Argo: How the CIA and Hollywood Pulled Off the Most Audacious Rescue in History

by Antonio Mendez

  The second reason Argo worked was its overall outlandishness. It was the proverbial too-crazy–to–be–a–lie story that was impossible to check. It was something that no intelligence officer in his right mind would ever choose for a cover story. And therein was its beauty.

  Most films nowadays are judged to be a success or failure based on the box office receipts. In a way, even though our fake science fiction film never made a dime, in my mind it had had the most successful opening in the history of the cinema. We’d saved the lives of six people—not a bad haul for a film that never existed.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I have told the story of the 1980 rescue of six “houseguests” from revolutionary Iran scores if not hundreds of times over the years. The details of the role of the Canadian government plus significant Hollywood and CIA involvement in planning and conducting the operation were a well-kept secret until 1997. Then, at the CIA’s request, I began to speak out as a way of celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the Agency. The story became a chapter in my first book, The Master of Disguise, then it became an article in Wired magazine, and then a movie script titled Argo, and now it has become a book in its own right.

  The story of Argo seems to have captured the public’s imagination. Those in Hollywood involved in making the movie have expressed enormous enthusiasm for this story, and audiences across the United States have sat rapt as I told them how the CIA went into Iran in the middle of a revolution to rescue six innocent American diplomats hiding in the care of the Canadians.

  In this book I have set forth the actual account of how that rescue was planned and executed. It is an honor to be able to tell this story. To that end I would like to acknowledge those who played a role in the operation.

  First, I would like to thank my wife, Jonna, who is not only my muse, my comrade in arms, and my inspiration, but also a font of ideas and my most insightful and unyielding adviser. I could not have done this without her.

  Equally important, I must nod to a good friend and a true patriot, “Jerome Calloway,” who was responsible for mustering the Hollywood component of these events and many of the good ideas. Unfortunately, even in death we cannot name him, but he was a bona fide genius in his own right.

  I must thank my son Jesse Lee Mendez for the weekends he has given up while home from college. We put this book together on a tight deadline, and although I would wave hello as he arrived and hug him good-bye as he left, we all missed hanging out and catching up. The same goes for his older siblings, Toby and Amanda. We promise to do better.

  I was fortunate to be able to work with Matt Baglio on this project. A seasoned journalist and author, he now divides his time between Rome and California with his wife, Sara, and young son. Matt is a tireless investigative writer, researching the history of Iran that was the backdrop to the story of this rescue operation, interviewing the houseguests, and gaining an outsider’s view of the story unencumbered by the proverbial wilderness of mirrors, the classified details. It was a pleasure to work with him. During the writing of this book Matt and his wife lost her father, Fernando Di Bari, and my heart was and is with them.

  This book would not have happened without the very direct participation of Christy Fletcher of Fletcher and Company in New York. She was a vital part of the making of this book at every turn, and she and her assistant Alyssa Wolff made it a pleasure to move forward each day. Likewise, Joshua Kendall at Viking, assisted by Maggie Riggs, was an enthusiastic editor who cared deeply about the material and gave it careful attention in the editing process. It shows. He took something that was good and made it even better. My thanks to them both.

  My former colleagues at the CIA will, of course, pretty much remain nameless. There are enough details in the book that CIA employees of a certain age will be able to identify their former colleagues and sometimes themselves. Others, at the same time, have been assigned vague, generic names, like “Bob” (sorry Bob), but they know who they are. Unsung heroes, one and all. I hope that the reader will have a better and greater appreciation for the work of the CIA and the people doing that work.

  The houseguests were perhaps the greatest source of new information for this book. Their insights, their points of view, and their experiences bring the human element to an operation that has heretofore been only known as “The Canadian Caper” or “The Rescue of Six Diplomats.” Getting their feelings and experiences down on paper was something that the team managed with great finesse.

  And then, of course, there were the Canadians. We have reached out to many of the Canadians involved in this rescue operation to revisit the history. It was a wonderful experience to work with them to achieve a common goal. From Ken Taylor and his secretary Laverna, recently deceased, to Roger Lucy and on down through the working levels, it was a pleasure to work with our neighbors to the north. While we like to say that “Small Is Beautiful,” it is much, much more. Canada is a true friend to America and I will never forget the pleasure of working with a foreign government that felt so much like my own.

  Thanks, Canada!

  Antonio J. Mendez

  BIBLIOGRAPHY

  Associated Press. “Embassy Escape: American Escaped During Takeover,” Free Lance Star (Fredericksburg, VA), November 14, 1979.

  ———. “9 Got Out of Embassy,” Milwaukee Journal, November 14, 1979.

  Axworthy, Michael. Iran: Empire of the Mind: A History From Zoroaster to the Present Day. London: Penguin Books, 2007.

  Bowden, Mark. Guests of the Ayatollah. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2006.

  “Canada to the Rescue,” Time, February 11, 1980.

  Carter, Jimmy. Keeping Faith: Memoirs of a President. New York: Bantam, 1982.

  Christopher, Warren, Harold Saunders, Gary Sick, and Paul H. Kreisberg. American Hostages in Iran: The Conduct of a Crisis. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1985.

  Daugherty, William. In the Shadow of the Ayatollah: A CIA Hostage in Iran. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2001.

  Eisenhower, Dwight D. Mandate for Change. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1963.

  Gwertsman, Bernard. “6 American Diplomats, Hidden by Canada, Leave Iran,” New York Times, January 30, 1980.

  Harris, Les (director). The Iran Hostage Crisis: 444 Days to Freedom (What Really Happened in Iran). Documentary. Canamedia, 1997.

  Jordan, Hamilton. Crisis: The True Story of an Unforgettable Year in the White House. New York: Berkley Books, 1982.

  Koob, Kathryn. Guest of the Revolution. Nashville: Nelson, 1982.

  Laingen, Bruce. Yellow Ribbon: The Secret Journal of Bruce Laingen. New York: Brassey’s, 1992.

  Mendez, Antonio J., with Malcolm McConnell. The Master of Disguise: My Secret Life in the CIA. New York: Morrow, 1999.

  Pelletier, Jean, and Claude Adams. The Canadian Caper. Toronto: Paperjacks, 1981.

  Roosevelt, Kermit. Countercoup: The Struggle for Control of Iran. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1979.

  Sick, Gary. All Fall Down: America’s Tragic Encounter with Iran. New York: Random House, 1985.

  Triffo, Chris (director). Escape from Iran: The Hollywood Option. Documentary. Harmony Documentary Inc., 2004.

  Vance, Cyrus. Hard Choices: Critical Years in America’s Foreign Policy. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1983.

  Wallace, Robert, and H. Keith Melton. Spycraft: The Secret History of the CIA’s Spytechs from Communism to Al–Qaeda. New York: Plume, 2008.

  Wells, Tim. 444 Days: The Hostages Remember. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1985.

  NOTES

  Chapter 1: Welcome to the Revolution

  11: The final straw for the Eisenhower administration: Eisenhower, Mandate for Change, p. 163.

  12: Upon meeting him, the shah famously said: Roosevelt, Countercoup, p. 199.

  14: Even the U.S. Ambassador to Iran at the time: Sick, All Fall Down, p. 94.

  15: Ironically, the shah was said to be somewhat nervous: Ibid., p. 25.

  15: President Carter visited Iran and reassured: Carte
r, Keeping Faith, p. 437.

  16: In a breakfast meeting at the White House: Ibid., p. 455.

  17: As Graves stood by the window: John Graves interviewed by Wells, 444 Days, p. 39.

  18: To complicate matters, the militants had chosen to launch: Bowden, Guests of the Ayatollah, p. 8.

  18: It seemed as if the students were just going: Bill Belk interviewed by Wells, 444 Days, pp. 40–41.

  19: The plan was to occupy the embassy for three days: Bowden, Guests of the Ayatollah, p. 14.

  19: One lay down in one of the offices on his belly: Bill Belk interviewed by Wells, 444 Days, p. 40.

  20: The last thing Laingen told Golacinski before signing off: Laingen, Yellow Ribbon, p. 13.

  20: Don Hohman, an army medic: Don Hohman interviewed by Wells, 444 Days, pp. 46–47.

  20: the militants had found the structure’s one weak spot: Bill Belk interviewed by Wells, ibid., p. 53.

  21: Golacinski then asked Laingen over the radio if he could go outside: Bowden, Guests of the Ayatollah, p. 42.

  21: The order to do so had been slow in coming from Laingen: Cort Barnes interviewed by Wells, 444 Days, p. 48.

  21: Besides housing the communications equipment: Daugherty, In the Shadow of the Ayatollah, p. 108.

  22: Someone waved a burning magazine in front of his face: Mark Bowden, Guests of the Ayatollah, p. 58.

  22: Golacinski shouted through the metal door: Ibid., p. 58.

  22: John Limbert, a political officer who spoke fluent Farsi: John Limbert interviewed by Wells, 444 Days, pp. 66–67.

  23: Carter was “deeply disturbed but reasonably confident”: Carter, Keeping Faith, p. 457.

  Chapter 3: Diplomacy

  46: Then, on November 12, he cut off: Sick, All Fall Down, pp. 266–67.

  46: In a speech given before a roaring crowd of supporters: Jordan, Crisis, p. 54.

  48: One local radio station in Ohio: Bowden, Guests of the Ayatollah, p. 210.

  48: At another radio station in the Midwest: Ibid., p. 243.

  48: Throughout the interview, Wallace: Ibid., p 200.

  49: In a fit of frustration, Carter told his press secretary: Ibid., p. 139.

  49: The imam was reported to have told the emissary: Sick, All Fall Down, p. 263.

  50: Early on the militants were convinced: Bowden, Guests of the Ayatollah, p. 246.

  50: For instance, when NBC aired the Gallegos interview: Ibid., p. 246.

  51: They seemed eager to believe any conspiracy theory: Sick, All Fall Down, p. 38; Bowden, Guests of the Ayatollah, p. 159.

  51: On another occasion, Colonel Dave Roeder: Bowden, Guests of the Ayatollah, p. 318.

  Chapter 4: Nowhere to Run

  65: Undeterred, the militants smashed through the glass: James Lopez interviewed by Wells, 444 Days, p. 51.

  66: Before entering, he pulled out his pistol: Ibid.; Harris, The Iran Hostage Crisis.

  68: After unlocking the door, Richard Queen: Richard Queen interviewed by Wells, 444 Days, pp. 72–73.

  69: Morefield turned to him and explained: Harris, The Iran Hostage Crisis.

  74: On the morning of November 4, Koob: Koob, Guest of the Revolution, p. 11.

  75: An Iranian voice came through the phone: Ibid., p. 18.

  76: Koob tried hiding in a women’s bathroom: Ibid., pp. 30–31.

  77: It was clear now that the Iranians were hunting down the Americans: Victor Tomseth interviewed by Wells, 444 Days, p. 118.

  77: Tomseth had called the British chargé d’affaires: Ibid.; author interview with Victor Tomseth.

  77–78: Finally, at about five o’clock, Joe called the British embassy: Cora Lijek interviewed by Wells, ibid., p. 118.

  81: At the foreign ministry, meanwhile: Laingen, Yellow Ribbon, p. 19.

  81: On the morning of November 6, they were told: Wells, 441 Days, p. 141.

  81: Tomseth had suspected that their phone conversations: Author interview with Victor Tomseth.

  84: Sam had gotten the news: Ibid.; Victor Tomseth interviewed by Wells, 444 Days, p. 144.

  Chapter 5: Canada to the Rescue

  90: In addition, a few days after the takeover: Wells, 441 Days, p. 226.

  96: On November 21, Taylor received a curious phone call: Triffo, Escape from Iran; author interview with Ken Taylor.

  105: Amazingly, the local newspaper in Lee Schatz’s hometown: Harris, The Iran Hostage Crisis.

  105: In another instance, during a telephone interview: “Embassy Escape: American Escaped During Takeover,” Free Lance Star, Nov. 14, 1979; “9 Got Out of Embassy,” Milwaukee Journal, Nov. 14, 1979.

  106: Not five days after the houseguests had left Koob’s: Harris, The Iran Hostage Crisis; author interview with Victor Tomseth.

  Chapter 7: Assembling the Team

  133: The various ideas being floated for the houseguests ranged: Harris, The Iran Hostage Crisis; author interview with Roger Lucy.

  133: she would put them on bicycles and have them ride for the Turkish border: Triffo, Escape from Iran: The Hollywood Option.

  Chapter 8: Cover Story

  145: As President Carter wrote in Keeping Faith: Carter, Keeping Faith, p. 478.

  147: Of course, while this seemingly innocuous scene: Robert Ode interviewed by Wells, 444 Days, p. 208.

  147: A few were annoyed when one of the ministers: Sgt. Paul Lewis interviewed by Wells, 444 Days, p. 208.

  Chapter 9: Hollywood

  161: in looking for help to design a new miniature camera: Wallace and Melton, Spycraft, pp. 89–90.

  161: Another example saw OTS techs working with: Ibid., p. 198.

  Chapter 11: A Cosmic Conflagration

  199: On one occasion, Ken Taylor’s wife, Pat: Author Interview with Ken Taylor.

  Chapter 15: The Escape

  276: Back at the Canadian embassy, Ambassador Taylor: Author interview with Ken Taylor.

  Chapter 16: Aftermath

  280: Jean Pelletier of Montreal’s La Presse: Pelletier and Adams, The Canadian Caper, p. 224.

  280: Pelletier, however, claimed that his “instincts” were: Ibid., p. 225.

  280–81: Soon after, the story was picked up by: Ibid., p. 228.

  281: Eventually a vague reference would be made: Gwertzman, “6 American Diplomats, Hidden by Canada, Leave Iran,” New York Times.

  281: On January 30, the U.S. Congress: “Canada to the Rescue,” Time.

  283: Down at the U.S. embassy, meanwhile, it was reported: Ibid.

  283: Though perhaps the most famous response: Harris, The Iran Hostage Crisis.

  283: When asked about it later, Lee described the moment: Ibid.

  288: whom Carter would later describe as having the reputation: Carter, Keeping Faith, p. 485.