ARGO REVEALS THE OP THAT GOT 6 AMERICANS OUT OF TEHRAN IN 2009
The seizure of the American Embassy in Tehran during 1979 by Iranian militants and the detention of 52 personnel for 444 days is well known. But, for those who have no memory of the event, Argo begins with an explanation. What was kept secret until President Clinton declassified the story in 1997 is that six Americans escaped to the Canadian Embassy, where they awaited rescue or worse. When the Canadian government informs Washington of their plight, plans are discussed at the CIA for their rescue, but they are immediately rejected by Tony Mendez (played by Ben Affleck), who earlier had escorted officials close to the Shah out of the country. Then a complicated if crazy idea emerges. Why not pretend that he and the six are part of a film crew in Tehran to shoot background scenes for a sci-fi movie? Mendez goes to Hollywood to get someone to agree to produce and direct the fake film. Sifting through script proposals, Mendez finds the script for “Argo,” and soon Hollywood is on board, generating publicity that is picked up by a film tabloid. The next step is issuance of a visa for Mendez to enter Iran, approval to film from the Iranian government, and training for the Americans to pretend they are there on business. One day they go filming, and the next day they are to depart Tehran on Swiss Air. That’s the outline of the plot, but the film is really about processes – how the CIA decided, how Hollywood professionals took the bait and generated cover, how Mendez entered Iran, how the six were trained, and the most suspenseful if untrue* part of the film – how they exited the airport in Tehran, step by step, and nearly were caught. As credits roll, several titles explain more background information, photos of the six in real life are on the screen, and there is a voiceover by former President Jimmy Carter. Directed by Affleck, Argo has been nominated for an award as best film exposé of 2011.
Argo is based on a true story with an important gap. Six diplomats, including Robert Anders from the American Embassy in Tehran, somehow got to the Canadian Embassy. But how? The answer is that Somchai (Sam) Sriweawnetr, a Thai chef at the American Embassy, warned them one week in advance that they might become hostages because a takeover was imminent. Using the Thai language, which Iranians could not understand despite their wiretapping, Sam made plans for the six who paid attention to his warning. After staying at Anders’s house one night, Sam arranged to have them housed at the British Embassy, where his wife worked. But the British were nervous about the arrangement, so Somchai found temporary housing one block away. Anders then contacted his friend at the Canadian Embassy, who agreed to take them in. But it was Sam who found a safe route on foot, house by house for several days, until they reached the Canadian Embassy. Sam then hid in Tehran for a year until the hostage crisis was resolved. Later, Senator Paul Tsongas had him rescued, and George H. W. Bush arranged to have Congress make Sam a citizen. Recently, Ben Affleck, who played the CIA agent, apologized to Somchai for a script that did not allow Sam a hero’s role in the film. MH
MH *http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/10/18/the-true-spy-story-behind-argo has the true story.