Office of the Historian

161. Minutes of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting1

Washington, January 23, 1980, 10:35–10:55 a.m.

SUBJECT

  • Iran

PARTICIPANTS

  • State

    • Peter Tarnoff

  • Defense

    • Robert Komer

  • JCS

    • General John Pustay

  • CIA

    • Admiral Stansfield Turner

  • Justice

    • John Shenefield

  • OMB

    • John White

  • White House

    • David Aaron

MINUTES

David Aaron chaired the SCC meeting which was briefed by Admiral Turner on the operation to exfiltrate a half-dozen Americans from Tehran. Admiral Turner noted that, since this was not an intelligence collection operation, a Finding was necessary under Hughes-Ryan.2 [Page 426] Mr. Aaron noted that it would be our intention not to inform the Committees until we had concluded that there was minimal risk from any leak. Thus, we would not inform them in advance as has been our practice under the requirement to provide “timely” notification.

Mr. Aaron also noted that the Finding would provide authority for the CIA to be helpful in effecting the departure from Iran of our hostages at the U.S. Embassy. He noted that this was not presently contemplated but that we should have this authority should swift action be required at some future point.

The members of the SCC concurred in the Finding. The Justice Department, in particular, agreed with its terms.

The Committee then discussed how the exfiltrated Americans will be handled so as to minimize the possibility of leaks which could adversely affect the hostages or the Canadian Government which has cooperated in their safekeeping until now.

General Pustay agreed to ascertain a military base in the United States to which the Americans could be sent following a few days’ R&R in Zurich. Relatives of the Americans could be permitted to have telephone contact and perhaps even visits. However, all these arrangements will have to be worked out once the Americans have been gotten out of Iran, since their views will obviously have to be taken into consideration.3

  1. 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.↩
  2. See footnote 2, Document 44. No record of a Finding has been found.↩
  3. In a January 24 memorandum, Tarnoff suggested that Vance inform Carter that “the plan to exfiltrate the six Americans at the Canadian Embassy is now underway” and that they should all be out of Iran between Saturday, January 26, and the beginning of the following week. Tarnoff added that the six would go first to Europe while the Canadians closed their Embassy in Tehran. “Canadian cooperation has been excellent,” he concluded. (Department of State, Records of the Secretary of State, 1977–1980, Lot 84D241, Presidential Breakfasts Jan/Feb/Mar 1980)↩