
the rescue didn't succeed,

1442
01:15:05,633 --> 01:15:07,000
and if I had died

1443
01:15:07,000 --> 01:15:08,300
during that situation,

1444
01:15:08,300 --> 01:15:09,466
it would have ended

1445
01:15:09,466 --> 01:15:11,300
the misery of captivity.

1446
01:15:11,300 --> 01:15:15,133
♪ ♪

1447
01:15:15,133 --> 01:15:18,866
By June, we were in Evin prison,

1448
01:15:18,866 --> 01:15:24,366
which is considered
the worst prison in Iran.

1449
01:15:26,633 --> 01:15:28,533
We were in prison cells.

1450
01:15:28,533 --> 01:15:31,966
We had a window with bars

1451
01:15:31,966 --> 01:15:35,500
that were about 13 feet high.

1452
01:15:35,500 --> 01:15:37,633
It was very dark.

1453
01:15:37,633 --> 01:15:40,900
There's a bulb hanging
from the ceiling,

1454
01:15:40,900 --> 01:15:45,000
and all the windows
were blocked with bricks.

1455
01:15:49,333 --> 01:15:51,866
There was a vent with a fan.

1456
01:15:51,866 --> 01:15:54,733
The light was hitting the vent

1457
01:15:54,733 --> 01:15:58,033
and would reflect
on our ceiling.

1458
01:16:01,066 --> 01:16:03,766
This one beautiful bird

1459
01:16:03,766 --> 01:16:07,400
would come at a certain
time in the afternoon

1460
01:16:07,400 --> 01:16:13,333
and just sit on a branch
and I'd watch him.

1461
01:16:13,333 --> 01:16:16,766
I would tell you the other three
in the cell,

1462
01:16:16,766 --> 01:16:18,766
"He's here."

1463
01:16:18,766 --> 01:16:22,000
And we would just sit there
mesmerized by him.

1464
01:16:22,000 --> 01:16:23,800
(bird singing)

1465
01:16:23,800 --> 01:16:27,066
He was just there tweeting.

1466
01:16:28,566 --> 01:16:31,600
It was some way where
I can move myself

1467
01:16:31,600 --> 01:16:36,700
out of this horror into
something beautiful.

1468
01:16:36,700 --> 01:16:41,033
(bird singing)

1469
01:16:41,033 --> 01:16:45,566
I was living in darkness
most of the time

1470
01:16:45,566 --> 01:16:49,766
and there was
that bird of light.

1471
01:16:52,000 --> 01:16:55,466
The Iranians were
censoring our mail.

1472
01:16:57,000 --> 01:17:00,233
But I did get a letter one day.

1473
01:17:00,233 --> 01:17:03,500
My nephew said, "I'm looking
forward to seeing you

1474
01:17:03,500 --> 01:17:05,733
"at my bar mitzvah
and it's going to be

1475
01:17:05,733 --> 01:17:07,566
this and this date."

1476
01:17:07,566 --> 01:17:09,900
And then he writes,
"The Shah is dead."

1477
01:17:09,900 --> 01:17:12,466
And then it continues
on with the bar mitzvah

1478
01:17:12,466 --> 01:17:14,366
and what's going on at home.

1479
01:17:14,366 --> 01:17:17,266
REPORTER:
Death came at 9:50 this morning

1480
01:17:17,266 --> 01:17:20,233
in a Cairo military hospital
where the Shah had spent

1481
01:17:20,233 --> 01:17:22,733
the last 31 days
fighting complications

1482
01:17:22,733 --> 01:17:25,333
of cancer surgery
done in March.

1483
01:17:28,866 --> 01:17:31,933
BARRY ROSEN:
Once I learned that
the Shah was dead,

1484
01:17:31,933 --> 01:17:35,466
the guards were not unashamed
about talking about it.

1485
01:17:35,466 --> 01:17:39,433
There was this great glee
of his death.

1486
01:17:39,433 --> 01:17:42,600
REPORTER:
Tehran radio ran the news
under the headline,

1487
01:17:42,600 --> 01:17:46,300
"The Bloodsucker of
the Century is Dead."

1488
01:17:46,300 --> 01:17:48,433
BARRY ROSEN:
But at the same time,

1489
01:17:48,433 --> 01:17:52,700
they admired the respect
that the Shah received

1490
01:17:52,700 --> 01:17:55,666
in his burial out in Egypt.

1491
01:17:57,700 --> 01:18:00,500
It would seem as though
this could be some kind

1492
01:18:00,500 --> 01:18:02,633
of turning point
in the entire crisis,

1493
01:18:02,633 --> 01:18:05,433
but in talking
to people here today,

1494
01:18:05,433 --> 01:18:07,400
I get no sense whatsoever

1495
01:18:07,400 --> 01:18:10,033
that any imminent
break is expected.

1496
01:18:10,033 --> 01:18:11,766
(people shouting)

1497
01:18:11,766 --> 01:18:14,433
JEROME:
By the time the
Shah actually died,

1498
01:18:14,433 --> 01:18:19,266
it had long ago ceased
to be just about him.

1499
01:18:19,266 --> 01:18:22,800
And it wasn't really
about American hostages.

1500
01:18:22,800 --> 01:18:26,766
It was about a
power struggle in Iran.

1501
01:18:26,766 --> 01:18:31,400
♪ ♪

1502
01:18:33,700 --> 01:18:36,766
In the mid to late September,

1503
01:18:36,766 --> 01:18:39,500
September 20 approximately,

1504
01:18:39,500 --> 01:18:43,200
there was some bombing
going on in Tehran.

1505
01:18:43,200 --> 01:18:44,866
(explosions, bomb whooshing,
jet engines roaring)

1506
01:18:44,866 --> 01:18:48,300
I could hear jet
planes going over.

1507
01:18:48,300 --> 01:18:52,033
(crowd chanting)

1508
01:18:52,033 --> 01:18:55,866
What was strange
is that the students

1509
01:18:55,866 --> 01:19:00,000
were not saying
"Margbar America"

1510
01:19:00,000 --> 01:19:04,533
but "Margbar Saddam Hussein."

1511
01:19:04,533 --> 01:19:05,833
Ah!

1512
01:19:05,833 --> 01:19:08,700
There has to be a war going on

1513
01:19:08,700 --> 01:19:12,133
between the Iraqis
and the Iranians.

1514
01:19:12,133 --> 01:19:17,133
Little did I know that it
was a full-fledged invasion.

1515
01:19:17,133 --> 01:19:18,966
(jet engines roaring)

1516
01:19:21,433 --> 01:19:25,900
JEROME:
Saddam Hussein had invaded
in September of 1980...

1517
01:19:28,266 --> 01:19:30,566
Thinking he could just
capitalize on the chaos

1518
01:19:30,566 --> 01:19:32,800
that Iran was in because
of the revolution.

1519
01:19:32,800 --> 01:19:34,433
(gunfire, shouting)

1520
01:19:34,433 --> 01:19:37,666
REPORTER:
The Iraqis set out to take
Iran's main oil center, Abadan.

1521
01:19:37,666 --> 01:19:40,033
Despite their internal
political problems,

1522
01:19:40,033 --> 01:19:43,400
the Iranians are confident
about their own superiority.

1523
01:19:43,400 --> 01:19:47,233
(gunshots firing)

1524
01:19:47,233 --> 01:19:50,666
(helicopter whirring)

1525
01:19:50,666 --> 01:19:53,533
(explosions)

1526
01:19:54,433 --> 01:19:57,533
JEROME:
The Iranians fought back hard.

1527
01:19:57,533 --> 01:20:01,133
They even had members
of the Air Force,

1528
01:20:01,133 --> 01:20:04,333
especially their elite pilots,
released from prison

1529
01:20:04,333 --> 01:20:06,700
where the revolutionaries
had put them,

1530
01:20:06,700 --> 01:20:09,600
so that they had an air force.

1531
01:20:14,900 --> 01:20:17,733
But it was a very,
very costly war,

1532
01:20:17,733 --> 01:20:21,566
in lives and in misery.

1533
01:20:21,566 --> 01:20:24,900
REPORTER:
It's believed the Iranian
Army, Air Force, and Navy

1534
01:20:24,900 --> 01:20:28,533
have now deteriorated
to a disastrous level

1535
01:20:28,533 --> 01:20:32,200
15 to 20 percent of normal.

1536
01:20:32,200 --> 01:20:34,666
ROBERTS:
The Iranian regime
is on its knees.

1537
01:20:34,666 --> 01:20:37,400
The last thing that
the Iranian government

1538
01:20:37,400 --> 01:20:39,733
and Khomeini needed was another

1539
01:20:39,733 --> 01:20:44,866
six months of a hostage crisis.

1540
01:20:44,866 --> 01:20:47,500
This is a pure distraction

1541
01:20:47,500 --> 01:20:51,166
from survival
against the Iraqis.

1542
01:20:52,666 --> 01:20:54,766
And yet, for some reason,

1543
01:20:54,766 --> 01:20:57,000
they continue to
hold the hostages.

1544
01:20:57,000 --> 01:20:59,733
♪ ♪

1545
01:20:59,733 --> 01:21:03,900
JEROME:
I remember going
to the war front,

1546
01:21:03,900 --> 01:21:06,866
just a group of us
in the press.

1547
01:21:06,866 --> 01:21:09,866
We were in a little village
and the villagers are all

1548
01:21:09,866 --> 01:21:15,233
chanting Margbar America--
"Death to America."

1549
01:21:15,233 --> 01:21:17,900
They're standing on
the rubble of their village

1550
01:21:17,900 --> 01:21:21,766
that had just been
bombed by the Iraqis.

1551
01:21:21,766 --> 01:21:24,266
And we said,
"Wait a minute,

1552
01:21:24,266 --> 01:21:27,166
why are you shouting
"Margbar America"?

1553
01:21:28,733 --> 01:21:32,966
And they said, "We can't see
Allah, but we know He is there.

1554
01:21:32,966 --> 01:21:36,933
"And just the same,
we can't see the Americans,

1555
01:21:36,933 --> 01:21:41,033
but we know they are there."

1556
01:21:41,033 --> 01:21:45,666
America had achieved a
kind of extraordinary status

1557
01:21:45,666 --> 01:21:48,466
as an omniscient, omnipotent,

1558
01:21:48,466 --> 01:21:50,666
not a god, but a demon.

1559
01:21:50,666 --> 01:21:53,000
The Great Satan.

1560
01:21:53,000 --> 01:21:55,700
Nothing could
persuade these people

1561
01:21:55,700 --> 01:21:59,533
that it wasn't America
behind this war.

1562
01:21:59,533 --> 01:22:03,766
That was always an extraordinary
thing was how large

1563
01:22:03,766 --> 01:22:05,766
America loomed in the mythology

1564
01:22:05,766 --> 01:22:10,466
and in the minds of everybody.

1565
01:22:13,500 --> 01:22:15,966
TED KOPPEL:
Who could have predicted,
the full year after

1566
01:22:15,966 --> 01:22:17,900
the U.S. embassy was seized,

1567
01:22:17,900 --> 01:22:19,733
the Ayatollah Khomeini
would tell the radicals

1568
01:22:19,733 --> 01:22:22,700
that they had proved
a small nation can humiliate

1569
01:22:22,700 --> 01:22:26,200
a great power
and get away with it.

1570
01:22:26,200 --> 01:22:29,000
BARRY ROSEN:
It was Khomeini's aim

1571
01:22:29,000 --> 01:22:33,400
to make sure that Carter
would lose the election.

1572
01:22:33,400 --> 01:22:36,400
They didn't know what would
happen in the future,

1573
01:22:36,400 --> 01:22:41,200
but they certainly wanted
to hand Carter a defeat.

1574
01:22:41,200 --> 01:22:45,233
♪ ♪

1575
01:22:48,166 --> 01:22:50,100
The hostage crisis
was the reason

1576
01:22:50,100 --> 01:22:52,733
Jimmy Carter lost the election.

1577
01:22:52,733 --> 01:22:54,800
♪ ♪

1578
01:22:54,800 --> 01:22:57,433
He couldn't solve
the hostage crisis.

1579
01:22:57,433 --> 01:23:00,566
He wasn't seen as a person
who could solve the problems

1580
01:23:00,566 --> 01:23:04,400
that were presented to the
United States at that time.

1581
01:23:05,566 --> 01:23:08,500
It is not only a very big
evening for Ronald Reagan,

1582
01:23:08,500 --> 01:23:10,000
but it is a big evening for

1583
01:23:10,000 --> 01:23:12,333
conservative activists
throughout this country.

1584
01:23:12,333 --> 01:23:14,133
 
The size of Ronald Reagan's
victory in terms

1585
01:23:14,133 --> 01:23:16,366
of electoral votes
will be historic.

1586
01:23:16,366 --> 01:23:18,100
The electoral vote
count now stands,

1587
01:23:18,100 --> 01:23:21,400
President Carter, 45,
Ronald Reagan, 449.

1588
01:23:21,400 --> 01:23:24,100
MAN:
And here he is,
the President-Elect.

1589
01:23:24,100 --> 01:23:26,200
(crowd chanting):
We want Reagan!

1590
01:23:26,200 --> 01:23:29,566
We want Reagan!
We want Reagan!

1591
01:23:29,566 --> 01:23:32,700
Thank you very much.

1592
01:23:33,666 --> 01:23:35,700
JEROME:
The hostage crisis was

1593
01:23:35,700 --> 01:23:37,800
a tragedy for Jimmy Carter.

1594
01:23:37,800 --> 01:23:40,700
It was a tragedy for
the people at the embassy.

1595
01:23:40,700 --> 01:23:45,100
It was a tragedy for the
moderate leadership of Iran.

1596
01:23:45,100 --> 01:23:49,533
And it was, above all, a tragedy
for the people of Iran.

1597
01:23:49,533 --> 01:23:53,600
It was an excuse
for the hardliners

1598
01:23:53,600 --> 01:23:56,533
to completely take over.

1599
01:23:56,533 --> 01:23:59,200
Because nobody could
speak out against it.

1600
01:24:00,666 --> 01:24:02,933
It was treason.

1601
01:24:06,200 --> 01:24:08,400
ROBERTS:
Khomeini used the Iran-Iraq War

1602
01:24:08,400 --> 01:24:11,033
to eliminate
political opponents

1603
01:24:11,033 --> 01:24:13,566
by putting them on the
front lines with no weapons

1604
01:24:13,566 --> 01:24:16,366
and having them
do suicide charges.

1605
01:24:18,033 --> 01:24:22,333
They used those human wave
attacks to purge their ranks

1606
01:24:22,333 --> 01:24:27,766
of those more moderates
who were not fully on board

1607
01:24:27,766 --> 01:24:32,766
with a Shia fundamentalist
Islamic republic.

1608
01:24:32,766 --> 01:24:38,233
♪ ♪

1609
01:24:38,233 --> 01:24:42,200
JEROME:
It had taken Sadegh Ghotbzadeh
all his life

1610
01:24:42,200 --> 01:24:45,133
to build this revolution.

1611
01:24:45,133 --> 01:24:48,500
It turned out that instead
of bringing wonderful

1612
01:24:48,500 --> 01:24:50,533
freedom and democracy
to his country,

1613
01:24:50,533 --> 01:24:53,600
he had brought it a monster.

1614
01:24:53,600 --> 01:24:58,966
♪ ♪

1615
01:24:58,966 --> 01:25:00,966
SADEGH GHOTBZADEH:
This radicalization,

1616
01:25:00,966 --> 01:25:02,033
when it faces

1617
01:25:02,033 --> 01:25:05,166
the reality of things,

1618
01:25:05,166 --> 01:25:07,266
it has to change itself

1619
01:25:07,266 --> 01:25:08,566
or be destroyed.

1620
01:25:08,566 --> 01:25:12,566
JEROME:
Then he tried
to organize a revolt

1621
01:25:12,566 --> 01:25:15,400
to save the revolution.

1622
01:25:15,400 --> 01:25:19,566
They caught wind of what he was
doing, and he was arrested.

1623
01:25:19,566 --> 01:25:21,900
REPORTER:
Sadegh Ghotbzadeh
became a household word

1624
01:25:21,900 --> 01:25:23,533
in the United States.

1625
01:25:23,533 --> 01:25:25,033
He was Iran's foreign minister,

1626
01:25:25,033 --> 01:25:26,866
its chief spokesman
to the world.

1627
01:25:26,866 --> 01:25:29,633
Well, tonight, in the latest
bizarre twist of events,

1628
01:25:29,633 --> 01:25:32,766
Ghotbzadeh himself
is a captive in Tehran.

1629
01:25:32,766 --> 01:25:36,600
♪ ♪

1630
01:25:36,600 --> 01:25:40,200
JEROME:
He was accused
of developing a plot

1631
01:25:40,200 --> 01:25:45,033
to blow up Khomeini's house,
which was in fact true.

1632
01:25:46,500 --> 01:25:48,800
I remember the last time
he saw me, he said,

1633
01:25:48,800 --> 01:25:52,100
"You have to get
out of here-- now."

1634
01:25:52,100 --> 01:25:54,166
♪ ♪

1635
01:25:54,166 --> 01:25:56,233
They had decided that it would

1636
01:25:56,233 --> 01:25:59,566
be useful if they arrested me

1637
01:25:59,566 --> 01:26:01,433
and claimed I was

1638
01:26:01,433 --> 01:26:03,733
his C.I.A. contact,

1639
01:26:03,733 --> 01:26:06,666
which was totally ludicrous.

1640
01:26:06,666 --> 01:26:10,100
I am so far from being
an agent of anything.

1641
01:26:11,833 --> 01:26:15,433
I was very worried about
being picked up at the airport,

1642
01:26:15,433 --> 01:26:19,933
but... I got through okay.

1643
01:26:19,933 --> 01:26:24,200
And when I got to London,

1644
01:26:24,200 --> 01:26:27,533
I was told that the
Revolutionary Guards had arrived

1645
01:26:27,533 --> 01:26:32,533
at my room three hours
after I left to pick me up.

1646
01:26:37,100 --> 01:26:39,133
(bike engine buzzes)

1647
01:26:39,133 --> 01:26:42,566
SICK:
The Iranians wanted
to be done with this.

1648
01:26:42,566 --> 01:26:43,666
They were losing money,

1649
01:26:43,666 --> 01:26:44,733
they were losing reputation,

1650
01:26:44,733 --> 01:26:46,433
they were losing everything.

1651
01:26:46,433 --> 01:26:51,000
Iran had $12 billion

1652
01:26:51,000 --> 01:26:53,366
in assets in the United States,

1653
01:26:53,366 --> 01:26:55,400
$12 billion,
most of it in gold,

1654
01:26:55,400 --> 01:26:58,733
and huge quantities of money.

1655
01:26:58,733 --> 01:27:02,033
When the hostage crisis struck,
we froze those assets.

1656
01:27:02,033 --> 01:27:05,000
As time went on, that became
more and more important to them.

1657
01:27:05,000 --> 01:27:08,266
So, it really
came down to money.

1658
01:27:08,266 --> 01:27:09,833
Has there been significant
movement in the last

1659
01:27:09,833 --> 01:27:11,933
24 hours toward
a settlement?

1660
01:27:11,933 --> 01:27:14,533
No, I'm afraid
I couldn't say

1661
01:27:14,533 --> 01:27:18,300
that there has been
significant movement.

1662
01:27:18,300 --> 01:27:20,600
There have been
continuing discussions.

1663
01:27:20,600 --> 01:27:24,033
SICK:
The big holdup was the banks.

1664
01:27:24,033 --> 01:27:27,333
Bank loans that were
syndicated all over the world.

1665
01:27:27,333 --> 01:27:30,600
And ultimately in our
negotiations with them,

1666
01:27:30,600 --> 01:27:36,100
they offered to pay off all
of those loans down to zero.

1667
01:27:36,100 --> 01:27:39,133
So, Iran's $12 billion

1668
01:27:39,133 --> 01:27:41,700
basically wittered away.

1669
01:27:41,700 --> 01:27:45,766
There was a little bit left,
which was about $3 billion.

1670
01:27:45,766 --> 01:27:48,166
Well, after almost a year
and a quarter in captivity,

1671
01:27:48,166 --> 01:27:50,333
the 52 American hostages
really seem

1672
01:27:50,333 --> 01:27:51,700
on the verge of freedom.

1673
01:27:51,700 --> 01:27:55,033
And what is known is that
President Carter has made over

1674
01:27:55,033 --> 01:27:58,266
$2 billion worth of Iranian
gold and securities

1675
01:27:58,266 --> 01:28:00,666
available as part
of the terms for a deal.

1676
01:28:00,666 --> 01:28:03,800
♪ ♪

1677
01:28:03,800 --> 01:28:07,566
SICK:
Imagine any other president
in American history,

1678
01:28:07,566 --> 01:28:12,766
who has just lost a devastating
reelection campaign,

1679
01:28:12,766 --> 01:28:15,966
would devote themselves totally

1680
01:28:15,966 --> 01:28:19,833
to the job of actually
getting us out of this problem

1681
01:28:19,833 --> 01:28:22,700
and resolving it before
leaving office.

1682
01:28:22,700 --> 01:28:24,700
Pretty much nobody.

1683
01:28:25,933 --> 01:28:28,666
But Carter, he worked at it
day and night.

1684
01:28:28,666 --> 01:28:30,666
I know you've been up
all night with me

1685
01:28:30,666 --> 01:28:33,766
and I appreciate that very much.

1686
01:28:33,766 --> 01:28:39,066
 
We have now reached
an agreement with Iran

1687
01:28:39,066 --> 01:28:41,800
which will result, I believe,

1688
01:28:41,800 --> 01:28:44,466
in the freedom of our
American hostages.

1689
01:28:44,466 --> 01:28:47,166
REPORTER:
Word has just been
received from Algiers

1690
01:28:47,166 --> 01:28:49,566
that an agreement
has now been signed

1691
01:28:49,566 --> 01:28:52,633
to free the American hostages.

1692
01:28:52,633 --> 01:28:54,766
SICK:
At the end, it was agreed,

1693
01:28:54,766 --> 01:28:56,566
it was signed,
and then we had

1694
01:28:56,566 --> 01:28:58,766
to actually do the transaction.

1695
01:28:58,766 --> 01:29:03,100
That is, literally
moving the gold

1696
01:29:03,100 --> 01:29:05,300
from one place to another.

1697
01:29:05,300 --> 01:29:09,700
Moving the assets from one
account to another account.

1698
01:29:09,700 --> 01:29:11,633
It was a nightmare.

1699
01:29:11,633 --> 01:29:15,033
WALTER MONDALE:
There are some very
complex banking problems,

1700
01:29:15,033 --> 01:29:17,600
legal problems that
we're trying to resolve

1701
01:29:17,600 --> 01:29:21,333
within hours that
under normal commercial

1702
01:29:21,333 --> 01:29:23,666
circumstances might
take months to resolve.

1703
01:29:23,666 --> 01:29:25,900
CARTER:
If it could get there at
8:00 in the morning--

1704
01:29:25,900 --> 01:29:28,933
oh, I see the time
difference...

1705
01:29:28,933 --> 01:29:32,366
SICK:
And the problem was resolved

1706
01:29:32,366 --> 01:29:36,133
literally the night
before the inauguration.

1707
01:29:36,133 --> 01:29:37,966
Hello.

1708
01:29:37,966 --> 01:29:40,300
Right on, man,
that's great, that's great.

1709
01:29:40,300 --> 01:29:44,266
Carter basically slept in
the Oval Office that night.

1710
01:29:45,733 --> 01:29:50,033
BARBARA ROSEN:
They were up at the White House
trying to get this done.

1711
01:29:51,266 --> 01:29:53,866
I was at my parents' home and...

1712
01:29:53,866 --> 01:29:56,166
the press thought
it was going to happen.

1713
01:29:56,166 --> 01:29:59,700
They were all
outside the front gate

1714
01:29:59,700 --> 01:30:02,366
wanting me to come out
and make a comment.

1715
01:30:02,366 --> 01:30:03,800
I just had the radio on,
they said that

1716
01:30:03,800 --> 01:30:05,333
they're expecting things
to happen momentarily.

1717
01:30:05,333 --> 01:30:07,100
However, we've been
expecting things to happen

1718
01:30:07,100 --> 01:30:09,133
momentarily for four days now.

1719
01:30:09,133 --> 01:30:12,533
And so when the plane
actually leaves the ground,

1720
01:30:12,533 --> 01:30:15,666
I think that's when we will
breathe a sigh of relief.

1721
01:30:16,600 --> 01:30:18,266
(airplane engine whooshes past)

1722
01:30:18,266 --> 01:30:20,400
♪ ♪

1723
01:30:23,300 --> 01:30:26,900
BARRY ROSEN:
We were told you had to be
ready within an hour.

1724
01:30:26,900 --> 01:30:28,966
An hour.

1725
01:30:31,766 --> 01:30:33,066
Just think about it.

1726
01:30:33,066 --> 01:30:35,466
All this time and now--
bang, an hour.

1727
01:30:37,266 --> 01:30:39,200
SICK:
The transaction was being done,

1728
01:30:39,200 --> 01:30:42,466
then I went downstairs
to the operations center

1729
01:30:42,466 --> 01:30:44,266
of the White House.

1730
01:30:44,266 --> 01:30:47,000
And I had a phone in one hand,

1731
01:30:47,000 --> 01:30:49,766
which had a permanent
connection to Carter,

1732
01:30:49,766 --> 01:30:51,600
who was driving
up to the Capitol

1733
01:30:51,600 --> 01:30:54,366
to go through
the inauguration.

1734
01:30:58,200 --> 01:30:59,666
We were marched out

1735
01:30:59,666 --> 01:31:02,900
single file.

1736
01:31:02,900 --> 01:31:05,533
And there was this bus.

1737
01:31:05,533 --> 01:31:08,766
There, we start to move.

1738
01:31:08,766 --> 01:31:11,800
(sirens wailing)

1739
01:31:11,800 --> 01:31:14,433
♪ ♪

1740
01:31:14,433 --> 01:31:18,300
Within a half an hour,
the bus stops.

1741
01:31:18,300 --> 01:31:22,700
And we had to go
through this phalanx

1742
01:31:22,700 --> 01:31:27,666
of our former guards
who were spitting at us

1743
01:31:27,666 --> 01:31:31,233
as we move toward this airplane.

1744
01:31:31,233 --> 01:31:35,233
(crowd shouting)

1745
01:31:35,233 --> 01:31:39,100
It was so unnecessary.

1746
01:31:39,100 --> 01:31:43,033
Why continue to humiliate
us even further?

1747
01:31:48,266 --> 01:31:51,600
This attendant on the plane

1748
01:31:51,600 --> 01:31:55,766
helps me up the staircase,
and then I look around,

1749
01:31:55,766 --> 01:31:59,233
and I'm seeing everyone

1750
01:31:59,233 --> 01:32:03,633
who I hadn't seen for months.

1751
01:32:05,400 --> 01:32:08,300
I sat down.

1752
01:32:08,300 --> 01:32:11,566
Our pilot said we needed to go

1753
01:32:11,566 --> 01:32:14,833
through Iranian airspace
and there could be

1754
01:32:14,833 --> 01:32:17,700
the possibility of an intercept

1755
01:32:17,700 --> 01:32:19,800
with the Iranian Air Force.

1756
01:32:19,800 --> 01:32:22,400
So, hold on.

1757
01:32:23,666 --> 01:32:28,400
Those moments were...
(exhales sharply) interminable.

1758
01:32:29,900 --> 01:32:33,066
SICK:
We were getting
second-by-second updates.

1759
01:32:33,066 --> 01:32:37,300
And I kept interfering with
Carter's ride up the hill.

1760
01:32:38,833 --> 01:32:42,100
It looked like it was going
to happen and then I gave him

1761
01:32:42,100 --> 01:32:45,766
the final report before
they went out on the stage.

1762
01:32:45,766 --> 01:32:50,300
(applause)

1763
01:32:56,633 --> 01:32:59,166
I, Ronald Reagan,
do solemnly swear...

1764
01:32:59,166 --> 01:33:01,800
That I will faithfully
execute the office of

1765
01:33:01,800 --> 01:33:03,566
President of the
United States.

1766
01:33:03,566 --> 01:33:05,100
REAGAN:
That I will faithfully execute

1767
01:33:05,100 --> 01:33:07,833
the office of President
of the United States.

1768
01:33:07,833 --> 01:33:11,500
(engine roaring)

1769
01:33:11,500 --> 01:33:15,766
(applause)

1770
01:33:18,633 --> 01:33:22,666
BARRY ROSEN:
Finally, we crossed
the Turkish border.

1771
01:33:22,666 --> 01:33:24,866
Everybody looked
at everybody else.

1772
01:33:24,866 --> 01:33:27,900
We were all smiling and
laughing, telling jokes,

1773
01:33:27,900 --> 01:33:30,866
just slapping
each other on the shoulder.

1774
01:33:30,866 --> 01:33:34,200
I mean, we went wild.

1775
01:33:34,200 --> 01:33:36,000
It's over.

1776
01:33:36,000 --> 01:33:37,766
It's finally over.

1777
01:33:37,766 --> 01:33:41,533
The misery is over

1778
01:33:41,533 --> 01:33:46,166
and maybe there'll
be a good life ahead.

1779
01:33:46,166 --> 01:33:48,700
♪ ♪

1780
01:33:50,433 --> 01:33:53,333
SICK: And that was it.

1781
01:33:53,333 --> 01:33:54,933
I opened the door
of the operation center

1782
01:33:54,933 --> 01:33:59,200
and stepped out into
the halls of the White House

1783
01:33:59,200 --> 01:34:04,500
and there were huge portraits
of Reagan everywhere.

1784
01:34:04,500 --> 01:34:07,600
And it was a different world.

1785
01:34:10,933 --> 01:34:13,800
ROBERTS:
In the end, we were
talking about theater.

1786
01:34:13,800 --> 01:34:17,000
You can't get more theater

1787
01:34:17,000 --> 01:34:22,166
than having the airplane
take off from Tehran

1788
01:34:22,166 --> 01:34:25,633
minutes after Ronald Reagan

1789
01:34:25,633 --> 01:34:28,033
takes the oath of office.

1790
01:34:28,033 --> 01:34:30,300
♪ ♪

1791
01:34:30,300 --> 01:34:34,266
Now that is political theater
in the extreme.

1792
01:34:34,266 --> 01:34:39,433
♪ ♪

1793
01:34:43,066 --> 01:34:46,633
(crowd chattering)

1794
01:34:46,633 --> 01:34:48,766
(blows whistle)

1795
01:34:48,766 --> 01:34:51,500
(people cheering)

1796
01:34:51,500 --> 01:34:54,733
BARBARA ROSEN:
Finally, the news came through
that they had taken off

1797
01:34:54,733 --> 01:34:58,966
and it was just a big
celebration at the house.

1798
01:35:00,166 --> 01:35:02,100
Come here, come here,
you tell everybody.

1799
01:35:02,100 --> 01:35:03,933
You can make the
announcement, come on.

1800
01:35:03,933 --> 01:35:05,166
Let's get up.

1801
01:35:05,166 --> 01:35:07,466
Tell everybody,
what did we just find out?

1802
01:35:07,466 --> 01:35:08,933
What'd we just find out?

1803
01:35:08,933 --> 01:35:10,500
That what?

1804
01:35:10,500 --> 01:35:14,300
Daddy's coming home.
Hooray, yes.

1805
01:35:14,300 --> 01:35:18,433
Oh, my God, it's over.

1806
01:35:18,433 --> 01:35:20,966
We're so happy.
(bell chiming)

1807
01:35:20,966 --> 01:35:22,533
DAN RATHER:
The hostages are out.

1808
01:35:22,533 --> 01:35:27,033
The hostage aircraft are now
nearing Algiers, Algeria.

1809
01:35:27,033 --> 01:35:28,866
Barbara Rosen,
who's in our studio here,

1810
01:35:28,866 --> 01:35:31,066
Barbara Rosen, I'm just
going to ask you briefly

1811
01:35:31,066 --> 01:35:32,866
what your thoughts are
at this moment when you see

1812
01:35:32,866 --> 01:35:34,733
that airplane touch
down in Algiers.

1813
01:35:34,733 --> 01:35:36,433
Just that we wish it would

1814
01:35:36,433 --> 01:35:38,400
touch down and see who's aboard.

1815
01:35:39,066 --> 01:35:40,666
It is very nerve wracking.

1816
01:35:44,600 --> 01:35:46,966
REPORTER:
Dan, the plane has
just landed here

1817
01:35:46,966 --> 01:35:49,366
at Boumediene Airport
in Algiers.

1818
01:35:49,366 --> 01:35:51,866
We finally have
two planes from Tehran

1819
01:35:51,866 --> 01:35:54,366
on the ground here in Algiers.

1820
01:35:54,366 --> 01:35:57,500
♪ ♪

1821
01:35:57,500 --> 01:35:59,966
The plane is taxiing
into our position.

1822
01:35:59,966 --> 01:36:04,066
The Algerian television crew
that is shooting these

1823
01:36:04,066 --> 01:36:07,233
pictures for us has moved
out onto the tarmac.

1824
01:36:07,233 --> 01:36:09,533
There is quite
a group of dignitaries

1825
01:36:09,533 --> 01:36:13,166
waiting here to
greet the hostages.

1826
01:36:13,166 --> 01:36:17,233
The former hostages,
I guess we should say.

1827
01:36:17,233 --> 01:36:22,366
♪ ♪

1828
01:36:22,366 --> 01:36:24,633
The door is open.

1829
01:36:24,633 --> 01:36:26,200
RATHER:
This is one of those occasions,

1830
01:36:26,200 --> 01:36:28,966
it's such an exciting moment,

1831
01:36:28,966 --> 01:36:31,633
such a dramatic moment,
such a meaningful moment.

1832
01:36:31,633 --> 01:36:34,500
We want it to speak for itself.

1833
01:36:34,500 --> 01:36:38,666
(loud, rhythmic whooshing)

1834
01:36:43,566 --> 01:36:45,933
REPORTER:
Here they come, Dan.

1835
01:36:45,933 --> 01:36:48,766
(applause)

1836
01:36:48,766 --> 01:36:50,900
RATHER:
That's Bruce Laingen,

1837
01:36:50,900 --> 01:36:52,300
and Richard Queen
if you could help me

1838
01:36:52,300 --> 01:36:54,000
with these identifications.

1839
01:36:54,000 --> 01:36:56,500
RICHARD QUEEN:
Okay, Ann Swift on the left,
Kate Koob on the right.

1840
01:36:56,500 --> 01:37:01,266
Ah... Charlie Jones...
Bob Ode...

1841
01:37:01,266 --> 01:37:04,733
BARBARA ROSEN:
If I have the pleasure,
that's Barry Rosen.

1842
01:37:04,733 --> 01:37:07,366
RATHER:
Barbara Rosen
recognizing her husband.

1843
01:37:07,366 --> 01:37:09,000
BARBARA ROSEN (interview):
When Barry got off the plane,

1844
01:37:09,000 --> 01:37:10,400
I remember saying, I'd like

1845
01:37:10,400 --> 01:37:12,266
to introduce everybody now

1846
01:37:12,266 --> 01:37:13,966
to my husband, Barry Rosen,

1847
01:37:13,966 --> 01:37:14,933
that's him, you know.

1848
01:37:14,933 --> 01:37:17,700
RATHER:
The 52 American hostages,

1849
01:37:17,700 --> 01:37:19,000
all of them back.

1850
01:37:19,000 --> 01:37:21,866
♪ ♪

1851
01:37:21,866 --> 01:37:26,566
REPORTER:
Certainly the, the thing that
we can feel here in Algiers,

1852
01:37:26,566 --> 01:37:30,766
Dan, is, is, their happiness.

1853
01:37:30,766 --> 01:37:34,033
They certainly appear to be well
in spite of the ordeal,

1854
01:37:34,033 --> 01:37:36,733
from what we're able to see.

1855
01:37:38,500 --> 01:37:40,333
You saw your husband briefly
as he stepped off the aircraft.

1856
01:37:40,333 --> 01:37:41,933
How did he
look to you?

1857
01:37:41,933 --> 01:37:43,200
He looked wonderful.
(laughs)

1858
01:37:43,200 --> 01:37:44,566
I can't wait to see
him in person now.

1859
01:37:44,566 --> 01:37:46,466
Don't they all look...
Yes.

1860
01:37:46,466 --> 01:37:49,433
(applause)

1861
01:37:49,433 --> 01:37:52,266
BARRY ROSEN:
Once we landed in Algiers,

1862
01:37:52,266 --> 01:37:56,600
it was absolutely pandemonium.

1863
01:37:56,600 --> 01:38:00,733
We were only there for
a very, very short time.

1864
01:38:00,733 --> 01:38:04,233
But the media was
on top of all of us.

1865
01:38:04,233 --> 01:38:06,833
God bless America.

1866
01:38:06,833 --> 01:38:08,600
God bless America.

1867
01:38:08,600 --> 01:38:12,166
RATHER:
And now the 52 freed Americans
will be brought inside

1868
01:38:12,166 --> 01:38:14,933
for very brief ceremony,
and then for

1869
01:38:14,933 --> 01:38:17,000
rapid transfer to
the American aircraft

1870
01:38:17,000 --> 01:38:19,133
for a flight to West Germany.

1871
01:38:19,133 --> 01:38:22,866
KOPPEL:
Day 444, the last day
of captivity

1872
01:38:22,866 --> 01:38:24,600
for the hostages in Iran.

1873
01:38:24,600 --> 01:38:27,766
Tonight they are free.

1874
01:38:27,766 --> 01:38:29,933
What a day, what a night.

1875
01:38:29,933 --> 01:38:32,433
Here in Washington, the
president is moving around town

1876
01:38:32,433 --> 01:38:35,233
from one inaugural ball
to another.

1877
01:38:35,233 --> 01:38:38,200
In Plains, Georgia, the former
president is presumably

1878
01:38:38,200 --> 01:38:40,433
getting his first sleep
in almost three days.

1879
01:38:40,433 --> 01:38:42,733
But before dawn,
he'll be airborne again,

1880
01:38:42,733 --> 01:38:45,100
flying to West Germany,
where he'll meet with

1881
01:38:45,100 --> 01:38:49,366
the men and women whose fate
over these past 444 days

1882
01:38:49,366 --> 01:38:52,700
became his personal obsession.

1883
01:38:52,700 --> 01:38:57,400
♪ ♪

1884
01:38:57,400 --> 01:38:59,900
SICK:
I went over in the airplane

1885
01:38:59,900 --> 01:39:05,466
and we had a champagne
toast to freedom.

1886
01:39:05,466 --> 01:39:08,100
♪ ♪

1887
01:39:08,100 --> 01:39:11,233
He wanted to be briefed on
each one of the individuals,

1888
01:39:11,233 --> 01:39:15,366
find out their stories
and background.

1889
01:39:16,900 --> 01:39:18,266
We got there,

1890
01:39:18,266 --> 01:39:21,133
and then went
straight to the hospital.

1891
01:39:21,133 --> 01:39:26,366
(crowd cheering)

1892
01:39:27,900 --> 01:39:30,400
(whistles blaring)

1893
01:39:30,400 --> 01:39:33,066
♪ ♪

1894
01:39:36,500 --> 01:39:39,233
BARRY ROSEN:
Once we landed in Wiesbaden,

1895
01:39:39,233 --> 01:39:42,766
there was this moment where
we met Jimmy Carter.

1896
01:39:46,900 --> 01:39:49,233
He was not the
president anymore,

1897
01:39:49,233 --> 01:39:52,500
but he was with Cyrus Vance.

1898
01:39:52,500 --> 01:39:56,300
And Jimmy Carter
wanted to speak

1899
01:39:56,300 --> 01:39:59,766
to us about what happened.

1900
01:39:59,766 --> 01:40:04,600
♪ ♪

1901
01:40:04,600 --> 01:40:07,766
SICK:
We got to the hospital,

1902
01:40:07,766 --> 01:40:10,800
Carter, he went straight in,

1903
01:40:10,800 --> 01:40:13,933
and it was an extremely
emotional moment.

1904
01:40:13,933 --> 01:40:18,766
He didn't know how
these folks would react.

1905
01:40:18,766 --> 01:40:21,633
♪ ♪

1906
01:40:21,633 --> 01:40:25,500
BARRY ROSEN:
I think he was brave
to come into that room

1907
01:40:25,500 --> 01:40:28,333
with 52 people
who were held hostage

1908
01:40:28,333 --> 01:40:30,833
for 14-and-a-half months.

1909
01:40:30,833 --> 01:40:34,433
Some were very angry at him

1910
01:40:34,433 --> 01:40:36,533
and they said that
they were angry at him.

1911
01:40:36,533 --> 01:40:39,266
And he accepted the fact

1912
01:40:39,266 --> 01:40:43,066
that they were angry at him
and the administration.

1913
01:40:43,066 --> 01:40:46,733
He said to us
he cared mostly about

1914
01:40:46,733 --> 01:40:49,733
our lives more
than anything else.

1915
01:40:49,733 --> 01:40:54,433
And he was pushed
to the rescue because

1916
01:40:54,433 --> 01:40:59,033
there was no possibility
of any negotiation with Iran.

1917
01:40:59,033 --> 01:41:03,233
No one would negotiate
with the United States.

1918
01:41:05,300 --> 01:41:08,766
He stayed with us for a while.

1919
01:41:08,766 --> 01:41:10,666
There were these booths
all over the place,

1920
01:41:10,666 --> 01:41:13,866
so everybody could speak
to their families all at once.

1921
01:41:13,866 --> 01:41:17,033
(train clacking on tracks)

1922
01:41:18,600 --> 01:41:21,900
I spoke to Barbara and told her
how much I missed her

1923
01:41:21,900 --> 01:41:26,000
and I, and I can't wait
to see the children

1924
01:41:26,000 --> 01:41:30,400
and how it'll be, you know, life
will be beautiful once again.

1925
01:41:30,400 --> 01:41:35,200
Of course, that's always the
dream that people say they have.

1926
01:41:36,566 --> 01:41:39,133
BARBARA ROSEN:
It was a very strange time,

1927
01:41:39,133 --> 01:41:41,166
but very good
to hear his voice.

1928
01:41:41,166 --> 01:41:43,033
(no audible speaking)

1929
01:41:43,033 --> 01:41:44,766
You know, "I'm so happy
that you're home,

1930
01:41:44,766 --> 01:41:46,800
but you're not home yet,"
you know?

1931
01:41:48,133 --> 01:41:50,433
BARRY ROSEN:
My mother-in-law
got on the phone.

1932
01:41:50,433 --> 01:41:52,500
And before I know it,
I got a tap

1933
01:41:52,500 --> 01:41:55,933
on my shoulder
and it was President Carter.

1934
01:41:55,933 --> 01:41:58,833
So Barry says, "Here, I'm
putting Jimmy on the phone."

1935
01:41:58,833 --> 01:42:02,366
So Jimmy Carter says to my
mother, "Hello, this is Jimmy.

1936
01:42:02,366 --> 01:42:03,766
Jimmy, this is Jimmy."

1937
01:42:03,766 --> 01:42:06,433
She says, "Jimmy who?"
(laughing)

1938
01:42:06,433 --> 01:42:08,933
BARRY ROSEN:
They talked for
a very long time,

1939
01:42:08,933 --> 01:42:11,266
and I thought that was really

1940
01:42:11,266 --> 01:42:14,333
a wonderful thing that he did.

1941
01:42:14,333 --> 01:42:18,533
It showed the
compassion that he had.

1942
01:42:18,533 --> 01:42:21,100
(cheering, whistling)

1943
01:42:25,766 --> 01:42:30,833
CARTER:
On behalf of all
the American people...

1944
01:42:30,833 --> 01:42:33,266
one of the acts in my
life which has been

1945
01:42:33,266 --> 01:42:36,000
the most moving and gratifying

1946
01:42:36,000 --> 01:42:38,933
is meeting with and discussing

1947
01:42:38,933 --> 01:42:41,533
the future and the past

1948
01:42:41,533 --> 01:42:44,300
with the now-liberated
Americans who were

1949
01:42:44,300 --> 01:42:48,933
held hostage in Iran
for so long.

1950
01:42:48,933 --> 01:42:52,733
I pointed out to them
that since their capture

1951
01:42:52,733 --> 01:42:55,400
by the Iranian terrorists

1952
01:42:55,400 --> 01:42:59,366
that the American people's
hearts have gone out to them,

1953
01:42:59,366 --> 01:43:03,066
and our nation has been united

1954
01:43:03,066 --> 01:43:07,400
as perhaps never
before in history,

1955
01:43:07,400 --> 01:43:10,633
and that the prayers that have
gone up from the people

1956
01:43:10,633 --> 01:43:13,966
around the world to God
for their safety

1957
01:43:13,966 --> 01:43:16,433
have finally been answered.

1958
01:43:16,433 --> 01:43:22,400
♪ ♪

1959
01:43:29,166 --> 01:43:32,433
♪ ♪

1960
01:43:32,433 --> 01:43:34,733
BARBARA ROSEN:
The hostages came home

1961
01:43:34,733 --> 01:43:37,800
and he was just holding us all

1962
01:43:37,800 --> 01:43:40,200
and we were just crying.

1963
01:43:44,333 --> 01:43:46,633
(crowd cheering)

1964
01:43:46,633 --> 01:43:49,300
We were flown to D.C.,
where there was a special

1965
01:43:49,300 --> 01:43:52,466
reception at the White House.

1966
01:43:53,933 --> 01:43:55,633
From there we went up
to New York.

1967
01:43:55,633 --> 01:43:59,733
Mayor Koch had
a ticker-tape parade,

1968
01:43:59,733 --> 01:44:05,066
and that was
amazingly wonderful.

1969
01:44:05,066 --> 01:44:08,700
Because we were all Americans,
we weren't broken up into

1970
01:44:08,700 --> 01:44:10,933
Republicans, Democrats,

1971
01:44:10,933 --> 01:44:12,833
conservatives, liberals.

1972
01:44:12,833 --> 01:44:17,233
Everybody was just so happy
that they all came home.

1973
01:44:17,233 --> 01:44:20,333
(cheers and applause)

1974
01:44:22,300 --> 01:44:25,133
BARRY ROSEN:
It was very, very difficult

1975
01:44:25,133 --> 01:44:29,300
for me to understand why
I became a celebrity.

1976
01:44:30,700 --> 01:44:33,766
I didn't do anything heroic.

1977
01:44:33,766 --> 01:44:37,166
(reporters clamoring)

1978
01:44:37,166 --> 01:44:41,066
I just wanted to be
back home again.

1979
01:44:41,066 --> 01:44:43,533
But it was impossible,
it was just totally impossible.

1980
01:44:44,966 --> 01:44:47,500
The story was too big.

1981
01:44:48,666 --> 01:44:51,066
I felt obligations.

1982
01:44:51,066 --> 01:44:54,766
Television shows,
writing a book.

1983
01:44:54,766 --> 01:44:56,966
Doing all these other things
that I really--

1984
01:44:56,966 --> 01:44:58,900
I don't know if I
really wanted to do,

1985
01:44:58,900 --> 01:45:02,033
but somehow I felt that
I was drawn into it.

1986
01:45:03,033 --> 01:45:05,966
(speech):
This agonizing imprisonment,

1987
01:45:05,966 --> 01:45:10,600
this depersonalizing trial,
led me once more...

1988
01:45:10,600 --> 01:45:14,166
BARBARA ROSEN:
He was sort of frozen
in that period of time.

1989
01:45:14,166 --> 01:45:17,433
Just internalized everything

1990
01:45:17,433 --> 01:45:19,700
and his life became very small.

1991
01:45:19,700 --> 01:45:24,500
Mine, on the other hand,
grew exponentially.

1992
01:45:24,500 --> 01:45:27,333
♪ ♪

1993
01:45:27,333 --> 01:45:29,966
Prior to the hostage crisis,
I was always, like,

1994
01:45:29,966 --> 01:45:31,500
sort of in the background

1995
01:45:31,500 --> 01:45:35,333
and I, I didn't
really have a voice.

1996
01:45:35,333 --> 01:45:39,400
And then, because I had to,

1997
01:45:39,400 --> 01:45:42,033
I had to go ahead
and become far more

1998
01:45:42,033 --> 01:45:45,133
of a public person
during that time.

1999
01:45:45,133 --> 01:45:49,033
You now have taken
control of the Rosen family?

2000
01:45:49,033 --> 01:45:51,200
BARBARA ROSEN:
And it was hard when
he came home-- I mean,

2001
01:45:51,200 --> 01:45:55,566
he felt that I was
taking over doing everything.

2002
01:45:57,133 --> 01:46:00,900
BARRY ROSEN:
Barbara was very busy with the
kids, busy with her own life.

2003
01:46:00,900 --> 01:46:03,733
She was doing things
with the media,

2004
01:46:03,733 --> 01:46:06,833
going back to school again,

2005
01:46:06,833 --> 01:46:10,266
and we weren't seeing
each other very often.

2006
01:46:11,900 --> 01:46:16,133
But life intercedes
and sometimes

2007
01:46:16,133 --> 01:46:18,466
the dreams and hopes
that you have

2008
01:46:18,466 --> 01:46:21,433
are basically, uh...

2009
01:46:21,433 --> 01:46:23,266
done away with in many ways.

2010
01:46:27,400 --> 01:46:31,000
BARBARA ROSEN:
So now Barry is home,
and how do you get

2011
01:46:31,000 --> 01:46:33,666
everything back together?

2012
01:46:33,666 --> 01:46:37,133
So there is a lot of
negotiating that had to go on

2013
01:46:37,133 --> 01:46:41,766
and a lot of reworking
the relationship.

2014
01:46:43,333 --> 01:46:44,766
♪ ♪

2015
01:46:44,766 --> 01:46:46,733
I had a reporter who said to me,

2016
01:46:46,733 --> 01:46:49,066
"What are you going to do now
that your husband's home

2017
01:46:49,066 --> 01:46:51,866
and you are not going to be
on television anymore?"

2018
01:46:53,966 --> 01:46:56,700
That's not how I see myself.

2019
01:46:56,700 --> 01:46:59,600
Everybody wants to be a star,
but, you know...

2020
01:46:59,600 --> 01:47:03,033
I got little taste
of what that was like

2021
01:47:03,033 --> 01:47:04,733
and I did not like it.

2022
01:47:04,733 --> 01:47:08,300
♪ ♪

2023
01:47:08,300 --> 01:47:10,200
And I went back
eventually to teaching,

2024
01:47:10,200 --> 01:47:11,966
and I taught in Manhattan.

2025
01:47:11,966 --> 01:47:13,800
And I think it
was the best thing

2026
01:47:13,800 --> 01:47:17,166
that I could have ever done.

2027
01:47:18,766 --> 01:47:20,533
BARRY ROSEN:
We wanted our children

2028
01:47:20,533 --> 01:47:22,566
to be enveloped in love.

2029
01:47:24,566 --> 01:47:25,433
And they are--

2030
01:47:25,433 --> 01:47:28,400
they are great, great kids,

2031
01:47:28,400 --> 01:47:30,366
and I have wonderful
grandchildren now.

2032
01:47:30,366 --> 01:47:34,700
Loving and...
they are the very best.

2033
01:47:35,766 --> 01:47:38,900
♪ ♪

2034
01:47:44,000 --> 01:47:45,400
(bike motor buzzes)

2035
01:47:51,966 --> 01:47:57,166
♪ ♪

2036
01:47:57,166 --> 01:48:00,266
HILARY BROWN:
You know, in the '60s and '70s,

2037
01:48:00,266 --> 01:48:03,333
America spent billions

2038
01:48:03,333 --> 01:48:07,000
supporting a pro-Western Shah,

2039
01:48:07,000 --> 01:48:10,533
arming him, and what they got

2040
01:48:10,533 --> 01:48:13,266
was an Islamic revolution

2041
01:48:13,266 --> 01:48:19,866
and a theocracy run by
clerics who despise America.

2042
01:48:19,866 --> 01:48:24,166
♪ ♪

2043
01:48:24,166 --> 01:48:26,766
ROBERTS:
The Iranian revolution

2044
01:48:26,766 --> 01:48:31,966
had an impact across
the Muslim world.

2045
01:48:31,966 --> 01:48:35,733
And the idea that Iranian Shia

2046
01:48:35,733 --> 01:48:39,666
were going to revert

2047
01:48:39,666 --> 01:48:42,166
to a fundamentalist,

2048
01:48:42,166 --> 01:48:46,833
devout, strict form of Islam

2049
01:48:46,833 --> 01:48:52,800
shocked the Muslim world.

2050
01:48:52,800 --> 01:48:58,600
♪ ♪

2051
01:49:02,100 --> 01:49:06,500
BARRY ROSEN:
It may not seem
to contemporaries today

2052
01:49:06,500 --> 01:49:10,233
that the 1979 hostage crisis

2053
01:49:10,233 --> 01:49:14,500
has anything to do with
the current situation

2054
01:49:14,500 --> 01:49:17,000
between the United States
and Iran.

2055
01:49:17,000 --> 01:49:19,966
In my mind, it certainly does.

2056
01:49:19,966 --> 01:49:23,133
From the American side,

2057
01:49:23,133 --> 01:49:25,433
I honestly believe

2058
01:49:25,433 --> 01:49:29,066
that a great deal
of our motivation

2059
01:49:29,066 --> 01:49:33,133
stems from humiliation.

2060
01:49:35,133 --> 01:49:39,166
And in Iran, the notion is that

2061
01:49:39,166 --> 01:49:44,066
the United States is still
the imperialist that it was

2062
01:49:44,066 --> 01:49:47,900
in 1953 and in 1979,

2063
01:49:47,900 --> 01:49:50,833
and that has not changed.

2064
01:49:50,833 --> 01:49:56,100
♪ ♪

2065
01:49:56,100 --> 01:49:59,700
We should have been
a closer friend

2066
01:49:59,700 --> 01:50:02,566
to Iranian democracy.

2067
01:50:02,566 --> 01:50:05,266
♪ ♪

2068
01:50:05,266 --> 01:50:07,933
I think we lost our way.

2069
01:50:07,933 --> 01:50:12,233
♪ ♪

2070
01:50:20,600 --> 01:50:25,600
♪ ♪

2071
01:50:32,566 --> 01:50:36,833
♪ ♪

2072
01:50:52,366 --> 01:50:54,900
♪ ♪

2073
01:50:54,900 --> 01:50:57,066
ANNOUNCER:
Next time, it was a fight

2074
01:50:57,066 --> 01:50:59,266
against America's
most dreaded disease.

2075
01:50:59,266 --> 01:51:02,033
MAN: I don't remember
being afraid that I would die.

2076
01:51:02,033 --> 01:51:03,466
I was afraid
I wouldn't get better.

2077
01:51:03,466 --> 01:51:05,133
ANNOUNCER:
A massive mobilization

2078
01:51:05,133 --> 01:51:07,400
fueled by millions of dimes.

2079
01:51:07,400 --> 01:51:10,066
Two bitter rivals would race
to find a cure,

2080
01:51:10,066 --> 01:51:12,933
culminating in a gamble
with immense promise

2081
01:51:12,933 --> 01:51:14,500
and terrifying risk.

2082
01:51:14,500 --> 01:51:18,933
"The Polio Crusade," next time
on "American Experience."

2083
01:51:18,933 --> 01:51:22,533
Made possible in part
by Liberty Mutual Insurance.

2084
01:51:23,200 --> 01:51:28,100
♪ ♪
♪ ♪