Formal and Informal Negotiating Channels
159. Memorandum From the White House Chief of Staff (Jordan) to President Carter
Source: Carter Library, Office of the Chief of Staff, Jordan’s Confidential Files, Box 34, Iran 1/80. Eyes Only. Presumably this is a version of the 5-page memorandum Jordan recalled as approved by Vance, Brzezinski, and Carter on January 23. (Jordan, Crisis, p. 125)
160. Telegram From the Embassy in Panama to the Department of State
Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 60, Panama 6/79–1/80. Confidential; Niact Immediate; Nodis.
161. Minutes of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Subject File, Box 38 Serial XX—Sensitive, 1/80–3/80. Top Secret; Extremely Sensitive; Eyes Only. The meeting took place in the White House Situation Room.
162. Memorandum From Gary Sick of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 30, Iran 1/11/80–1/31/80. Secret. A stamped notation in the upper right corner of the memorandum reads: “ZB has seen.”
163. Summary of a Special Meeting
Source: Carter Library, National Security Council, NSC Institutional Files (H–Files), Box 10. Secret; Sensitive. The meeting took place in the White House Situation Room. Carter wrote “Zbig, J” in the upper right corner.
164. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 30, Iran 1/11/80–1/31/80. Secret; Sensitive. Drafted by Precht. The meeting took place at 12:30 p.m. in Jordan’s office at the White House. (Jordan, Crisis, p. 131)
165. Memorandum From the White House Chief of Staff (Jordan) to President Carter
Source: Carter Library, Office of the Chief of Staff, Jordan’s Confidential Files, Box 34, Iran 1/80. Eyes Only. In the upper right corner of the memorandum, Carter wrote: “Ham. J.”
166. Memorandum From the Director for Operations, Joint Chiefs of Staff (Shutler), to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Jones)
Source: Department of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff Records, RG 218–98–0064, Records of J–3 DDSO, Box 1, DOD Intel Experience (Iran Hostage Rescue). Top Secret; Eyes Only.
167. Paper Prepared by the Joint Task Force
Source: Department of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff Records, RG 218–07–0002, Records of J–3 DDSO, Box 12, Iranian Hostage Crisis, unnamed folder. Top Secret.
168. Memorandum From Secretary of State Vance to President Carter
Source: Department of State, Records of David D. Newsom, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Subject Files, 1978–1981, Lot 81D154, Diplomatic Strategy for Iran. Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. Drafted by Precht. Printed from an uninitialed copy.
169. Memorandum From Gary Sick of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 30, Iran 1/11/80–1/31/80. Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. In the upper right corner of the memorandum, Brzezinski wrote: “GS, Show to Ham & return to me.”
170. Letter From the White House Chief of Staff (Jordan) to Christian Bourguet and Hector Villalon
Source: Carter Library, Office of the Chief of Staff, Jordan’s Confidential Files, Box 34, Iran 1/80. No classification marking.
171. Memorandum for the Record by Director of Central Intelligence Turner
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Office of the Director of Central Intelligence, Job 95M01183R: Policy Files (1977–1981), Box 1, Folder 3: DCI Turner—Eyes Only Files—Memos and Meetings With Various Officials and Subjects. Secret; [handling restriction not declassified].
172. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Middle East File, Box 99, Meetings File, 1/30 and 31/80 SCC re Iran. Top Secret. The meeting took place in the White House Situation Room. Carter wrote “David, J” in the upper right corner.
173. Message From the Swiss Ambassador to Iran (Lang) to the Department of State
Source: Carter Library, Plains File, Box 8. Confidential. The text is a typed copy of the Swiss telegram from Tehran bearing no identifying number or time of dispatch. All subsequent messages from Lang went by this channel.
174. Draft Message From the Department of State to the Swiss Ambassador to Iran (Lang)
Source: Department of State, Records of David D. Newsom, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Subject Files, 1978–1981, Lot 81D154, Box 8, Swiss Channel. Secret. Attached to a February 7 Summary of Report from Ambassador Lang on his meetings with Bani-Sadr and Ghotbzadeh, drafted by Precht. (Carter Library, Records of the White House Office of Counsel to the President, Lloyd Cutler’s Files, Box 2) The text is the cable as approved for the Swiss Embassy in Washington to transmit to the Swiss Embassy in Tehran. All subsequent messages to Lang went by this channel.
175. Message From Iranian President Bani-Sadr Transmitted Through Egyptian Journalist Mohammed Heykal
Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 31, Iran 2/80. Secret; Sensitive; [handling restriction not declassified]. The transmission and routing information is missing in the original.
176. Memorandum From the White House Chief of Staff (Jordan) to President Carter
Source: Carter Library, Office of the Chief of Staff, Jordan’s Confidential Files, Box 34, Iran 2/80. Eyes Only. Carter initialed “C” in the upper right corner of the memorandum.
177. Memorandum From the White House Chief of Staff (Jordan) to President Carter
Source: Carter Library, Office of the Chief of Staff, Jordan’s Confidential Files, Box 34, Iran 2/80. Eyes Only. Carter initialed “C” in the upper right corner of the memorandum.
178. Memorandum From the White House Chief of Staff (Jordan) to President Carter
Source: Carter Library, Office of the Chief of Staff, Jordan’s Confidential Files, Box 34, Iran 2/80. Eyes Only. Carter initialed “C” in the upper right corner of the memorandum.
179. Telegram From the British Embassy in the United States to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Records of David D. Newsom, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Subject Files, 1978–1981, Lot 81D154, Box 1, Iran NODIS Cables Feb 1980. Secret; UK Secret; Nodis; Immediate.
180. Telegram From the Embassy in Switzerland to the Department of State
Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 31, Iran 2/80. Secret; Nodis; Cherokee; Flash. An unknown hand wrote “advance copy” in the upper right corner. Carter initialed “C” in the upper right corner.
181. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter
Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Office File, Box 64, Subject File, Iran Non-Meetings Hostage Crisis 1/80–3/80. Top Secret. Drafted by Odom. (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 31, Iran 2/80) Printed from an uninitialed copy.
182. Intelligence Cable Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency
Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Middle East File, Box 32, Subject File, Iran [Retained] 2/80. Secret. Sent to the National Security Agency; Departments of State, the Treasury, and Justice; Defense Intelligence Agency; Secret Service; Federal Bureau of Investigation; National Security Council Staff, and White House.
183. Memorandum From Director of Central Intelligence Turner to the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence (Carlucci)
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Office of the Director of Central Intelligence, Job 95M01183R: Policy Files (1977–1981), Box 1, Folder 3: DCI Turner—Eyes Only Files—Memos and Meetings with Various Officials and Subjects. Secret; Eyes Only. Also sent to McMahon and Cogan and a copy was sent to the National Intelligence Officer for Near East and South Asia. The memorandum recounts Turner’s meeting with Carter that day. According to the President’s Daily Diary, they met from 11:01 until 11:35 a.m. (Carter Library) In another February 14 memorandum to Carlucci, McMahon, and Cogan, Turner reported that he had conveyed to Brzezinski on February 13 that his general purpose in meeting with Carter was “to get a better understanding of the President’s concept of the covert actions we are presently undertaking and how committed he is to them.” While discussing specifics, Brzezinski also told Turner that he thought the chances of the Twin Otter operation gaining approval was very slim but told Turner to raise the issue with Carter during their meeting. (Central Intelligence Agency, Office of the Director of Central Intelligence, Job 95M01183R: Policy Files (1977–1981), Box 1, Folder 3: DCI Turner—Eyes Only Files—Memos and Meetings with Various Officials and Subjects)
184. Handwritten Memorandum From the White House Chief of Staff (Jordan) to President Carter
Source: Carter Library, Office of the Chief of Staff, Jordan’s Confidential Files, Box 34, Iran 3/80. Secret. Jordan wrote this report on the plane from Paris to Washington following his meeting with “Mr. S,” Sadegh Ghotbzadeh. The editor transcribed the text from Jordan’s handwritten original. According to the President’s Daily Diary, Carter met with Jordan and Vance upon Jordan’s return, February 17, from 7:40 until 8:52 p.m. (Carter Library) No other record of the meeting with the President has been found.
185. Memorandum From Jasper Welch of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
Source: Carter Library, National Security Council, Institutional Files (H–Files), Box 154. Top Secret; Outside the System. Sent for information. A stamped notation in the upper right corner of the memorandum reads: “ZB has seen.”
186. Memorandum Prepared by the Iran Task Force, Central Intelligence Agency
Source: Department of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff Records, RG 218–07–0002, Records of J–3 DDSO, Box 2 Iranian Hostage Crisis 1979–1984, B184–188, Executive Information Package. Top Secret; [handling restriction not declassified] A February 20 covering memorandum from Major General James B. Vaught, attached to Tabs A–E, papers prepared in CIA, DIA, and JTF, states that these agencies had separately come to the same conclusion—that it is unlikely that the hostages would be transferred peacefully in the near future. Vaught stated that Carter should see the reports.
187. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Department of State, Records of the Secretary of State, 1977–1980, Lot 84D241, Jan/Feb/Mar 1980 Memcons. Secret; Nodis; Super Sensitive. The meeting took place at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Drafted on February 26, presumably by Hartman.
188. Letter From H. Ross Perot to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Office of the Director of Central Intelligence, Job 95M01183R: Policy Files (1977–1981), Box 1, Folder 3: DCI Turner—Eyes Only Files—Memos and Meetings With Various Officials and Subjects. No classification marking.