Unveiling My Memorable ‘Argo’ Experience in Iran Following CIA’s Declassification of Documents
Long story. True story.
The CIA just declassified another piece of this undisclosed never-before-told near-life-and-death experience. I lived through it.
1979. Tehran. Shah in jeopardy. Iran tearing apart. Ayatollah in charge. Embassies shutting. Americans fleeing. Diplomats hiding. Fear. Terror. Danger. People killing people. The hostage crisis.
2012. Ben Affleck directed and starred in the Oscar-winning film “Argo.” Its story was of rescuing those US diplomats who 32 years before had hidden in the Canadian Embassy.
I know. I was there.
I knew His Majesty Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi. I’d interviewed him not only then in his Saad Abaad palace but also when his royal entourage came here. At the exact time of this story I was in Iran’s upcountry Isfahan — a guest at his twin sister HRH Princess Ashhraf’s Shah Abbasi hotel.
Rumors of unrest floated around. A movie theater suddenly set upon. People hurt, savaged. Word came to leave Isfahan. Safety couldn’t be guaranteed in such rural environment. But how? This was not my country. My connections. My language.
Somehow somewhere a local plane was provided. I didn’t know the pilot who spoke no English. It was 200 miles to Tehran. In the capital city, without goodbyes, customs, tickets, seats or opportunity to recoup my necessaries, palace people or maybe even from our embassy since I never got to thank them threw me on a Pan Am jet heading to the USA.
I’ve reported before about our embassy’s 14-month standoff. Panic in the streets. Angry crowds. Rebels had overthrown the Shah. It was “Death to Americans” who were captured/beaten/tortured. Canada’s envoy, my dear friend, the late ambassador Ken Taylor, played in the film by Victor Garber, hid the six diplomats who became part of the “Argo” story. Affleck personally showed the film to ambassador Taylor.
I retell this only because just now the CIA has declassified more of the story.
‘American’ all-stars
Ded. 15 brings the film “American Fiction,” a satire of black culture. Won people’s choice at Toronto Film Festival. Largely African American cast.
Star Jeffrey Wright: “It’s relevant, super tricky age-old themes. My character just wants to be a free man in his own skin.”
Tracee Ellis Ross: “Much to navigate in how society makes sense of our culture, and who we are.”
Leslie Uggams: “Now people live longer which creates different responsibility. It’s an African American family who strive to be better because they must. We have our flaws but basically, we all love each other.”
An unfare time
The end of Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur brings up this Sammy Davis Jr. bit: “Years ago, in the South, a bigot bus driver told me to sit in the back. ‘But I’m Jewish,’ ” Sammy protested. “In that case,” shouted the driver, “You need to get off altogether.”
There exists still one position that hasn’t yet been filled in the current White House administration — a president.
Only in Washington, kids, only in Washington.
