00:00:23.140 - 00:02:00.870

ah. Mhm. And we're uh yeah. Uh mm hmm. Mhm mm. Mhm. I'm doing it and mhm. Mhm. Uh huh. Okay. The U. S. Embassy in Tehran has been invaded and occupied by Iranian students. Americans inside have been taken prisoner will be held as

00:02:00.870 - 00:02:30.300

hostages until the deposed shaw is returned from the United States. United States of America will not yield to international terrorism or to blackmail. They came in and they took all of us blindfolded us, tied our hands behind our bags and they took us. Will you release

00:02:30.300 - 00:03:00.060

the hostages? And when will you release them For 444 days. These were the images that paraded across our television screens and burned themselves into our consciousness. It was the time when America was held hostage. An event that restructured our political landscape and to a large extent

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reshaped our lives. It began 10 years ago. This is a special edition of abc news Nightline reporting from Washington ted koppel. If you were not exactly tuned into the news in those days, if you were living in an east bloc country for example or if you

00:03:28.390 - 00:03:44.100

were 11 years old and adjusting to life in the fifth grade, you can't begin to understand what a huge story it was For one thing we were convinced since the early 1950s when the CIA helped the young shot of the throne of Iran. We were convinced

00:03:44.100 - 00:04:00.360

that US and Iranian interests were all but identical. In fact during the early 1970s when Washington was still obsessed with events in Indochina and when the OPEC countries imposed an oil embargo in order to drive oil prices up it was Iran and the shot to whom

00:04:00.360 - 00:04:16.820

the United States turned to keep selling us oil and to protect us interests in the Persian Gulf for both reasons. Because we needed all that oil and because we wanted Iran to be our military surrogate in the Persian gulf, the United States sold billions of dollars

00:04:16.820 - 00:04:37.670

worth of sophisticated weapons to the Shah. Our military worked hand in glove with his military are Central intelligence agency maintained a warm collegial relationship with his secret police. Savak when there were reports of internal dissent in Iran and then corollary reports of human rights abuses. Savak

00:04:37.680 - 00:04:58.020

told the C. I. A. That the dissenters were communists, that the stories of human rights abuse were propaganda. And Washington didn't push very hard to verify those stories. In fact, on New Year's eve, as 1977 gave way to 1978 President jimmy carter was in Tehran toasting

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the health and the stability of the Shah and his government, Iran, because of the great leadership of the shaw is an island of stability in one of the more troubled areas of the world. In point of fact, the shot was not healthy, he was dying of

00:05:19.800 - 00:05:38.030

cancer and his government was not stable. It was about to be toppled by an exile. A stony faced near mystical cleric living on the outskirts of paris within a matter of months, this man, the Ayatollah Khomeini ended his own exile, arriving back in Iran, just two

00:05:38.030 - 00:06:01.030

weeks after the Shah Reza Pahlavi went into exile himself. And the cozy relationship between Tehran and Washington came to an end. And then on October 22, 1979, the Shah, desperately needing sophisticated medical attention came to the United States and in Iran it was as though a

00:06:01.030 - 00:06:20.400

giant boil had burst. What followed almost immediately was to become for the President of the United States, the greatest ordeal of his term in office and joining us now from Atlanta, the man who was then President of the United States, jimmy carter Mr President, that that

00:06:20.400 - 00:06:34.150

famous toast of yours on New Year's Eve 77-78. Where you referred to the Shah of Iran as being this island of stability in the sea of trouble. Did you know better at the time? And was that just a diplomatic thing to do or why? Why did

00:06:34.150 - 00:06:50.360

you say that? Well, the show had dealt with seven or 8 presidents at that time and I think it was accurate to say that Iran was an island of stability as far as we knew it then. I had met with the shaw briefly in Washington about

00:06:50.360 - 00:07:02.360

a month before that I pointed out that he had serious troubles at home. He assured me there was just a tiny number of people, They're all communists and so forth. So I think I was expressing an opinion then that was shared by so far as I

00:07:02.360 - 00:07:19.640

know, every leader, every security organization, every intelligence organization in the Western world. How surprised were you when really only a few months later the shower was forced to flee his own country. Well, at the time he was forced to flee. It wasn't a surprise because we

00:07:19.640 - 00:07:35.280

had seen the build up of it. We gave the shaw every support that we could urging him to bring democracy and to his country. But the show was always, you might say a day late and a dollar short. He did some good things, putting good people

00:07:35.280 - 00:07:51.720

in as prime minister on occasion, but he never gave them quite enough authority, quite enough responsibility to let the people know that the show was sincere with the benefit of hindsight. Now, Mr President should you have been a tougher on the Shah in terms of trying

00:07:51.720 - 00:08:04.670

to force him into making accommodations with some of his opponents or be perhaps tougher on the opponents and just said, look, he may be someone else said later on, the son of a bitch, but at least he's our son of a bitch. We tried to get

00:08:04.670 - 00:08:20.010

the shot to honor the basic principles of democracy and human rights, which he was inclined to do it the last few months under intense pressure. And and to bring about a realization among the Iranian people that that the shark could survive, but that some form of

00:08:20.010 - 00:08:35.190

democratic government would have to be instituted. Whether people would have a right to choose their own prime minister, their own cabinet members and their own parliament. This show was never quite willing to do that until it was too late. There is one other great question of

00:08:35.200 - 00:08:48.840

in the in the hindsight variety that now comes as we approach in this program. Now the taking of the hostages and that was the decision that you ultimately made to permit the shower who was gravely ill at that time to come to the United States and

00:08:48.840 - 00:09:03.270

receive medical attention again with the benefit of hindsight. Would you have done it any differently? Well, I was one of the last ones I think in the whole administration that was willing to let the shaw come in. I was convinced by personal importune it ease from

00:09:03.270 - 00:09:16.450

the Secretary of State, the deputy Secretary of State, the doctors who had examined the show that the only chance that he had to extend his life was to come to new york for treatment. And before he came, I notified the Prime minister and the Foreign Minister

00:09:17.040 - 00:09:34.210

of Iran with whom we were working quite harmoniously that this would take place. They promised me both the Foreign minister and the Prime Minister, they would protect our people provided this show did not participate in any sort of political activities or make political statements. While he

00:09:34.210 - 00:09:51.850

was in the United States with that arrangement, then we let the shot come in and they were determined to honor that commitment after the students uh took the show and took me took the embassy, captured our people for two or three days. I think even uh

00:09:52.240 - 00:10:05.240

the Ayatollah Khomeini was in doubt about what to do. Then his son went to the embassy and it became obvious that it was a popular thing to do. The Prime minister and the Foreign minister uh bazargan and Yazdi resigned in protest against this violation of a

00:10:05.240 - 00:10:19.370

commitment that they had made to us that our embassy would be protected. But again, and just very quickly, if you would, my question was given the benefit of hindsight, would you have done it any differently? Ultimately, you made the decision to let him in. Ultimately, it

00:10:19.370 - 00:10:33.770

was the President's decision. I think it was the right decision. Uh If I had known that the hostage would be taken and so forth, I certainly may have had second thoughts, but that was an impossibility. The main thing that I had to address after the hostages

00:10:33.770 - 00:10:48.690

were taken was two things. One is to protect the lives and the safety of every hostage and bring each one back to safety at the same time to protect the honor And the integrity and the interest of my country. Although it took a lot longer than

00:10:48.690 - 00:11:12.890

I had wanted to. I think we succeeded in both cases, Mr President, we're going to move on now and when we come back we'll see what happened during those 444 days of captivity. This is abc news Nightline brought to you by M. C. I. Right. We

00:11:12.890 - 00:12:03.570

really saved I like it. I like you loud and clear out like you close a near C. I. I like my M. C. I. If you think the new honda accord coupe looks good on television, you should see it on the road and the new accord

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from Honda, you have to drive it to believe it please. When you receive your Christmas seals remember over 23 million Americans suffer from chronic lung disease. So if you support the work of the American Lung Association, there's no telling who you might help Sunday on

00:13:14.590 - 00:13:35.320

David Brinkley. The 89 vote, the critical issues, the mudslinging and the chances for America's first black governor. Sunday at a special time. We'll be continuing our conversation with former President Carter a little later. But first a quick refresher on some of the highlights during that 444

00:13:35.320 - 00:13:54.030

days that the hostages were held. Here's Nightline correspondent James walker. It was on a Sunday night in November 1979 that many Americans first learned about the incident in Tehran. That would become a national obsession. The US embassy in Tehran has been invaded and occupied by Iranian

00:13:54.030 - 00:14:08.860

students. The Americans inside have been taken prisoner the next day. The Ayatollah sent his son ahmed to the embassy as a demonstration of support for the students that night they burned the american flag and delivered their battle cry. Give us the shaw and we will free

00:14:08.860 - 00:14:22.720

the hostages in answer to the question, are we considering handing him over? Are there any plans to do so or to meet that demand? The answer is no. The Shah was in a new york city hospital because president jimmy carter acting at the urging of the

00:14:22.720 - 00:14:42.270

Shah's longtime friends, Henry Kissinger and David Rockefeller allowed him to enter the U. S. For treatment of cancer in Tehran. Khomeini supporters saw that as a CIA conspiracy to return the shot to his throne. Just as the US had done 26 years earlier. On the third

00:14:42.270 - 00:15:04.140

day of the embassy takeover, the students warned the US not to intervene militarily decided to do something like and to report a disease in Uganda. If they want to do something like this to release these opposites will not be sure that that same day Khomeini effectively

00:15:04.140 - 00:15:21.780

forced Iranian Prime Minister bargain considered a friend of the west to step down. Khomeini turned over power to a group called the Revolutionary Council. U. S. Officials felt they were now dealing with a phantom government. Two americans. The pictures from Iran, we're not reassuring tens of

00:15:21.790 - 00:15:39.880

thousands of angry protesters converged daily on the US embassy shouting death to America death to carter in this chaos. The students kept center stage parading another of the hostages for the world to see in Washington. President carter said the US would not buckle under to Iranian

00:15:39.880 - 00:15:59.870

threats. Ours is not a country that responds or ever will respond to intimidation or blackmail. To intensify the pressure, carter imposed economic sanctions, halting oil imports from Iran and freezing billions of dollars of Iranian assets held in US banks, Ayatollah Khomeini then raised the stakes, charging

00:15:59.870 - 00:16:24.580

the hostages were spies in the US. The great satan was impotent carter tries to frighten us on the economic front. He does not have the military courage to attack US. Victory will belong to the people who are sitting on waves of oil. The repeated threats were

00:16:24.580 - 00:16:41.520

mixed with moments of hope. We do know we're leaving. The Iranians released 13 hostages. Eight black men and five women in time to go home for thanksgiving. Two weeks later, the U. N. Security Council voted unanimously to urge Iran to give up the hostages but the

00:16:41.520 - 00:17:06.380

Iranians ignored the UN. Just as it ignored every international attempt to resolve the crisis, Christmas 1979, day 52 the students scored a public relations coup. They allowed three US clergymen to visit the hostages then released these pictures which tugged at the heartstrings of an America that

00:17:06.380 - 00:17:25.080

could do nothing but watch the frustration of the hostages was matched by the frustration of their families. On day 142 of the embassy takeover Dorothy. A more field wife of hostage. Richard moore Field appeared on Nightline and confronted Iranian diplomat Ali Aga. How can you continue

00:17:25.080 - 00:17:52.770

to hold these innocent people? Well, mrs Murphy and how Could you remain silent in the past 27 years when your government was involved in torturing killing and and doing all kinds of corrupt action against our people? We tried, we failed and we have paid a price.

00:17:53.160 - 00:18:09.060

The bodies of eight young americans still lie in the Iranian desert, victims of the tragic end to a daring and dangerous attempt to rescue the hostages in Tehran. In July one obstacle to the release of the hostages was removed when the Shah died in Egypt but

00:18:09.060 - 00:18:30.260

Tehran's intransigence did not waver. Iran was at war with Iraq. It desperately needed weapons and supplies but the hostage crisis had isolated Iran from much of the world. If the hostage issue had become a handicap for the Iranians, it had also become an insurmountable handicap for

00:18:30.260 - 00:18:49.730

jimmy carter's reelection bid. But even in defeat, he continued to press for negotiations. Finally, a deal was worked out. It included the return of $8 billion dollars in Iranian assets. The money's in the bank. Our action is complete. Iran is being notified through Algeria that the

00:18:49.730 - 00:19:07.340

money sir, that's all you need to tell them. Day 444, I Ronald Reagan do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States. 30 minutes after Ronald Reagan

00:19:07.340 - 00:19:38.460

became president of Iran, freed the 52 hostages. I'm James walker for Nightline. When we return, we'll go back to former president carter and to a question that's been whispered about for years. Did republicans try to make a deal for the hostages behind his back accidents happen?

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hear the quality, you can see the quality, you can feel the quality and the way it handles. Thanks. That's what happens at board mercury and Lincoln's when quality is job one, How far will a woman go for this man? I certainly don't need to resort to

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Erica and I have free agents. Free love doesn't work seems to work for me. I enjoy going out with Jack. I'm not interested in a man who sleeps around my Children at abc news. We have a singular mission to report to you what is happening in

00:21:12.200 - 00:21:36.680

the world completely accurately in a timely and unbiased fashion. And because more americans get their news from abc news than from any other source, we take that mission very seriously. You can see it in our faces. Abc news where America's choice. Yeah. Are you ready for

00:21:36.680 - 00:21:58.710

the football? A monday night party. Hey, we have frank and al and dan ready to get a good time started. They've got the teams on the field and the turn of the lights. The rowdy friends are here for monday night. Wait, it's the time that is

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right. All my rowdy friends are here on monday night monday time on the job could cost you your job, age discrimination. The price we all pay when business places too little value on experience. I really feel like I have an awful lot to offer. Finally an

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organization that helps not so old workers get jobs and feel good watch peter Jennings on abc world news tonight, monday here. President carter was in the waning hours and minutes of his administration. Uh not even having time to uhh reflect on his presidency or his last

00:22:43.920 - 00:23:07.450

hours in the white house or his last several hours at his desk. But waiting and listening and talking and prodding to try to have this agreement Consummated by the time he left office. Right on man. That's great. That's great. As Ham Jordan said, these were the

00:23:07.450 - 00:23:27.470

hours during which normally if you hadn't been asleep, you would have been able to reflect on your presidency. And and as you look back on that now, why was it so important to you that those hostages be returned during those last few hours? Well, as after

00:23:27.470 - 00:23:45.090

the election was over and I knew that I would not have a second term. We tried to inform President Reagan and his secretary of state elect who was mr Hague general hey about the hostage situation. They refuse even to be briefed on the subject. So it

00:23:45.090 - 00:23:59.570

became very apparent to me and to all those who worked with me that if we didn't get the hostages out before we left office, that it was highly unlikely that within the next number of months a successful effort might be made to accomplish that goal. Uh

00:23:59.580 - 00:24:19.300

I didn't even go to bed between saturday night and uh and Tuesday when the inauguration took place, we were negotiating and perhaps one of the most complicated international of political Arrangements that had ever been seen. We're talking about $12 billion. A number of nations involved in

00:24:19.300 - 00:24:37.100

three different languages. Our chief negotiator was in a foreign country in algiers. And uh we were negotiating with a man who until then had been totally irresponsible, had refused even to talk to an american. We were successful at the last minute on Tuesday morning of inauguration

00:24:37.100 - 00:24:52.550

day. We knew that all the hostage were loaded into the airplane, that the airplane was sitting on the end of the runway ready to take off. And as I left for inauguration ceremonies, I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that our negotiations had been successful. They

00:24:52.550 - 00:25:04.690

left the airport just a few minutes after I was no longer president. And I can say that in spite of the fact that I turned over the reins of a great nation as president to my successor, he was one of the happiest moments, one of the

00:25:04.690 - 00:25:19.050

happiest days of my life. At which point mr. President did you become aware of? And I'm sort of exaggerating a little bit that there were Iranians in the United States and Iranians back in Tehran and in Algeria is quite literally standing there with walkie talkies saying

00:25:19.050 - 00:25:33.790

carter is not out yet. Don't let him go just yet. At which point did you realize that there was a conscious effort on their part not to let the hostages go while you were still officially president? Well, there was a lot later before that conjecture that

00:25:33.790 - 00:25:50.230

analysis became prevalent. Uh warren Christopher, the Deputy Secretary of state was in Algiers. And he had informed me quite early that morning that that all the negotiations were over, that the total agreement has been reached between me and Ayatollah between Americans and Iranians, That the hostages

00:25:50.230 - 00:26:02.360

were transported to the airport, they would take over take off momentarily. We really expected them to take off when they got there about 10:00 that morning. And of course, I didn't know what was going on, except that we were waiting for the word that they had

00:26:02.360 - 00:26:20.390

cleared Iranian airspace so that it could be announced. I never have understood and never have tried to understand why the Ayatollah uh refused to let the plane depart until after I left office. Whether it was just a personal animosity towards me or something else I've never

00:26:20.390 - 00:26:39.750

understood. Well, I'd like you to listen now if you would to an interview that we did with the man who used to be your chief Iranian advisor on the National Security Council, Navy Captain Gary sick, Richard Nixon went off to London and discussed an independent rescue

00:26:39.750 - 00:27:00.310

mission with a british helicopter manufacturer and a group of retired british commandos that they were going to put together an independent rescue mission. After the Nixon contact in London. Uh there were reportedly a series of meetings in september and october building up to a sort of

00:27:00.310 - 00:27:23.810

crescendo in The 19th and 20 October in Europe, in which it's alleged that people affiliated with the republican campaign met with Israelis and Iranians among others, and supposedly to work out some kind of a deal about the hostages. The other thing was the magnitude of the

00:27:23.810 - 00:27:44.040

arms shipments to Iran that began from Israel immediately after the Reagan administration came in. Uh the quantities were really very substantial and what I've now learned from several very reliable sources is that it was not just a wink and a nod on the part of the

00:27:44.040 - 00:28:01.690

american government, but in fact, the Israelis provided lists of weapons to the United States for approval at each stage along the way. And the fact that the Reagan administration would come in and as one of its first actions, approve really very substantial arms deliveries to Iran

00:28:01.900 - 00:28:19.900

apparently without asking any questions, strikes me as very strange indeed. Yes. Put that together for a moment with what you told me a little bit earlier in this segment, namely that representatives of the Reagan administration didn't even want to be briefed on what was going on

00:28:19.900 - 00:28:36.490

in the negotiations. Have you ever had any kind of suspicion up to and including this moment, that there was some kind of a deal that had been struck between the Reagan administration or the Republican Party and the Iranians? Yes, I've had suspicions, but I don't have

00:28:36.490 - 00:28:54.620

any evidence and I've never sought any evidence. Uh President Barry Sada, who was the leader of Iran then working under the Ayatollah Khomeini has made public statements on several occasions to responsible news reporters that there was a deal made. I've never tried to find out if

00:28:54.620 - 00:29:11.030

this allegation is true is I agree with Gary sick who's probably one of the most knowledgeable people about the entire incident that it is mind boggling just to think about, you know, american leaders at a time of crisis for our country when the lives of the

00:29:11.030 - 00:29:28.340

hostages were at stake and when their safety was pre eminent to be doing anything that would subvert the efforts of their own government. I might say that the things that we attempted in the White House were shared within the maximum boundaries with both President Ford and

00:29:28.340 - 00:29:44.830

President Nixon. So they were privy to what we were doing. Uh And if things were going on behind the back of american officials by which we were not familiar, then that is strange. Indeed. I still don't know the truth of the allegations. And when we come

00:29:44.830 - 00:30:10.880

back Nightline's Jeff Greenfield looks at the impact of what was most certainly one of our longest running media events another day is turned tonight. Close your eyes say, goodnight salmon egg most to help you fall asleep safely without worry. Sominex, Goodnight. If they could see you

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00:32:32.210 - 00:32:56.330

then it is still being debated. Now the impact of putting television and terrorism together. Here's Nightline correspondent Jeff Greenfield. You have seen these images dozens maybe hundreds of times. And therein lies a tale of crisis in an age of mass media because what happened a decade

00:32:56.330 - 00:33:13.100

ago. Did not simply happened at an embassy in Tehran. It happened here on television on tens of millions of screens night after night. And the questions raised by that fact remain with us. To this day he was turned to face reporters and cameramen and several 100

00:33:13.110 - 00:33:29.030

Iranian demonstrators outside the embassy's gates. Did the television cameras did the ability to transmit dramatic pictures around the world at the speed of light, exaggerate the story making of it more than it was. They didn't have a choice. Uh I think they really had to treat

00:33:29.030 - 00:33:42.790

it as a major story. They did not have to have to saturate it and overkill the story of the way they did. Yet look at all the forces combining to encourage massive coverage. The Iranian militants were out to prove a point to the world and to

00:33:42.790 - 00:34:00.240

the people inside Iran the networks, this one in particular recognized an emotionally riveting tale and a chance to do what it had wanted to do in the field of news for some time when the hostage crisis occurred, we started doing specials every night for a short

00:34:00.240 - 00:34:16.380

period of time Thinking it might be two weeks, It actually turned out to be 444 days. But in the process, having made that pledge, we then took an ad telling the public that and we were committed. But it also proved that after the life or death

00:34:16.390 - 00:34:36.610

aspect of the crisis had subsided somewhat. And we had to just make interesting programs about issues that people continue to watch and the american administration had its interests as well. And on the top of the great christmas tree is a star of hope. We will turn

00:34:36.610 - 00:34:58.150

on the other lights on the tree when the american hostages come home For the Carter administration policy and politics fused together behind one key goal, keep the hostages front and center. If the administration had not been a willing participant in this elevation of a terrible story

00:34:58.150 - 00:35:24.520

into a national obsession, the media could not have stood with it. The what are the outpouring of emotion here at home? The yellow ribbons, the surge of empathy in which we could literally see firsthand the anguish of the hostages families. Yeah, clearly the coverage kept the

00:35:24.520 - 00:35:38.400

hostages at the center of our concern. But what if wider foreign policy interests had demanded that those hostages be put at risk perhaps to teach terrorists that they could not get away with such tactics in the future? Did tv in effect tie the hands of government

00:35:38.400 - 00:35:56.660

decision makers by making the hostage's safety so critically important to all of us, to the extent that the saturation coverage of this by television put the heat on the president always to be thinking constantly of the lives of the diplomats that were involved. I suppose one

00:35:56.660 - 00:36:15.700

could argue that to that extent he was more restrained in any kind of a rescue mission or military action, The Iran crisis and what are the networks, daily reminder of the crisis the day by day countdown Day 47 the saturation coverage of the one year anniversary

00:36:15.710 - 00:36:32.470

on Election Eve, 1980. Good evening november 4th a day to remember on this date in 1979 american citizens became hostages in Iran in the end, most believe the same hostage crisis that helped jimmy carter fend off. A primary challenge from ted Kennedy hurt him badly in

00:36:32.470 - 00:36:49.680

november. I think at the end of day, all that public attention on the plight of the hostages was good for nobody. It was not good for the hostages. It was certainly not good in the long run for jimmy carter's political fortunes. It was not really good

00:36:49.680 - 00:37:07.790

when it comes down to the larger question of hostage taking. Did the media learn anything from this first hostage crisis, observers are skeptical. When the T. W. A 8 47 hostage crisis came along in 1985 all the guidelines that were, had been written in all the

00:37:07.790 - 00:37:23.940

critiques that had been devolved after the Iranian crazies were instantly forgotten. And putting competition and all sorts of other extraneous issues way ahead of what was in the best interests of the country and the best interests of the hostages in the best interests of anybody except

00:37:23.940 - 00:37:42.940

perhaps, uh, tv ratings. The Iran crisis demonstrated one of television's great strengths, the capacity to deliver powerful, moving images from around the world in an instant, it also showed one of television's endemic weaknesses. The tendency to throw such images at us wrenched out of historical or

00:37:42.940 - 00:38:01.350

political context. And ironically, one attempt to provide that missing context resulted in the birth of a new kind of news show. This one, I'm Jeff Greenfield for Nightline in new york continuing Now our interview with former president, jimmy carter, I know Mr President, how galling it

00:38:01.350 - 00:38:20.110

must have been to you when we came on night after night, America held hostage. Day 44, day 96, 126 when Walter Cronkite over on CBS would end each newscast by announcing the number of days that Americans have been held hostage. And I don't know whether it

00:38:20.110 - 00:38:36.510

is possible. I know you try very hard to be an objective human being. Give me your assessment of the role that the media played, both good and bad. Well, I know that I was relieved on occasion when the Ayatollah would exclude the western media from the

00:38:36.510 - 00:38:58.110

streets of Iran because then the threats against the hostages would die down. The public demonstrations would die down absent television cameras. Uh Iran became much more moderate in its attitude toward the crisis itself. And I think that although the evening news broadcast cast, including what later

00:38:58.110 - 00:39:13.970

became Nightline emphasize the concern about the hostages. It was a level of concern that I shared. Oh, it wasn't something that was stirred up by the news media that wouldn't otherwise have prevailed? It is a concern about the hostages. I I think though that on the

00:39:13.970 - 00:39:30.230

other hand instead of being just critical of the media that worldwide attention focused on the hostages help to protect their lives. Very shortly after the hostage were taken, I sent word to the Ayatollah by several means that if he put a hostage on trial, which he

00:39:30.230 - 00:39:44.350

was threatening to do that, we would interrupt all commerce between Iran and the outside world. If he injured or killed a hostage, we would retaliate militarily and so he was under that constraint. But I think that the world knowing that if a hostage died it would

00:39:44.350 - 00:39:59.780

be a very serious international conflict likely was a was a very restraining factor that protected the lives of our hostage and helped to bring every one of them back home safe and free. We'll hear more from former president carter a little later. But next when we

00:39:59.780 - 00:40:38.840

come back a look at Iran today, Six years ago a new car maker called Lexus began a relentless pursuit of luxury of performance and of safety introducing the Lexus LS 400 luxury sedan Lexus. The result of our relentless pursuit of perfection. Hey this isn't your regular

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old party mix. No, this is chris fix mix and crispy toasted chris so it makes your party mix extremely crunchy. Thank you. I like you love it. Clear. I like you close and near I like my M. C. I. I get more more. I like my

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M. C. I. On one life to live. Could any of you forgive a woman who stole your baby? Well that's what she did. How could they be so cruel your sister? She heard a lot of people Gabrielle listen to me. You can't give up. I'm sorry.

00:41:23.080 - 00:41:38.850

No you earned every drop of my daughter's blood. I think you deserve another chance to prove yourself. If you were a member of that jury, what you thought to have me convicted defendant will rise and face the jury one like to live weekdays starting saturday it's

00:41:38.850 - 00:41:54.050

the weekend. Funny I'll be here all weekend first. Mr belvedere tackles the fear of flying. You just watch me walk on that plane but don't make the true and living dolls. Try a tackle of their own. There's a limousine right outside and Kirk Cameron just got

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out of it. Yes yes. Then cruise into sunday. Well that baby can whole asphalt free laughs free spirit and get loose. Set your body free on home room the weekend. Funny saturday and sunday are you ready for the football? A monday night party. Hey we have

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frank and al and dan ready to get a good time started. They've got the teams on the building the turn of the lights the around friends are here for monday night, week after week it's the time that is right. All my rowdy friends are here on

00:42:33.880 - 00:42:53.290

monday night when the Ayatollah Khomeini died last june it seemed for a brief moment. There might be some hope for a change in relations between the United States and Iran. But whatever may come in the future this much is sure things can never again be what

00:42:53.290 - 00:43:13.740

they once were. Bill Redeker reports from Tehran before Iran's revolution. More than 100,000 Americans lived here in Tehran, a virtual us colony. But that was when the shaw ruled this oil rich nation. The triumphant return from exile of the Ayatollah Khomeini changed all of that. America

00:43:13.740 - 00:43:33.150

became identified with the shaws corrupt and repressive regime for student revolutionaries. The takeover of the U. S. Embassy was there storming of the Bastille today. The embassy is a training school for the Revolutionary Guard and officially anti Americanism remains the dominant theme in this country's foreign

00:43:33.150 - 00:43:57.750

policy. The site of a foreign television news crew After friday prayers still produces chance of death to America. Ibrahim Oscars are was in charge of the students holding american diplomats hostage. In 1979. Now 34 years old, he is a member of the Iranian parliament. The policy

00:43:57.750 - 00:44:14.810

of the United States is still imperialist and is aimed at dominating this country. America will take any chance it gets to overthrow our revolution. Oscars are says the american downing of an Iranian passenger jet in which 290 people were killed last year is proof of what

00:44:14.810 - 00:44:33.280

he calls America's evil intentions towards Iran. The shooting down of our plane proved to all Iranians that americans are our enemies but not all Iranians toe the government line. We like the people of the United States. Why not? First of all you must be honest and

00:44:33.280 - 00:44:47.570

good in our relation and after that we will talk about it. But are americans ready to talk to a state that many believe is linked to some of the most notorious acts of anti american terror acts that most americans believe were carried out by pro Iranian

00:44:47.570 - 00:45:20.350

groups. Bankrolled by Tehran the images are indelible. Mhm but Iranians deny their countries involved directly or even indirectly. Iran always gets accused of sponsoring terrorism around the world. What do you think of that accusation? No, this is you know, this is just an accusation, it's just

00:45:20.350 - 00:45:42.990

an accusation. You're not sure about that. Many americans look at Iran and they only think of terrorism. You see that's not so you can find terrorists everywhere. But what about here? You see everywhere, but there is no place quite like revolutionary Iran where even five months

00:45:42.990 - 00:46:00.740

after his death the beliefs of Ayatollah Khomeini still dominate life here to win Western confidence that Iran's new president Hashemi Rafsanjani knows Iran must lose its terrorist image. One way would be to resolve the issue of Western hostages held in Lebanon by The pro Iranian radical

00:46:00.740 - 00:46:19.110

Shiite group Hezbollah seen here on a recent visit to Tehran Hezbollah leaders have had their funding from Iran cut in half. But Hezbollah also has powerful backers among Iranian hardliners like Ali Akbar Hashemi, so called Godfather of Hezbollah who helped establish the group in the early

00:46:19.110 - 00:46:37.930

1980s and is Rafsanjani's most bitter political foe. At a recent news conference in Tehran, rafsanjani said that relations with the United States were possible if America returns billions of dollars in Iranian assets frozen in banks after the takeover of the embassy. He also said the U.

00:46:37.930 - 00:46:56.140

S. Must help win the release of Iranians kidnapped by christian militiamen in Lebanon but there are also signs that rafsanjani's room to manoeuvre is limited by his battle with the hardliners to avoid giving them ammunition in a country that views Hezbollah as good Muslims, rafsanjani still

00:46:56.140 - 00:47:18.300

calls the group freedom fighters. So with the political struggle still undecided rafsanjani has been unable to consolidate his power One decade after the US Embassy was seized America and Iran in November 1989 seem as far apart as ever this is Bill Redeker for Nightline in Tehran.

00:47:18.880 - 00:47:36.110

When we come back, we'll hear from jimmy carter on what the U. S. Might do to change that situation. The conclusion of our interview in a moment, we got the Toyota Camry because we both need a car with a lot of rooms. Mrs Martino has like

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about 10 suitcases full of junk she packed in their comfort trips when we travel and I both have a lot of stuff. But it's never a problem loading the camera. Mr Martino has like about one suitcase this big but he gets the dry. I love what

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closed caption decoder, it can open up a wonderful world to so many for so many reasons. Someone you know could probably benefit from closed captioning the joy of motion pictures, Television. Live news can be seen understood and enjoy. But there's more closed captioning can help teach

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Children to read and even help fight adult illiteracy for more information. Please call this number. Damn. Don't you move money be running back. Give your category childproof your home. Mhm And back once again with former president carter. It's it's probably difficult. Mr President to think of

00:50:11.310 - 00:50:30.550

another country in the world toward which americans generally feel greater hostility. Uhh even today, 10 years after the fact than Iran, how long do you think that is going to survive? And do you think we can never get back to the point where the clear mutual

00:50:30.550 - 00:50:47.600

interests that do exist between the United States and Iran can be allowed to prevail again? Well, one thing that's most often forgotten is that from the time this shawl left until the hostage were taken, we were rebuilding good relationships with Iran both politically and also economically

00:50:48.060 - 00:51:02.440

and I think that's a very strong possibility or likelihood in the future. I think leadership from the White House from the State Department could very quickly change the attitude of american people. Most would like to see some moderate leadership in Iran strengthened by our friendship and

00:51:02.440 - 00:51:23.450

by commerce being restored by economic benefits. It would be mutual. I am hoping that in the aftermath of the of the Ayatollah Khomeini is life that rafsanjani and others maybe maybe you nasty and bazargan who was there before. Those kind of people can play a role

00:51:23.450 - 00:51:41.560

that would let Iran uh demonstrate to our people in this country that they generally when they won't restored and uh friendly relationships. One of the things that our government could do is to use present opportunities through intermediaries if necessary. Or perhaps even direct talks with Iran

00:51:41.820 - 00:51:56.670

to get them to help with the release of the hostages. I don't know what the present policy is, but I know in the previous administration there was a prohibition against any kind of talked with Iran, Iranian leaders or representatives even either director indirectly to lead to

00:51:56.670 - 00:52:14.270

this uh to this goal. So, I am hopeful and and I expected over a period of time we can restore the damaged relations not completely, but set them on a road back toward normal normalcy. Is it ever possible Mr President And is it desirable from the

00:52:14.270 - 00:52:34.550

U. S. Point of view that the United States ever acknowledge That perhaps we made some mistakes, not not after the hostage taking in 1979, but during that period uh of several decades preceding it, when the United States and Iran had a very very close relationship, but

00:52:34.550 - 00:52:52.260

where sometimes the people suffered because of it. That would be hard to do. I think not only because of the character of governments admitting fell abilities, but I don't know, I don't believe there's an objective analysis would show that the people suffered worse under the shaw

00:52:52.930 - 00:53:10.090

than they did under the Ayatollah Khomeini. I think the abuses of human rights, unnecessary killings. The devastation brought on the country. The war that was continued under against Iraq. All these things were decisions made by the Ayatollah. I think they brought much more suffering, much more

00:53:10.090 - 00:53:23.990

isolation, much more permanent damage to the Iranian people then did the policies of the shaw. Although some of the policies of the show, we're not compatible with their own standards of what a democratic government ought to be. When we come back a look at some of

00:53:23.990 - 00:54:10.310

the people we came to know during the hostage crisis and what's happened to them since. Okay, special. K the fat one of these guys is a pro photographer. Once a dentist with the autofocus E 07 50. It's tough to

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Because the man who makes a model that sits flush with the cabinets. So you get a built in look without pairing up the kitchen like you're a man of charlie and I get it built in look without the built in price and it's it's lush. I

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see that. Do you? Yes. Do you see that? I see that you don't see anything when you know exactly what you want, Amanda, How far will a woman go for this man? I certainly don't need to resort to tricks to get a man's attention. All is

00:55:10.940 - 00:55:25.350

fair in love and war Brooke is going out received in Jackson Montgomery. She is not to your brother. Just because you don't have a man. Don't try to steal mine. Oh, I didn't know Jack was wearing your brand. Erica and I are free agents. Free love

00:55:25.590 - 00:55:45.660

doesn't work seems to work for me. I enjoy going out with Jack. I'm not interested in a man who sleeps around my Children at abc news. We have a singular mission to report to you what is happening in the world completely accurately in a timely and

00:55:45.670 - 00:56:11.090

unbiased fashion. And because more americans get their news from abc news than from any other source, we take that mission very seriously. You can see it in our faces Abc news where America's choice. Immediately after the hostages were seized, the first american television correspondent to reach

00:56:11.090 - 00:56:29.500

Tehran was bob dyke of abc news and because the Iranian suddenly stopped issuing visas for several days bob was the only american television correspondent in Tehran. We asked him to put together a piece for us on some of the other people you may remember from that

00:56:29.510 - 00:56:47.870

time 10 years ago at this time I was standing outside the front gate of the U. S. Embassy in Tehran with anywhere from 800 to 1000 demonstrators shouting death to America. Today I'm still out in the open but the streets are much quieter here in Portland

00:56:47.870 - 00:57:03.070

Maine, where I report for the abc affiliate as for the hostages who got a big welcome back in the winter of 1980. New realities laid beyond the ticker tape and the lives of some of the key players have been changed or wiped out over the past

00:57:03.070 - 00:57:22.730

10 years. Iran's Foreign Minister, Sergey Gupta, for example, was condemned by a revolutionary court in 1981 and shot as an alleged U. S. Spy as for the former hostages. I and just about everyone else reported back in 1979 that embassy press attache Barry Rosen was the

00:57:22.730 - 00:57:42.830

man behind the blindfold for the record. Rosen says, this is communications officer jerry mealy. We're retired from the State Department in 1984. As for the real Barry Rosen these days, he's in charge of public affairs at Brooklyn College. Former economics officer Moorehead Kennedy lectures and prepared

00:57:42.830 - 00:58:02.580

this commercially available hostage crisis simulation which gives young people a chance to experience firsthand the complicated issues involved in dealing with a similar situation. Former Sergeant Bruce Langen retired from the Foreign Service a couple of years ago to become executive director of a nonprofit commission looking

00:58:02.580 - 00:58:17.480

for ways to strengthen the services of government. But former Embassy guard in Marine Sergeant William gallegos is currently looking for work in Denver and there were those who struggled on behalf of the US to free gallegos and the others. Former Deputy Secretary of State and chief

00:58:17.480 - 00:58:34.060

negotiator warren Christopher has left government to head up law firm in Los Angeles. I had been almost obsessed by this problem. I've had some responsibility for selecting some of those who went to the embassy and I over the time had begun to feel a very personal

00:58:34.060 - 00:58:54.420

responsibility so without making it too personal, I did feel an enormous sense of gratitude and relief. Cyrus Vance who resigned as Secretary of state following the aborted attempt to rescue the hostages, moved on to practice international law in new york. State department spokesman Hodding carter who

00:58:54.420 - 00:59:12.500

had the unwelcome daily task of briefings. Journalists on the crisis has now become one on television which brings us to the man who spearheaded A. B. C. S coverage of the crisis frank Reynolds. He was in the chair night after night anchoring world news tonight in

00:59:12.500 - 00:59:34.600

the early editions of a nightly update called America held hostage which gave birth to Nightline Frank died in the summer of 19 Koppel in Washington. For all of us here at ACC News. Good night abc news Nightline brought to you by Amana. This has been Nightline

00:59:34.610 - 01:00:15.130

if you wish a printed transcript of this or any Nightline broadcast, please send $3 to Nightline transcripts to 67 broadway new york new york one triple 07 or call area code 21 to 2 to seven R. E A D. This

01:00:15.130 - 01:00:34.860

has been a presentation of abc news where more americans get their news than from any other source. Tomorrow. Somebody wants something from me, one of America's all time favorites. Oh, the bases covered. So far. Telly. Savalas is back in an all new coach, Jack. It all

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stops here, The season premiere of the abc saturday mystery tomorrow.