All language subtitles for Spy Wars s01e05 Escape from Tehran.eng

af Afrikaans
sq Albanian
am Amharic
ar Arabic
hy Armenian
az Azerbaijani
eu Basque
be Belarusian
bn Bengali
bs Bosnian
bg Bulgarian
ca Catalan
ceb Cebuano
ny Chichewa
zh-CN Chinese (Simplified)
zh-TW Chinese (Traditional)
co Corsican
hr Croatian
cs Czech
da Danish
nl Dutch Download
en English Download
eo Esperanto
et Estonian
tl Filipino
fi Finnish
fr French
fy Frisian
gl Galician
ka Georgian
de German
el Greek
gu Gujarati
ht Haitian Creole
ha Hausa
haw Hawaiian
iw Hebrew
hi Hindi
hmn Hmong
hu Hungarian
is Icelandic
ig Igbo
id Indonesian
ga Irish
it Italian
ja Japanese
jw Javanese
kn Kannada
kk Kazakh
km Khmer
ko Korean
ku Kurdish (Kurmanji)
ky Kyrgyz
lo Lao
la Latin
lv Latvian
lt Lithuanian
lb Luxembourgish
mk Macedonian
mg Malagasy
ms Malay
ml Malayalam
mt Maltese
mi Maori
mr Marathi
mn Mongolian
my Myanmar (Burmese)
ne Nepali
no Norwegian
ps Pashto
fa Persian
pl Polish
pt Portuguese
pa Punjabi
ro Romanian
ru Russian
sm Samoan
gd Scots Gaelic
sr Serbian
st Sesotho
sn Shona
sd Sindhi
si Sinhala
sk Slovak
sl Slovenian
so Somali
es Spanish Download
su Sundanese
sw Swahili
sv Swedish
tg Tajik
ta Tamil
te Telugu
th Thai
tr Turkish
uk Ukrainian
ur Urdu
uz Uzbek
vi Vietnamese
cy Welsh
xh Xhosa
yi Yiddish
yo Yoruba
zu Zulu
or Odia (Oriya)
rw Kinyarwanda
tk Turkmen
tt Tatar
ug Uyghur
Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:10,553 --> 00:00:14,805 In the world of spies, A cover story and an alias must be watertight. 2 00:00:16,383 --> 00:00:18,809 This requires more than just convincing paperwork. 3 00:00:20,146 --> 00:00:22,062 It's how you look, what you say, 4 00:00:23,399 --> 00:00:29,069 The way you act, And it means staying in character no matter what. 5 00:00:32,825 --> 00:00:37,402 This is the remarkable story Of how one man used inspiration from hollywood 6 00:00:37,413 --> 00:00:43,167 To school six frightened diplomats In the art of being someone else, 7 00:00:43,243 --> 00:00:49,048 And score a victory for the cia, In one of the darkest moments for american foreign policy. 8 00:01:49,068 --> 00:01:52,227 Iran was in the grip of an islamic revolution. 9 00:01:59,153 --> 00:02:03,831 Led by the shia cleric ayatollah khomeini, Anti-american demonstrators had taken 10 00:02:03,907 --> 00:02:06,166 To the streets in their thousands. 11 00:02:14,260 --> 00:02:19,805 Amid the chaos cia officer, tony mendez, Entered tehran on a covert mission. 12 00:02:22,926 --> 00:02:29,064 To rescue a group of six american diplomats From almost certain death. 13 00:02:36,940 --> 00:02:37,906 Among the group 14 00:02:39,285 --> 00:02:42,369 Were u.S. Embassy officials mark and cora lijek. 15 00:02:46,950 --> 00:02:52,504 Four decades on, The lijeks lead quiet lives In a quiet corner of washington state. 16 00:02:53,957 --> 00:02:59,845 But back in the summer of 1979, This young married couple were looking for adventure. 17 00:03:01,473 --> 00:03:06,476 I had completed my four years in the army And went to work for the foreign service. 18 00:03:06,553 --> 00:03:09,554 I was asked to volunteer to go to tehran. 19 00:03:09,565 --> 00:03:13,141 I agreed to help reopen the tourist visa unit. 20 00:03:13,152 --> 00:03:14,893 I actually was very excited about it. 21 00:03:14,904 --> 00:03:19,448 My parents had lived there for four years, And I'd visited twice before. 22 00:03:20,409 --> 00:03:23,327 Tehran was very cosmopolitan. 23 00:03:23,403 --> 00:03:26,321 Most of the women I saw were dressed in western clothing, 24 00:03:26,332 --> 00:03:28,999 So it seemed like it'd be a fun place to go. 25 00:03:30,327 --> 00:03:33,337 But the lijeks touched down To an iran in turmoil. 26 00:03:39,511 --> 00:03:43,764 Well, I arrived after a very long and arduous flight. 27 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:46,091 The airport was chaotic. 28 00:03:46,101 --> 00:03:49,436 Things were unstable and people were not calm. 29 00:03:51,523 --> 00:03:56,351 I was met by somebody from the embassy, So that kind of got me past the worst of it. 30 00:03:56,362 --> 00:04:04,117 But then we got in the van, And I noticed that the driver Just drove through all the red lights. 31 00:04:04,194 --> 00:04:07,704 Washington d.C. Had no idea What was actually happening in tehran. 32 00:04:09,124 --> 00:04:14,869 In January 1979, U.S. Ally shah mohammed reza pahlavi 33 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:17,839 Had been ousted from power by the ayatollah khomeini. 34 00:04:21,053 --> 00:04:26,047 The white house was now friendless in the region, And completely in the dark 35 00:04:26,058 --> 00:04:27,975 About the actions of the new regime. 36 00:04:29,803 --> 00:04:35,315 U.S. President jimmy carter and the cia Had been slow to react to the escalating crisis. 37 00:04:38,487 --> 00:04:41,813 The cia station in tehran At the time was minuscule, 38 00:04:41,824 --> 00:04:46,743 With just one person basically keeping the store open 39 00:04:47,329 --> 00:04:49,654 Bill daugherty arrived at the american embassy 40 00:04:49,665 --> 00:04:53,917 In tehran in the immediate aftermath of the shah's ousting. 41 00:04:53,994 --> 00:04:57,838 He was fresh out of cia training And thrown in at the deep end. 42 00:04:59,833 --> 00:05:02,834 It was my first overseas assignment. 43 00:05:02,845 --> 00:05:05,595 I didn't know anything about the country. 44 00:05:05,672 --> 00:05:07,514 I didn't speak the language. 45 00:05:07,591 --> 00:05:09,182 I didn't know anything about their culture. 46 00:05:09,259 --> 00:05:11,351 I knew nothing about islam. 47 00:05:12,938 --> 00:05:17,983 Bill daugherty's mission was to buildup A cia station that was operating with a skeleton crew. 48 00:05:20,112 --> 00:05:24,114 He faced an uphill struggle To cultivate potential agents and informants. 49 00:05:26,526 --> 00:05:32,331 For an iranian to be seen with an american Was not particularly appropriate. 50 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:37,210 That individual could go back And be called a spy and could lose his job 51 00:05:37,287 --> 00:05:43,717 Or even be arrested or worse Just for being with an american government official. 52 00:05:45,304 --> 00:05:49,014 The real concern I had was not making a mistake 53 00:05:50,634 --> 00:05:52,225 And getting caught. 54 00:05:52,302 --> 00:05:57,230 There could have been enormous consequences For being caught doing espionage work. 55 00:06:04,815 --> 00:06:09,242 The american embassy in tehran Was a maze of buildings in a vast walled 56 00:06:09,319 --> 00:06:11,244 Compound in the heart of the city. 57 00:06:13,082 --> 00:06:16,917 On the second floor of the main building Was the cia station. 58 00:06:17,836 --> 00:06:23,581 I was in my office writing cables From what I'd done the night before. 59 00:06:23,592 --> 00:06:26,343 The demonstration was outside, And it was larger than usual. 60 00:06:28,514 --> 00:06:30,514 But I was ignoring it. 61 00:06:32,509 --> 00:06:34,768 I was told by people who had been there, 62 00:06:35,679 --> 00:06:37,095 "don't worry about the demonstrations. 63 00:06:37,106 --> 00:06:40,107 "they happen all the time," and so I didn't. 64 00:06:45,856 --> 00:06:49,116 That morning no one inside the american embassy 65 00:06:49,192 --> 00:06:52,944 Noticed the demonstration outside was near boiling point. 66 00:06:56,291 --> 00:06:58,875 Hundreds of students were heading Towards the embassy building. 67 00:07:04,458 --> 00:07:06,508 These seemed to be young people. 68 00:07:07,711 --> 00:07:09,136 We didn't see any weapons. 69 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:16,726 There was concern, But the embassy was supposed to be a fortress. 70 00:07:17,888 --> 00:07:22,149 On the other side of the embassy compound, Mark and cora lijek were oblivious 71 00:07:22,225 --> 00:07:24,225 To the imminent danger. 72 00:07:37,416 --> 00:07:40,575 We both were working in the visa section. 73 00:07:40,586 --> 00:07:41,910 Yeah, okay. 74 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:45,547 Our building was not near the front, So maybe we didn't hear some of it. 75 00:07:46,500 --> 00:07:47,749 We couldn't see what was going on. 76 00:07:47,759 --> 00:07:49,676 We were quite a distance away. 77 00:07:53,006 --> 00:07:57,893 But by now the students had begun To scale the embassy main gate and walls. 78 00:07:59,354 --> 00:08:02,597 To avoid a bloodbath, Washington ordered the u.S. Marines 79 00:08:02,608 --> 00:08:05,275 Guarding the compound to hold their fire. 80 00:08:06,945 --> 00:08:11,448 We had been told time and time again That the embassy was a secure facility. 81 00:08:11,525 --> 00:08:16,620 Even if the iranians came over the wall And tried to attack the embassy, 82 00:08:16,696 --> 00:08:19,113 It was virtually impregnable. 83 00:08:19,124 --> 00:08:22,042 I think it took them about 30 minutes to break into it. 84 00:08:23,962 --> 00:08:28,507 The chief of station then told me to destroy the documents 85 00:08:28,959 --> 00:08:32,794 That were in the vault in my office. 86 00:08:34,139 --> 00:08:37,715 By 10.30 a.M., As daugherty began to shred anything 87 00:08:37,726 --> 00:08:42,804 That could expose the nature of his work for the cia, A group of angry students broke 88 00:08:42,814 --> 00:08:44,731 Into the main embassy building. 89 00:08:48,728 --> 00:08:53,240 They seized everyone they could find To be paraded before the baying mob. 90 00:08:55,494 --> 00:08:58,995 The iranian hostage crisis had begun. 91 00:09:03,410 --> 00:09:07,045 They came in and they started Blind folding and tying hands. 92 00:09:08,832 --> 00:09:13,051 One of the first ones that they took away Was one of the marine security guards, 93 00:09:14,680 --> 00:09:17,589 And I'll never forget the look on his face Because he didn't wanna surrender. 94 00:09:17,599 --> 00:09:19,173 He wanted to fight. 95 00:09:22,354 --> 00:09:26,606 Somebody claimed they smelt smoke, And that they were gonna burn the building down. 96 00:09:31,196 --> 00:09:33,947 People started saying they heard footsteps on the roof. 97 00:09:35,701 --> 00:09:40,528 The visa office was one of the few buildings In the compound with its own exit to the street. 98 00:09:40,539 --> 00:09:44,032 It was kind of a decision point. 99 00:09:44,042 --> 00:09:45,116 We should leave the building. 100 00:09:45,127 --> 00:09:46,876 Everybody, come on let's go. 101 00:09:46,953 --> 00:09:50,130 In all, 13 embassy workers made a break for it. 102 00:09:51,791 --> 00:09:54,542 But, in the confusion they were forced to split up. 103 00:09:56,305 --> 00:09:58,129 We were all supposed to go left. 104 00:09:58,140 --> 00:09:59,973 Nobody was supposed to go right. 105 00:10:02,135 --> 00:10:06,896 Those who turned right Fell into the hands of the iranian revolutionary guards. 106 00:10:08,233 --> 00:10:09,390 We went the other way. 107 00:10:09,401 --> 00:10:10,567 We went left. 108 00:10:10,644 --> 00:10:13,820 We went toward the british, Which was what we were supposed to do. 109 00:10:15,657 --> 00:10:19,075 The safety of the british embassy Was just over a mile away. 110 00:10:20,495 --> 00:10:24,664 But the lijek's escape route Was blocked by angry demonstrators. 111 00:10:26,743 --> 00:10:29,085 The situation was descending into chaos. 112 00:10:29,162 --> 00:10:31,338 They were now attacking other embassies. 113 00:10:31,414 --> 00:10:35,091 It was clear that this thing was getting pretty nasty. 114 00:10:36,762 --> 00:10:41,431 Alone on the streets of a hostile city And with no specialist training, 115 00:10:41,508 --> 00:10:44,851 The fugitive diplomats faced capture and even death. 116 00:10:46,521 --> 00:10:49,314 Help would come from the most unlikely of sources. 117 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:56,780 In November 1979, In the wake of the fall of the u.S. Embassy in tehran, 118 00:10:56,856 --> 00:11:00,867 53 americans had been taken hostage By islamic revolutionaries. 119 00:11:01,778 --> 00:11:04,704 The ayatollah refused to negotiate with president carter, 120 00:11:05,624 --> 00:11:11,586 And he ordered his men to interrogate All the american prisoners to root out cia spies. 121 00:11:13,707 --> 00:11:16,207 Here was not an embassy. 122 00:11:16,218 --> 00:11:17,801 It was a cia center. 123 00:11:18,795 --> 00:11:25,141 This was a den of espionage Where they were plotting against the iranian people. 124 00:11:27,145 --> 00:11:33,149 Cia officer bill daugherty Was now one of the hostages in the american embassy. 125 00:11:35,562 --> 00:11:40,115 I was taken back to my office Still blind folded, still tied. 126 00:11:46,573 --> 00:11:53,494 I could hear them breaking into safes All up and down the corridor, Basically looting the embassy. 127 00:12:04,015 --> 00:12:07,225 There was a, not a student, But a professional interrogator. 128 00:12:09,095 --> 00:12:15,433 Convinced of a cia plot to crush the revolution, The ayatollah had sent in his top interrogator 129 00:12:15,444 --> 00:12:17,485 To break the will of the americans. 130 00:12:21,199 --> 00:12:28,621 My strategy was what had been Thoroughly indoctrinated into me during my training. 131 00:12:28,698 --> 00:12:34,786 I had a cover story to explain why I was in iran And what my job in the embassy was 132 00:12:34,796 --> 00:12:37,288 As a political military affairs officer. 133 00:12:37,299 --> 00:12:38,381 Most of it was true. 134 00:12:38,458 --> 00:12:39,966 I didn't have to embellish it. 135 00:12:43,138 --> 00:12:50,059 We would start after dinner, And we would go till sunrise, so 12, 13 hours, 136 00:12:50,645 --> 00:12:55,023 And they worked very hard to break down my story. 137 00:12:57,143 --> 00:13:02,313 On the streets of tehran, U.S. Consular officials mark and cora lijek, 138 00:13:02,324 --> 00:13:06,743 And their fellow escapees from the embassy, Were in urgent need of sanctuary. 139 00:13:06,820 --> 00:13:10,404 It's kinda frightening because we just worried Somebody would see us. 140 00:13:10,415 --> 00:13:14,325 There weren't that many foreigners still in iran, And then I have dark hair. 141 00:13:14,336 --> 00:13:19,380 I probably would've blended in a little better, But mark had kind of dirty blonde hair. 142 00:13:20,583 --> 00:13:26,513 In desperation, the lijeks managed To make contact with america's Number two diplomat in the city, 143 00:13:26,589 --> 00:13:31,100 The deputy chief of the american Mission in tehran, victor tomseth. 144 00:13:32,270 --> 00:13:35,763 Tomseth had been across town At the iranian foreign ministry 145 00:13:35,774 --> 00:13:37,941 When the u.S. Embassy had been overrun. 146 00:13:39,018 --> 00:13:43,112 In those early days, The foreign ministry people were still helpful, 147 00:13:43,189 --> 00:13:47,108 So he was allowed to use the phone, And, he, for whatever reason, 148 00:13:47,118 --> 00:13:50,453 He kind of took responsibility for helping us. 149 00:13:50,530 --> 00:13:56,200 Tomseth knew he would be monitored By iranian intelligence, So he decided to call the one person 150 00:13:56,211 --> 00:13:58,369 With whom he could speak freely, 151 00:14:00,957 --> 00:14:04,634 His friend, the embassy chef, sam sriweawnetr. 152 00:14:07,964 --> 00:14:09,347 Victor, speak thai to me, 153 00:14:10,216 --> 00:14:15,395 Because I think he cannot speak english Over there because all iranian could understand. 154 00:14:16,556 --> 00:14:21,651 Tomseth had met sam when he'd worked in thailand, And had given sam a job cooking 155 00:14:21,728 --> 00:14:23,528 For the embassy staff in tehran. 156 00:14:24,656 --> 00:14:29,158 Now he asked him to risk his life To save the diplomats on the run. 157 00:14:29,235 --> 00:14:32,236 Victor tomseth told me, "sam, I've got something new. 158 00:14:32,247 --> 00:14:33,663 "I need your help. 159 00:14:33,740 --> 00:14:35,081 "I need your help." 160 00:14:35,158 --> 00:14:37,491 I said, "yes, anything, you tell me." 161 00:14:37,502 --> 00:14:41,337 He said, "now, sam listen I got the americans. 162 00:14:41,414 --> 00:14:43,998 "can you help them hide them someplace?" 163 00:14:44,009 --> 00:14:45,925 I said, "yes, yes, I will do that." 164 00:14:46,002 --> 00:14:47,427 I think its human to help. 165 00:14:47,503 --> 00:14:49,095 That's what I think. 166 00:14:49,172 --> 00:14:51,264 Some people need help you have to help them. 167 00:14:53,101 --> 00:14:55,676 Under the cover of darkness, sam met the lijeks 168 00:14:55,687 --> 00:14:58,813 And guided them to a safe house belonging to the embassy. 169 00:15:00,358 --> 00:15:03,351 We ran into the house trying not to be seen. 170 00:15:03,361 --> 00:15:04,777 They are scared. 171 00:15:04,854 --> 00:15:07,530 I made the curtain close all the time. 172 00:15:07,607 --> 00:15:11,776 A lot of our fears were Lessened because sam was there. 173 00:15:11,786 --> 00:15:13,620 He was going to take care of us. 174 00:15:13,696 --> 00:15:15,112 He could go out publicly. 175 00:15:15,123 --> 00:15:16,447 He could buy food. 176 00:15:16,458 --> 00:15:21,169 He could buy cigarettes whatever, So as long as we had sam, we had a chance. 177 00:15:22,297 --> 00:15:25,965 Yet, all the time, The threat of capture was closing in. 178 00:15:28,386 --> 00:15:30,219 We had the "tehran times". 179 00:15:30,296 --> 00:15:33,714 They has pictures on the front page of the paper. 180 00:15:33,725 --> 00:15:35,967 They were people in blindfolds. 181 00:15:35,977 --> 00:15:40,229 It was immensely disturbing to me Because that could be us down the road. 182 00:15:41,140 --> 00:15:43,650 I kept thinking, where's our president? 183 00:15:43,726 --> 00:15:45,234 "what is our government doing?" 184 00:15:47,313 --> 00:15:52,650 President carter's plan was to enforce Both economic and diplomatic pressure, 185 00:15:52,661 --> 00:15:55,745 To force the ayatollah to release the american hostages. 186 00:15:57,332 --> 00:15:58,406 It didn't work. 187 00:15:59,834 --> 00:16:06,506 And inside the ransacked embassy The interrogations of american prisoners were intensifying. 188 00:16:08,251 --> 00:16:11,844 He never got excited, never raised his voice. 189 00:16:11,921 --> 00:16:15,264 The only reason I could tell That maybe he didn't quite like an answer 190 00:16:15,341 --> 00:16:19,477 Or two that I might have given him was that He would sort of play with the revolver. 191 00:16:21,848 --> 00:16:24,732 Of course, you can hear those cylinders go click, click. 192 00:16:28,021 --> 00:16:32,323 I did not discount the possibility of an execution, 193 00:16:33,276 --> 00:16:38,029 And I was certainly prepared psychologically, Mentally for that. 194 00:16:38,039 --> 00:16:39,622 I thought about that every day. 195 00:16:46,039 --> 00:16:52,301 Three days after The storming of the u.S. Embassy, Secreted in their safe house across town, 196 00:16:52,378 --> 00:16:56,556 The lijeks began to realize there would be No swift solution to their ordeal. 197 00:16:57,717 --> 00:17:01,644 It was clear that this thing was getting pretty nasty. 198 00:17:01,721 --> 00:17:07,066 There was no government any longer for us to negotiate with Other than the ayatollah personally. 199 00:17:07,143 --> 00:17:15,158 So clearly the situation was descending into chaos, And that made our predicament a lot worse. 200 00:17:16,995 --> 00:17:20,821 It was pretty clear that our absence would be detected. 201 00:17:20,832 --> 00:17:23,750 I mean it was impossible for it not to be detected. 202 00:17:23,826 --> 00:17:25,835 It was only a matter of for how long. 203 00:17:27,422 --> 00:17:31,174 By now iranian revolutionary guards Were examining embassy records 204 00:17:31,250 --> 00:17:36,512 For evidence of u.S. Safe houses Where fugitive diplomats could be hiding. 205 00:17:36,589 --> 00:17:41,008 Sam sriweawnetr sensed the mounting tension on the streets. 206 00:17:41,019 --> 00:17:45,679 When I go shopping buy some food, A lot of thing I see are bad. 207 00:17:45,690 --> 00:17:49,025 Sam actually got worried And thought somebody might be coming. 208 00:17:49,102 --> 00:17:52,019 That I think really heightened our nervousness. 209 00:17:52,030 --> 00:17:54,614 His fear you know was infectious. 210 00:17:54,690 --> 00:17:58,534 I feel not safe for them and not safe for me either. 211 00:17:58,611 --> 00:18:01,621 If they catch the five americans, they're gonna die. 212 00:18:01,697 --> 00:18:04,290 If me, they catch me, I'm gonna be die. 213 00:18:04,367 --> 00:18:08,452 We have to help them out, get out of here. 214 00:18:08,463 --> 00:18:10,955 So the lijeks turn to the one western nation 215 00:18:10,965 --> 00:18:15,209 Whose embassy was not in the ayatollah's crosshairs: Canada. 216 00:18:18,381 --> 00:18:22,642 Zena sheradown's husband, Veteran diplomat john sheardown, 217 00:18:22,718 --> 00:18:26,687 Was the canadian's chief immigration officer In tehran at the time. 218 00:18:27,565 --> 00:18:30,066 He was the lijeks next port of call. 219 00:18:30,977 --> 00:18:34,028 My husband said, "you are all welcome "to come and stay with us." 220 00:18:35,064 --> 00:18:41,652 All you're thinking is, "are we gonna be able to "get them upstairs without being spotted by the 221 00:18:41,663 --> 00:18:44,539 "revolutionary guards who are up and down the street?" 222 00:18:45,491 --> 00:18:49,410 When we left I think sam took it almost as an insult, 223 00:18:49,420 --> 00:18:53,914 Because we couldn't tell him where we were going For his protection as well as ours. 224 00:18:53,925 --> 00:18:56,634 The lijeks made it out in the nick of time. 225 00:18:58,847 --> 00:19:01,180 All the militants come two hours after that. 226 00:19:01,257 --> 00:19:05,017 They come to my apartment, "where's the american, where's the american?" 227 00:19:07,180 --> 00:19:09,522 With a gun pointed to me. 228 00:19:09,599 --> 00:19:11,732 M16 points in my face. 229 00:19:14,103 --> 00:19:16,279 Then I say, "no, I live here by myself. 230 00:19:16,355 --> 00:19:19,106 "nobody here," I tell them that. 231 00:19:21,611 --> 00:19:24,579 They keep looking around, but I clean up already. 232 00:19:25,623 --> 00:19:26,998 After that, they left. 233 00:19:31,621 --> 00:19:36,215 By now the ljieks and their fellow fugitives Had been smuggled from their embassy safe house 234 00:19:36,292 --> 00:19:38,050 And driven to the sheardown's home. 235 00:19:40,471 --> 00:19:46,142 The car I remember pulled into the garage, And then he rushed us inside the house. 236 00:19:49,138 --> 00:19:53,566 We got some scotches and sodas Right away for everybody. 237 00:19:53,643 --> 00:19:55,610 We all needed a stiff drink, 238 00:19:57,071 --> 00:19:59,563 And we started to get to know each other. 239 00:20:02,818 --> 00:20:07,205 The sherdowns figured they had The perfect cover to keep the americans diplomats safe. 240 00:20:09,242 --> 00:20:11,250 I don't think they would suspect us. 241 00:20:11,327 --> 00:20:14,587 Not the canadians they keep to themselves. 242 00:20:14,664 --> 00:20:16,464 They wouldn't say boo to a goose. 243 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:23,012 They sent word back to ottawa, That the fugitive diplomats had arrived safely with them. 244 00:20:27,176 --> 00:20:31,229 Gar pardy was cia liaison for the canadian foreign office. 245 00:20:32,273 --> 00:20:37,101 The first reaction was, "god, we've got them, "and at least they're reasonably safe." 246 00:20:38,446 --> 00:20:43,783 But then the realization that This could go on for some period of time. 247 00:20:43,859 --> 00:20:48,955 It dawned on the canadian officials, The longer they hid their american colleagues, 248 00:20:49,031 --> 00:20:53,584 The greater the chance of canada becoming embroiled In the wider conflict in the region. 249 00:20:54,787 --> 00:20:58,872 The iranians themselves were probably starting To realize that there were some people 250 00:20:58,883 --> 00:21:03,970 That were not accounted for in the 52, And they would be starting to sharpen 251 00:21:04,046 --> 00:21:08,057 Their own investigation, if you like, Their own looking for the six. 252 00:21:08,977 --> 00:21:10,893 And then what do you do at this point? 253 00:21:12,805 --> 00:21:18,609 At the american embassy, Bill daugherty was under increasing pressure To give up key documents. 254 00:21:23,149 --> 00:21:28,035 I got a lot of questions as to why I was in this office with this big vault. 255 00:21:29,747 --> 00:21:33,082 The vault contained All the cia intelligence reports 256 00:21:33,159 --> 00:21:39,171 Bill had been working on when the embassy had fallen, Names, dates, and places. 257 00:21:39,248 --> 00:21:41,332 I kept telling them, "no, I can't open the vault." 258 00:21:43,586 --> 00:21:49,098 Daugherty now believed the iranians Were unlikely to execute him until he'd opened the safe. 259 00:21:50,685 --> 00:21:54,520 Frustrated by how long he had Withstood brutal interrogation, 260 00:21:54,597 --> 00:21:57,097 The revolutionaries now upped the ante. 261 00:21:57,108 --> 00:22:04,363 I wasn't necessarily under the belief That they would actually execute me right away. 262 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:07,941 But then they said, "well, we'll get the secretary "and bring her up here," 263 00:22:07,952 --> 00:22:10,361 And that's when there was decision time. 264 00:22:11,947 --> 00:22:17,001 If he refused to open the safe now, The iranians made it clear they would execute his secretary. 265 00:22:19,205 --> 00:22:24,800 Look there was nothing In that embassy worth dying for. 266 00:22:24,877 --> 00:22:26,126 Not a thing. 267 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:31,140 I said, "okay, the combination's in my wallet." 268 00:22:37,056 --> 00:22:38,647 I'd shredded all the documents. 269 00:22:40,485 --> 00:22:42,693 I thought, "oh, I'm really in trouble now." 270 00:22:45,490 --> 00:22:49,408 Undeterred, the revolutionaries Brought in teams of carpet 271 00:22:49,485 --> 00:22:53,162 Weavers to piece together the fragments of paperwork. 272 00:22:56,409 --> 00:22:59,418 It was only a matter of time before they'd work out That bill was cia. 273 00:23:00,338 --> 00:23:04,215 But that wasn't the only information The iranians would get from the paperwork. 274 00:23:05,334 --> 00:23:10,012 For the six u.S. Fugitives Hiding at the home of a canadian embassy official, 275 00:23:10,089 --> 00:23:13,516 The tension was about to ratchet to breaking point. 276 00:23:18,180 --> 00:23:22,733 By January 1980, The iranian hostage crisis had escalated. 277 00:23:24,529 --> 00:23:30,533 The ayatollah's carpet weavers had reassembled Thousands of pages of shredded cia documents, 278 00:23:30,609 --> 00:23:34,453 Exposing the identities of u.S. Agents And their informants in tehran. 279 00:23:36,874 --> 00:23:42,628 At the canadian embassy, roger lucy observed How this stoked the hatred toward america. 280 00:23:45,133 --> 00:23:51,303 The atmosphere in the city Was getting more and more tense As the students pieced together 281 00:23:51,380 --> 00:23:57,801 More gems from the not-very-well Shredded paperwork at the american embassy. 282 00:23:57,812 --> 00:24:00,637 More and more iranians were getting arrested 283 00:24:00,648 --> 00:24:04,567 Because they'd been mentioned in some american's memo. 284 00:24:04,643 --> 00:24:10,156 Of course, that was almost a death sentence For people who got mentioned in these dispatches. 285 00:24:12,076 --> 00:24:14,067 Trapped in the home of a canadian embassy official, 286 00:24:14,078 --> 00:24:19,907 Mark and cora lijek, and their fellow u.S. Embassy workers, Were feeling the pressure. 287 00:24:21,919 --> 00:24:25,171 We couldn't go out Because we just worried somebody would see us. 288 00:24:27,008 --> 00:24:28,499 People would ring the doorbell. 289 00:24:28,509 --> 00:24:31,084 We'd have to lock ourselves in the den. 290 00:24:31,095 --> 00:24:35,097 Anything unusual, even the phone ringing, It was just, "who's that calling?" 291 00:24:35,174 --> 00:24:39,510 Even if you tried to be rational, You can't totally get it out of your head. 292 00:24:39,520 --> 00:24:43,731 We thought somebody might be coming, And we were afraid they might be coming any minute. 293 00:24:44,934 --> 00:24:49,862 All we would try to do is survive, Survive from one day to the next. 294 00:24:49,939 --> 00:24:51,447 We were on the alert. 295 00:24:51,524 --> 00:24:56,777 Every time I heard a car stop in front, Especially at night, 296 00:24:56,787 --> 00:25:01,207 I would get up and look to see who was out there. 297 00:25:01,283 --> 00:25:05,961 I hardly slept, Probably awake for most of the time. 298 00:25:06,964 --> 00:25:09,373 Eventually it does take a toll. 299 00:25:09,383 --> 00:25:11,792 Yeah, I think, I was a bag of nerves. 300 00:25:11,802 --> 00:25:13,126 How would it end? 301 00:25:21,479 --> 00:25:26,649 On the 71st day of the hostage crisis The united nations security council 302 00:25:26,725 --> 00:25:29,818 Proposed crippling economic sanctions against iran. 303 00:25:30,988 --> 00:25:36,316 But the soviet union saw an opportunity To further weaken american influence in the region, 304 00:25:36,327 --> 00:25:38,902 And vetoed the motion. 305 00:25:38,913 --> 00:25:44,833 With no diplomatic solution in sight, The situation was becoming More dangerous by the day. 306 00:25:47,246 --> 00:25:48,754 I felt abandoned. 307 00:25:48,831 --> 00:25:53,834 I thought that there had to be some options. 308 00:25:53,844 --> 00:25:55,094 That the u.S. Government, 309 00:25:57,840 --> 00:26:01,767 A super power, has been humiliated by the ayatollah. 310 00:26:03,187 --> 00:26:09,433 In ottawa, the canadian government Was becoming increasingly nervous Of hiding u.S. Fugitives, 311 00:26:09,443 --> 00:26:11,902 And being dragged into an american crisis. 312 00:26:15,858 --> 00:26:19,526 Suddenly the canadian press were counting the numbers. 313 00:26:19,537 --> 00:26:25,365 The fact that there were more americans Within the american embassy than the 52 accounted for. 314 00:26:25,376 --> 00:26:30,045 And the journalists were putting all of this together, And that's when the realization 315 00:26:30,122 --> 00:26:33,215 Was we needed to do something fairly quickly for the six. 316 00:26:34,802 --> 00:26:38,712 If the canadian media had worked out There were some western diplomats unaccounted for, 317 00:26:38,723 --> 00:26:43,726 It was only a matter of time Before the iranian revolutionaries did the same. 318 00:26:45,220 --> 00:26:48,722 There was that realization, "god, what do we do here?" 319 00:26:48,733 --> 00:26:53,444 That's when the cia were called in, And things started to get, 320 00:26:54,313 --> 00:26:56,989 I guess you might say, considerably more professional 321 00:26:57,066 --> 00:26:59,908 When it came to the noble art of exfiltration. 322 00:27:01,487 --> 00:27:05,572 To get the american diplomats out, The cia would have to send a man in, 323 00:27:05,583 --> 00:27:08,659 A man with a very special skillset. 324 00:27:10,412 --> 00:27:17,334 When it came to who should the cia go to In the operation to help these six americans 325 00:27:17,345 --> 00:27:20,095 Who were hiding out in tehran, "how can we get them out? 326 00:27:20,172 --> 00:27:21,096 "who is the expert?" 327 00:27:21,173 --> 00:27:22,014 It was tony. 328 00:27:24,343 --> 00:27:27,645 Tony mendez was the cia's exfiltration expert. 329 00:27:28,606 --> 00:27:30,263 His specialty: 330 00:27:30,274 --> 00:27:33,317 Rescuing clandestine agents and political refugees. 331 00:27:34,436 --> 00:27:41,441 Tony knew how to Get people in and out of tough spots. 332 00:27:41,452 --> 00:27:43,443 He'd done this many times before. 333 00:27:43,454 --> 00:27:45,779 He knew the dangers. 334 00:27:45,790 --> 00:27:47,331 He knew what needed to be done. 335 00:27:48,709 --> 00:27:54,129 Over the course of his 14 year career, Mendez became the cia's undisputed 336 00:27:54,206 --> 00:27:56,548 Master of forgery and disguise. 337 00:27:57,802 --> 00:28:03,964 One of the things that tony brought to his work Was this idea of looking outside 338 00:28:03,974 --> 00:28:07,059 The traditional areas of expertise. 339 00:28:07,136 --> 00:28:12,064 So, he wasn't looking at defense contractors and scientists. 340 00:28:12,141 --> 00:28:13,649 He was going to hollywood. 341 00:28:15,144 --> 00:28:19,154 He was working on the sets of movies Learning the techniques. 342 00:28:20,399 --> 00:28:24,493 Mendez applied his hollywood skills To clandestine trade craft. 343 00:28:25,654 --> 00:28:28,414 He turned to costume designers and graphic artists 344 00:28:28,490 --> 00:28:32,668 To provide agents with perfect props and disguises. 345 00:28:32,745 --> 00:28:35,746 It transformed the agency's capabilities. 346 00:28:35,756 --> 00:28:40,000 That was the beginning of making people in the cia Understand that disguise wasn't 347 00:28:40,010 --> 00:28:42,002 Just a bad wig and a fake mustache. 348 00:28:42,012 --> 00:28:47,266 This was the ability to actually turn somebody Into a completely different person. 349 00:28:48,185 --> 00:28:51,094 He took disguise to another level. 350 00:28:52,773 --> 00:28:57,985 But smuggling six terrified american diplomats Out of tehran would be his toughest mission yet. 351 00:28:59,363 --> 00:29:03,106 His first job was, "how can we get them out? 352 00:29:03,117 --> 00:29:08,528 "who are they let's come up with a story "for why they're in tehran." 353 00:29:08,539 --> 00:29:13,784 He knew that at some point these people Were gonna have to go through airport security, 354 00:29:13,794 --> 00:29:18,380 Customs, border controls, And they had no clandestine training. 355 00:29:18,457 --> 00:29:23,877 So he was saying, "we need to create a scenario that they will believe in, 356 00:29:23,888 --> 00:29:29,800 "that will get them to buy into it, "and give them the confidence to escape." 357 00:29:29,810 --> 00:29:35,314 And then he thought, "what about a hollywood location scouting party?" 358 00:29:35,390 --> 00:29:38,058 Everybody knows a little bit of something about hollywood. 359 00:29:39,311 --> 00:29:42,896 Tony mendez knew The more believable the cover story, 360 00:29:42,907 --> 00:29:45,574 The easier it would be for the diplomats to stick to. 361 00:29:46,410 --> 00:29:50,078 So, he set up a fake film production company. 362 00:29:50,155 --> 00:29:53,999 Tony decided to name the company studio six productions. 363 00:29:54,919 --> 00:29:57,878 The connection being the six americans who are hiding out. 364 00:29:58,914 --> 00:30:04,251 Studio six needed a plausible film script, So he called an old hollywood contact, 365 00:30:04,261 --> 00:30:07,346 Award-winning make-up artist john chambers. 366 00:30:08,182 --> 00:30:13,602 At the time john had been given a script About a science fiction movie. 367 00:30:13,679 --> 00:30:18,598 One of the locations was set in a bazaar In a middle easter country, 368 00:30:18,609 --> 00:30:21,235 And tony thought, "you know, this could be perfect." 369 00:30:22,187 --> 00:30:27,699 Mendez re-named the script "argo", And wrote articles for the hollywood trade press, 370 00:30:27,776 --> 00:30:30,035 To give it the publicity of a genuine project. 371 00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:38,293 Hollywood being a town of make believe, It wasn't long before they actually were sent scripts 372 00:30:38,370 --> 00:30:40,712 From other producers and writers. 373 00:30:40,789 --> 00:30:47,553 By mid-January 1980, Mendez's cover, studio six productions, was up and running. 374 00:30:47,629 --> 00:30:50,639 If anyone checked, the company would appear legitimate. 375 00:30:51,967 --> 00:30:57,646 Now tony mendez could enter iran using his alias, A location production scout 376 00:30:57,723 --> 00:31:02,475 Looking for a middle eastern location For the hollywood blockbuster "argo". 377 00:31:04,813 --> 00:31:08,490 It's actually a huge risk to him to go into tehran. 378 00:31:09,401 --> 00:31:14,538 If he had been captured, He was convinced that he would be tortured and killed. 379 00:31:15,490 --> 00:31:18,166 In tehran, mendez had no backup. 380 00:31:18,243 --> 00:31:21,837 If his cover story was blown, there could be no rescue. 381 00:31:21,914 --> 00:31:27,759 The ayatollah had tightened his grip on power, And there were few in iran the cia could trust. 382 00:31:28,846 --> 00:31:34,090 Cia agents like bill daugherty Had been tortured to give up their contacts, 383 00:31:34,101 --> 00:31:38,270 Who were then being systematically Rounded up and imprisoned or worse. 384 00:31:43,360 --> 00:31:46,019 They named a woman that I had been seeing. 385 00:31:46,030 --> 00:31:50,949 She was a senior administrator in the ministry of education. 386 00:31:51,026 --> 00:31:55,120 There was nothing she could tell us That would harm their government, absolutely nothing, 387 00:31:56,707 --> 00:31:58,114 And he said, "oh, we shot her." 388 00:32:01,462 --> 00:32:04,463 He was so casual about it, And I was really pissed. 389 00:32:06,291 --> 00:32:11,303 They took a plastic cord and tied my wrists together. 390 00:32:15,801 --> 00:32:18,268 It literally cut off the blood flow to the hands, 391 00:32:19,972 --> 00:32:23,523 And they waited, and the hands swelled up, 392 00:32:24,726 --> 00:32:26,860 And the skin became very, very sensitive, 393 00:32:28,072 --> 00:32:31,490 And then they laid them on the desk And hit it with a rubber hose. 394 00:32:36,914 --> 00:32:41,241 It was a lot more painful than I would have imagined. 395 00:32:41,251 --> 00:32:43,326 It was a kurd that did it. 396 00:32:43,337 --> 00:32:44,670 That big beefy kurd, 397 00:32:45,756 --> 00:32:47,381 And he took great pleasure in it. 398 00:32:49,176 --> 00:32:51,677 And I wanna kill that son of a bitch to this day. 399 00:33:00,604 --> 00:33:05,265 By the end of January 1980, Many washington politicos believed 400 00:33:05,275 --> 00:33:09,486 The only way to resolve the hostage crisis Was to send in special forces. 401 00:33:13,117 --> 00:33:19,612 What they didn't know Was that cia agent tony mendez Was already at the airport. 402 00:33:23,785 --> 00:33:28,121 Tony's cover he's flying in As the location scouting manager. 403 00:33:28,132 --> 00:33:30,373 He's in charge of this film production. 404 00:33:30,384 --> 00:33:32,459 He's traveling under an alias. 405 00:33:32,469 --> 00:33:35,137 Mendez knew as long as he could keep his cover, 406 00:33:35,213 --> 00:33:38,724 Iranian security would have no reason to suspect he was cia. 407 00:33:39,643 --> 00:33:43,303 What he didn't know was If the diplomats he was here to rescue, 408 00:33:43,313 --> 00:33:46,273 Would be able to maintain their cover stories. 409 00:33:47,726 --> 00:33:50,810 By this time, the lijeks and their fellow fugitives 410 00:33:50,821 --> 00:33:55,574 Had been in hiding for 84 days, living on their nerves. 411 00:33:58,078 --> 00:34:00,829 Tony needed to assess their state of mind. 412 00:34:00,906 --> 00:34:02,581 This was incredibly important. 413 00:34:02,657 --> 00:34:03,999 He was worried. 414 00:34:04,076 --> 00:34:05,575 He didn't know if they would crack. 415 00:34:05,586 --> 00:34:07,660 He didn't know if they'd already cracked. 416 00:34:07,671 --> 00:34:11,831 The door opens, the americans are inside, And they're waiting for him. 417 00:34:11,842 --> 00:34:17,929 Mendez had less than 36 hours To transform six diplomats Into a credible canadian film crew 418 00:34:18,006 --> 00:34:20,432 And get them on a plane out of tehran. 419 00:34:20,509 --> 00:34:21,841 I don't understand. 420 00:34:23,520 --> 00:34:25,678 I was supposed to be the script writer for the movie. 421 00:34:25,689 --> 00:34:28,190 I was the transportation coordinator. 422 00:34:28,266 --> 00:34:34,187 We were given enough information to memorize That it would withstand cursory scrutiny, 423 00:34:34,198 --> 00:34:39,943 But not so much that we'd be all paranoid About forgetting some detail. 424 00:34:39,953 --> 00:34:46,616 And this is when he brings out All the things that he's been able to create 425 00:34:46,627 --> 00:34:50,870 The script, the drawings, the business cards. 426 00:34:50,881 --> 00:34:54,800 He'd brought a copy of the "hollywood reporter", With an ad for "argo". 427 00:34:54,876 --> 00:34:59,879 He had people back in hollywood Who could be called if someone were going to check on us. 428 00:34:59,890 --> 00:35:01,973 We had what he called, "pocket litter." 429 00:35:02,050 --> 00:35:06,728 A key chain, other people's business cards That you'd met along the way. 430 00:35:06,805 --> 00:35:09,648 Of course, the main thing we had was the canadian passports. 431 00:35:11,068 --> 00:35:16,479 The canadian government Had supplied the american diplomats With genuine canadian passports. 432 00:35:16,490 --> 00:35:19,783 Now the u.S. Diplomats had to become those people. 433 00:35:21,912 --> 00:35:26,331 Tony lays out the plan, And he said, "okay, guys, you need to practice these roles. 434 00:35:26,408 --> 00:35:28,416 "you need to learn these identities." 435 00:35:28,493 --> 00:35:30,919 We weren't trained for that. 436 00:35:30,996 --> 00:35:35,340 We weren't spies, and we didn't Have the benefit of that kind of experience. 437 00:35:35,417 --> 00:35:38,343 But tony stressed that 438 00:35:39,504 --> 00:35:42,172 All we had to do was follow instructions. 439 00:35:42,182 --> 00:35:47,394 Most of the americans are on board Except for one, joe stafford. 440 00:35:49,598 --> 00:35:52,849 The concern was, "we all need to be on the same page here. 441 00:35:52,860 --> 00:35:55,935 "is joe on the same page? 442 00:35:55,946 --> 00:36:00,031 Tehran was joe stafford's First foreign post with the u.S. State department. 443 00:36:01,026 --> 00:36:05,620 Now, he was battling doubts as to whether He should play along with the cover story at all. 444 00:36:06,540 --> 00:36:08,874 Joe stafford didn't wanna leave. 445 00:36:08,950 --> 00:36:10,783 He felt we were abandoning the others, 446 00:36:10,794 --> 00:36:15,755 And he made very little effort to really get into his role. 447 00:36:17,885 --> 00:36:21,887 Mendez's extraction plan relied On everyone playing their parts convincingly. 448 00:36:22,723 --> 00:36:27,467 And if the revolutionary guard Spotted a flaw in anyone's performance, 449 00:36:27,477 --> 00:36:30,136 It was gonna be tony mendez in the firing line. 450 00:36:36,403 --> 00:36:38,069 Tony goes in first. 451 00:36:38,146 --> 00:36:40,614 There's a big thing that he has is trust your gut. 452 00:36:41,909 --> 00:36:44,201 If he doesn't like it, they're gonna abort. 453 00:36:45,904 --> 00:36:50,832 In the early morning, there were relatively Few revolutionary guards on duty at the airport. 454 00:36:52,336 --> 00:36:53,752 He gives the signal. 455 00:36:55,422 --> 00:36:57,422 Send in the six americans. 456 00:37:00,177 --> 00:37:02,719 I was scared, you know, it was a scary thing. 457 00:37:04,506 --> 00:37:09,017 But then there was tony, and he was smiling That meant everything was good, just proceed. 458 00:37:11,104 --> 00:37:15,941 The six diplomats and tony joined The queue for passport control at tehran airport. 459 00:37:16,860 --> 00:37:21,988 Crew member of studio six productions Heading home from a location scouting trip. 460 00:37:26,036 --> 00:37:28,620 I was worried somebody might recognize us. 461 00:37:30,699 --> 00:37:35,377 When you arrive at post, you have to submit A bunch of photographs to the foreign ministry. 462 00:37:35,453 --> 00:37:36,878 Who knows where those photographs were. 463 00:37:36,955 --> 00:37:41,040 They could be on the wall at the airport, And so that was a little bit concerning. 464 00:37:41,051 --> 00:37:43,218 Butt, there's no help for it. 465 00:37:43,295 --> 00:37:46,179 You just have to hope for the best. 466 00:37:47,474 --> 00:37:49,882 The canadian passports were genuine. 467 00:37:49,893 --> 00:37:52,719 But the rest of their documents were a problem. 468 00:37:52,729 --> 00:37:57,140 Mendez had expertly forged the diplomats' exit visas. 469 00:37:57,150 --> 00:38:02,988 The trouble was they were supposed to match A counterfoil entry visa at passport control, 470 00:38:03,064 --> 00:38:05,490 A counterfoil that didn't exist. 471 00:38:05,567 --> 00:38:10,403 The fellow was supposed to take The yellow visa paper out of our passports 472 00:38:10,414 --> 00:38:13,906 And check for the matching copy in the files. 473 00:38:13,917 --> 00:38:15,667 The guy took the papers, 474 00:38:17,504 --> 00:38:19,587 But he didn't check anything. 475 00:38:22,751 --> 00:38:23,758 Thank you. 476 00:38:26,346 --> 00:38:30,432 One by one the american fugitives Cleared passport security. 477 00:38:31,760 --> 00:38:35,687 Then in the departure lounge, They heard an announcement. 478 00:38:35,764 --> 00:38:39,349 Their 7:30 a.M. Flight had been delayed 479 00:38:45,440 --> 00:38:47,866 So at that point I'm freaking out. 480 00:38:47,942 --> 00:38:53,112 The longer we're there the better the chance Of something going wrong. 481 00:38:53,123 --> 00:38:55,373 The plane had a mechanical problem. 482 00:38:55,450 --> 00:38:57,000 But that wasn't the only issue. 483 00:38:58,953 --> 00:39:03,956 The revolutionary guards tony was hoping Weren't gonna be there are now making the rounds. 484 00:39:03,967 --> 00:39:05,383 They're harassing people. 485 00:39:06,970 --> 00:39:11,765 The americans begin to worry About whether or not this cover story is gonna hold up, 486 00:39:13,727 --> 00:39:18,721 And tony becomes a little concerned That one them might crack. 487 00:39:20,317 --> 00:39:24,143 By now, the tension Was taking its toll on joe stafford, 488 00:39:24,154 --> 00:39:27,238 And he had stopped playing his part altogether. 489 00:39:27,315 --> 00:39:28,564 Joe made no effort. 490 00:39:28,575 --> 00:39:32,327 He was reading a farsi newspaper Before tony took it away from him. 491 00:39:32,404 --> 00:39:35,080 He kept calling cora by her real name. 492 00:39:35,156 --> 00:39:39,084 We were definitely worried That joe might give us away. 493 00:39:39,160 --> 00:39:42,087 It was clear that joe was feeling Guilty about leaving. 494 00:39:42,163 --> 00:39:48,668 He didn't want to leave tehran While these other americans were being held hostage. 495 00:39:48,678 --> 00:39:52,806 If stafford blew their cover, The consequences for the group were dire. 496 00:39:54,518 --> 00:39:58,395 But for a cia officer, they were likely to be fatal. 497 00:40:02,434 --> 00:40:03,516 Everybody is nervous. 498 00:40:03,527 --> 00:40:05,193 The mood is anxious. 499 00:40:05,270 --> 00:40:11,116 Tony is looking at the scenario Through the lens of problems, solutions. 500 00:40:11,192 --> 00:40:14,944 They just have to wait, And they just have to keep their cool. 501 00:40:14,955 --> 00:40:18,114 Tony he inspired a lot of confidence. 502 00:40:18,125 --> 00:40:19,782 He said, "just stay calm. 503 00:40:19,793 --> 00:40:22,752 "we'll just hang here," so I was able to calm down. 504 00:40:24,381 --> 00:40:28,675 After 30 minutes they announced That the plane was ready to be boarded. 505 00:40:29,711 --> 00:40:32,220 Every step was another step closer. 506 00:40:35,884 --> 00:40:43,356 At 8:30 a.M., on January 28, 1980, The lijek's plane finally left tehran for zurich. 507 00:40:44,484 --> 00:40:50,655 85 days after they'd fled their besieged embassy, And accompanied by the cia master of disguise 508 00:40:50,732 --> 00:40:56,453 Who'd orchestrated their escape, The american diplomats were at last on their way home. 509 00:40:58,656 --> 00:41:04,327 We figured we finally were safe when they announced We were out of iranian airspace. 510 00:41:04,337 --> 00:41:08,423 At that point we ordered some bloody mary's And toasted each other. 511 00:41:09,426 --> 00:41:10,300 It was over. 512 00:41:11,920 --> 00:41:17,423 Though it was over for the six, It wasn't yet over for the 52 american hostages 513 00:41:17,434 --> 00:41:19,267 Still held at the u.S. Embassy. 514 00:41:22,514 --> 00:41:28,943 A few months later, on April 24, 1980, A desperate president jimmy carter 515 00:41:29,020 --> 00:41:31,112 Launched a military rescue attempt. 516 00:41:32,774 --> 00:41:35,274 It ended in disaster in the desert. 517 00:41:35,285 --> 00:41:37,619 Eight american servicemen were killed. 518 00:41:37,695 --> 00:41:39,287 Several more were injured. 519 00:41:41,282 --> 00:41:44,617 Bill daugherty and 51 of his fellow americans 520 00:41:44,628 --> 00:41:54,719 Would remain in captivity in iran until January 20, 1981, A total of 444 days. 521 00:41:55,889 --> 00:41:59,549 It was difficult knowing they were still there. 522 00:41:59,559 --> 00:42:02,552 That was really difficult. 523 00:42:04,222 --> 00:42:09,308 At the time, any involvement by the cia In the lijek's escape was kept secret, 524 00:42:09,319 --> 00:42:12,237 To avoid reprisals against the remaining hostages. 525 00:42:14,991 --> 00:42:22,997 One of the unique things about tony And the individuals like him who work in the cia, 526 00:42:23,074 --> 00:42:26,918 Is they know that they will never get credit. 527 00:42:26,995 --> 00:42:32,006 But full credit was given to the canadians For their heroic role in the escape. 528 00:42:33,585 --> 00:42:37,587 Canadians invested a lot of effort In keeping us safe all those months. 529 00:42:37,597 --> 00:42:40,515 It was a pretty big risk keeping us there. 530 00:42:40,592 --> 00:42:46,846 Zena she was our protector From the outside world, The barrier between us and them. 531 00:42:48,433 --> 00:42:51,517 I don't regret any of it. 532 00:42:51,528 --> 00:42:54,696 What would we have felt like if they were caught? 533 00:42:54,772 --> 00:42:57,699 I don't think I would have been able To live with that myself. 534 00:43:01,538 --> 00:43:07,783 Only when cia files were declassified 17 years later could the truth be revealed. 535 00:43:07,794 --> 00:43:11,037 How one man devised a plot Straight out of a hollywood movie, 536 00:43:11,047 --> 00:43:15,625 To stage one of the boldest recuse missions In the agency's history. 537 00:43:15,675 --> 00:43:20,225 Repair and Synchronization by Easy Subtitles Synchronizer 1.0.0.0 51602

Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.