Narrative #1 Final
Iranian Hostage Crisis
The Iranian hostage crisis was a diplomatic crisis between the United States and Iran which started November 4th, 1979 and ended January 20th, 1981 in which fifty-two Americans were held hostage for four hundred and forty four days. This occurred when Islamist students and militants took over the American Embassy in Tehran. This situation occurred under President Carter (United States) and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (Iran). In the beginning of the hostage crisis the Iranian Government denied any sort of involvement in the whole thing, but its failure to take action against the hostage-takers belied their denial to the situation. In the middle of November in 1979 the Iranian hostage-takers released thirteen women and African Americans claiming they were sympathetic to the minorities. The hostages were initially held in one building until the rescue mission Operation Eagle Claw (which failed) then the hostages were scattered all over Iran to make any other sort of rescue mission impossible. President Jimmy Carter immediately imposed an economic sanction, first he cancelled oil imports from Iran, and then he deported a number of Iranians from the United States, that was followed by freezing about eight billion dollars of Iranian assets in the United States. During the hostage crisis the United States attempted a rescue mission called Operation Eagle Claw off the USS Nimitz and failed. That was where the only casualties in the whole Iranian Hostage Crisis occurred (eight American Service men, 2 American aircraft and an Iranian civilian). After Operation Eagle Claw had failed the Iranians mockingly paraded the wreckage on Worldwide Television. In February of 1980 the Iranians released a list of demands for the hostages release. The list of demands included the return of the Shah, an apology for the United States involvement in Iran (including the coup in 1953) and a promise for the United States to stay out of all of Iran's future affairs. Upon the death of the Shah in July of 1980 and the invasion by the Iraqis in September, Iran became more amenable for the negotiations of the hostages' release. In the final stages of the Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter, given the new parameters, might have been able to bargain with the Iranians. The 11th hour heroics were officially dubbed an "October Surprise" by Ronald Reagan's campaign. Allegations surfaced that William Casey (director of the Reagan Campaign) and some CIA Operatives had secretly met with Iranian Officials in Europe to negotiate the release of the hostages. The American hostages were finally released into United States custody minutes after President Ronald Reagan was sworn into office. The Iranians came to an agreement with Deputy Secretary Warren Christopher. The whole Iranian Hostage Crisis was described as an entanglement of vengeance and mutual incomprehension. Even though the casualty rate was low; the two air-crafts, eight American Service men and Iranian civilian it was still a very tragic situation. In Iran the hostage taking was widely seen as a massive blow against the United States of America.
Works-Cited:
"A Short History of the Department of State: Iranian Hostage Crisis" No date of said publishing.
"United States History: The Iranian Hostage Crisis" No date of said publishing.
http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h2021.html
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