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 fifth category on covert and over operations, with links to the other four topics:
Graffiti on the wall of the former U.S. Embassy, which is now a museum. (©Robin Wright)
• First Responses
• Options
• Negotiations
• Rescue Mission
• Covert and Overt Operations (full report below)
Related Material: “The Carter Administration ”
Covert and Overt Operations
270. Memorandum From Gary Sick of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
271. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
272. Memorandum for the Record
273. Paper Prepared in the Department of State
274. Memorandum From Stanley T. Escudero of the Office of United Nations Political Affairs, Bureau of International Organization Affairs, to Gary Sick of the National Security Council Staff
275. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee
276. Memorandum From Gary Sick of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
277. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
278. Summary of Conclusions of a Policy Review Committee Meeting
279. Paper Prepared in the Department of State
280. Briefing for Secretary of State Muskie
281. Briefing Memorandum From the Director of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (Spiers) to Secretary of State Muskie
282. Message From the Department of State to the Swiss Ambassador to Iran (Lang)
283. Memorandum of Conversation
284. Memorandum of Conversation
285. Message From the Swiss Ambassador to Iran (Lang) to the Department of State
286. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
287. Briefing Memorandum From the Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Constable) to the Deputy Secretary of State (Christopher)
288. Memorandum From Gary Sick of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
289. Memorandum for the Record by Director of Central Intelligence Turner
290. Action Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Saunders) to the Deputy Secretary of State (Christopher)
291. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
292. Memorandum From Gary Sick of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Aaron)
293. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter
294. Message From the Department of State to the Swiss Ambassador to Iran (Lang)
295. Message From the Swiss Ambassador to Iran (Lang) to the Department of State
296. Memorandum for the Record
297. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Saunders) to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Newsom)
298. Memorandum for the Record by the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence (Carlucci)
299. Paper Prepared by the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Saunders)
300. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Algeria
301. Memorandum From the Commander of the Joint Task Force (Vaught) to the Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Pustay)
302. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Saunders) to Acting Secretary of State Christopher
303. Action Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Saunders) to the Deputy Secretary of State (Christopher)
304. Memorandum From Director of Central Intelligence Turner to the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence (Carlucci) and the Deputy Director for Operations, Central Intelligence Agency (McMahon)
305. Message From the Swiss Ambassador to Iran (Lang) to the Department of State
306. Message From the Swiss Ambassador to Iran (Lang) to the Department of State
307. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
308. Editorial Note
309. Letter From Congressmen Guyer, Fascell, Gilman, and Broomfield to Acting Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Yadollah Sahabi and Members of the Iranian Parliament
310. Memorandum From Secretary of State Muskie to President Carter
311. Editorial Note
312. Message From the Department of State to the Swiss Ambassador to Iran (Lang)
313. Editorial Note
314. Memorandum From William Odom of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Aaron)
315. Memorandum for the Record by the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence (Carlucci)
316. Memorandum From the Deputy Director for Operations, Central Intelligence Agency (McMahon) to the Commander of the Joint Task Force (Vaught)
317. Briefing Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Saunders) to Acting Secretary of State Christopher
318. Memorandum From Gary Sick of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
319. Memorandum From Gary Sick of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Aaron)
320. Memorandum of Conversation
321. Editorial Note
322. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter
323. Intelligence Information Cable Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency
324. Message From the Swiss Chargé to Iran (Kaiser) to the Department of State
325. Memorandum From Gary Sick of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
326. Editorial Note
327. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
328. Memorandum From Director of Central Intelligence Turner to the Deputy Director for the National Foreign Assessment Center, Central Intelligence Agency (Clarke), and the Deputy Director for Operations, Central Intelligence Agency (McMahon)
329. Message From the Swiss Chargé to Iran (Kaiser) to the Department of State
330. Memorandum for the Record by the Chief of the Near East and South Asia Division, Directorate of Operations, Central Intelligence Agency (Cogan)
331. Summary of Conclusions of a Policy Review Committee Meeting
332. Memorandum From Secretary of State Muskie to President Carter
333. Paper Prepared by the Head of the Iran Working Group, Department of State (Saunders)
334. Handwritten Note From President Carter to Director of Central Intelligence Turner
335. Memorandum From the Commander of the Joint Task Force (Vaught) to the Director of the Joint Staff Hanson and Service Operations Deputies
336. Memorandum of Conversation
337. Memorandum From Fritz Ermarth and Marshall Brement 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)
338. Memorandum From the National Intelligence Officer for Near East and South Asia (Ames) to Director of Central Intelligence Turner and the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence (Carlucci)
339. Action Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Saunders) to Acting Secretary of State Christopher
340. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter
341. Message From the Joint Chiefs of Staff Intelligence Directorate (J–2) Snowbird to the Deputy Director for Operations, Near Eastern Affairs, Iran Task Force, Central Intelligence Agency
342. Memorandum From Acting Director of Central Intelligence Carlucci to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
343. Paper Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency
344. Message From Secretary of State Muskie to Prime Minister Rajai
345. Letter From Director of Central Intelligence Turner to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Jones)
346. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
347. Memorandum From Secretary of State Muskie to Secretary of Defense Brown and the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
348. Memorandum From Gary Sick of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
349. Message From Joint Task Delta to 1st Special Operations Wing, 101st Airborne (Air Assault) and 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment
350. Memorandum From the National Intelligence Officer for Near East and South Asia (Ames) to Director of Central Intelligence Turner and the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence (Carlucci)
351. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Sweden
352. Memorandum for the Record by Director of Central Intelligence Turner
353. Memorandum From William Odom of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
354. Memorandum From the Chief of the Near East and South Asia Division, Directorate of Operations, Central Intelligence Agency (Cogan) to Director of Central Intelligence Turner
355. Memorandum From William Odom of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
356. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
357. Letter From the Family Liaison Action Group to President of the Consultative Assembly of Iran Rafsanjani
358. Memorandum From Director of Central Intelligence Turner to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
359. Editorial Note
