Part II: 1979 Hostage Crisis – Options

On November 17, the Office of the State Department Historian released its records on the hostage affair. Students seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979 to protest the Carter administration’s decision to take in the ailing former shah for medical treatment. Student leaders later said their intention was to hold the embassy for a few days, but 52 Americans ended up being held for 444 days. U.S.-Iran relations have never recovered from the crisis. The U.S. records were categorized into five topics. This piece covers the second category on U.S. options, with links to the other four topics:

• First Responses
• Options (full report below)
• Negotiations
• Rescue Mission
• Covert and Overt Operations

Related Material: “The Carter Administration”

 

Options

74. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting

75. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense Brown to President Carter

76. Memorandum From Secretary of State Vance to President Carter

77. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting

78. Memorandum From Gary Sick of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)

79. Paper Prepared by the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Saunders)

80. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter

81. Paper Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

82. Minutes of a National Security Council Meeting

83. Minutes of a National Security Council Meeting

84. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)

85. Memorandum From the Special Assistant for Counter Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency (Kalaris) to Director of Central Intelligence Turner

86. Memorandum From the National Intelligence Officer for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe (Horelick) to Director of Central Intelligence Turner and the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence (Carlucci)

87. Briefing Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs (Maynes) to Secretary of State Vance

88. Memorandum From the Inspector General, Central Intelligence Agency (Waller) to Director of Central Intelligence Turner

89. Memorandum From Director of Central Intelligence Turner to the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence (Carlucci) and the Deputy Director for Operations (McMahon)

90. Memorandum From Secretary of State Vance to President Carter

91. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting

92. Telegram From the Executive Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of State (Oxman) to the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Tarnoff)

93. Memorandum From Director of Central Intelligence Turner to Secretary of State Vance and the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)

94. Memorandum From Gary Sick of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)

95. Telegram From Secretary of State Vance to the Department of State and the White House

96. Report Prepared in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research

97. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting

98. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting

99. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Saunders) and the Director of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (Bowdler) to Secretary of State Vance

100. Paper Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

101. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Saunders) to Secretary of State Vance

102. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting

103. Memorandum of Conversation

104. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting

105. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter

106. Briefing Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Saunders) to Secretary of State Vance

107. Minutes of a National Security Council Meeting

108. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense Brown to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)

109. Editorial Note

110. Record of a Special Coordination Committee (Intelligence) Meeting

111. Memorandum From Gary Sick of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)

112. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter

113. Memorandum From William Odom of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) and the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Aaron)

114. Memorandum From Secretary of the Treasury Miller to the Special Coordinating Committee and the National Security Council

115. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting

116. Memorandum From Acting Secretary of State Christopher to President Carter

117. Memorandum for the Files

118. Summary of Conclusion of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting

119. Memorandum From William Odom of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)

120. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting

121. Draft Annex B (Intelligence) to JTF Oplan I–80 (Operation Rice Bowl)

122. Minutes of a National Security Council Meeting

123. Memorandum of Conversation

124. Memorandum From the Director of the Policy Planning Staff (Lake) to Secretary of State Vance

125. Handwritten Note From Director of Central Intelligence Turner to Secretary of State Vance

126. Memorandum for the Record

127. Memorandum From Gary Sick of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)

128. Editorial Note