Foreign Relations of the United States, 1977–1980, Volume XI, Part 1, Iran: Hostage Crisis, November 1979–September 1980

334. Handwritten Note From President Carter to Director of Central Intelligence Turner¹

Washington, August 1, 1980

To Stan Turner:

It is difficult for me to understand why we have so little information about the whereabouts & conditions of our hostages.

What can we do about it?²

J.C.

1. Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Office of the Director of Central Intelligence, Job 82M00501R 1980 Subject Files, Box 13, Folder 1. Private. The editor transcribed the text from the handwritten original.
2. Turner met with Carter on August 28 to brief him on the hostage situation. Turner “certainly got the impression that he wasn’t as upset about this as we might have been led to believe.” (Memorandum for the Record, August 29; Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, Office of the Director of Central Intelligence, Job 81B00112R: Subject Files, Box 15, Folder 49: DCI Memrecs/Memos/Agendas of Presidential Briefings January–December 1980)