OCR Text |
Show I 4 The Salt I ak? Tribune Sunday r'i ria ; v If, Ortihr 17, 1982 fi ' r. Iranian Hostage Crisis a President Placed Under the Gun ( r , t M f nnHnued From Pag? On? uhpnpvpr she could. rep'at?dl urging inn to get some rest I spent most of the time at my desk, hut lav down on one of the small rmjrhes befnrp the fireplarp, often with the telephones on the floor beside me when the artmn was slow Justifying Derisions I knpw that in large measure the reputation and iiifluem e of our country were hanging in the bal and rannnt deny that I was an re eager to resolve this crisis while I was President in order to lustifv the derisions I had made during the preceding months I had a major responsibility to my and not much time left to country 1 At noon. I would no of the United it nut carry longer he President States of America The holding of ihe American hostages had cast a pall over mv own iife and over the American people since November 4. 1970 Although I was acting in an nffiral capacity as President, I also had deep private feelings that were almost overwhelming. The hostages sometimes seemed like part of my own family On Friday, January, 16. 1391, we had finally worked out with Iran the general terms for the release of the hostages Since then, we had been afflicted constant by delays. Throughout this entire grim experience, it had been almost impossible to negotiate with the suspicious and irrational men who refused to communicate directly with me or any other American. An Algerian team, under the direction of Foreign Minister Mohammad Benyahia, was acting as an intermediary. The Iranians, who spoke Persian, would talk only with the Algerians, who spoke French. Any question or proposal of mine had to be translated twice as it went from Washington to Algiers to Tehran, and then the answers and counterproposals had to come hack to me over the same slow route. As the financial and political arrangements were highly technical. they had to he translated meticulously and in proper legal form Tpo days after the hostages were imprisoned, 1 had stretched mv legal authority to the limit and impounded all Iranian assets held by Americans including billions of dollars in gold and bank deposits Provided, of course, that all the hostages were returned unharmed to freedom, I had always been w illing to rc lease the asset s Documents Signed Not only in Algiers and Tehran. huf also in London. Istanbul Paris, Bonn, and other world political and financial capitals related negotia tions had been under wav for sevrial weeks Now wp were approaching the elimination of our work Sunday, on mv last visit to Tamp David. I had signed the 15 documents necessary to initiate 'he financial transactions From time to time would report to President-elecUnpaid Reagan and the hostage families about our progress Also, on occasion, I talked to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, to work out details for the transfer of funds, and to German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, to conclude arrangements for receiving the liberated Americans in his country I returned to Washington from Camp David, and. on Sunday afternoon. Janaury 18, with my key staff members, I coordinated our nation's efforts from the Oval Office. I stayed there nearly all the time; whenever possible Vice President Fritz Mondale, Presidential Counsel Lloyd Cutler, and Secretary of the Treasury G William Miller joined me. Ten of the hanks had been cooperating, but a! times during tbp last few days, I had been angered because the Bank of America and one smaller bank seemed to be trying to compensate for unwise investment policies by claiming income from Ihe Iranian deposits which they had not corned. Now the 12 were in agreement, but we had to he careful not to make a mistake that might tear apart our fragile common task Secretary Ed Muskie was at his desk in the State Department, maintaining contact web Algiers, whirr Deputy Warren hri.stopher was conducting the fitful discussions " ;f h Iran through Algerian Foreign Minister Benvahia Secretary of Defense Harold Brown was on duty in 'he Pentagon, monitoring security matters and arranging for that would be needed in the Persian Gulf region and at other points along the route to freedom, which we all prayed woiild soon he taken by tin hostages Hundreds of other nlfjcia!:, in our own and other governments were waiting for ihe final move of ihe cumbersome negotiating mechanism we had built It crept slowly, baltmgl". and it s sometimes in reverse progress, ni lack of it, var. Sec-robi- ser-vice- s nerve-rackin- 1 t arrangement All the necessary forces of our government were focused on our There had already been an almost unbelievable sines of crises successive moments of exhilaration and despair. At one time on Sunday, after we thought all other arrangements had been made, Lloyd Culter approached me and whispered that there was no way to the transfer the Iranian money T ederal Reserve Bank of New York had no funds available! Fortunately, a shift of funds among the hanks of the Federal Reserve System corrected the problem before it became generally known We had narrowly avoided a most embarrassing oversight Bigid Procedure At my desk in a small private room near the Oval Office. I sat alone in the dark, trying to rest but troubled by an uneasy feeling that would not go away. Our signed agreements with Iran prescribed a rigid procedure for handling the funds, after which our hostages would be released. Everything seemed to be going w'cll except for that lingering concern in the back of mv mind I turned on the light and carefully went down my handwritten list of sequential events which would have to take place Finally, I realized that the Bank Markazi, the central bank of Iran, had not sent in the technical instructions required for the transfer of deposits i called Christopher, Miller, Cutler, Powell, and Muskie in that order to tell it was them to ehpek I was right indeed a problem. Benyahia sent a strong message to Iran and disco errd that the Iranian bank officials did not agree with the terms hat had been negotiated, and were refusing to cooperat-The plans were returned to standby condition. The Americans, presumably, were bat k in their prison Again I began to fear that the hostages would not he freed. The chance of their release on Monday had now passed: we would have orlv one more chance before my t"am and I left office. That afternoon, as I bade goodbve to my Cabinet Secretary Muski" brought me more bad news Christopher, normally an optimist, was quite discouraged because the Algerians appeared to have lost their momentum and their commitment to the negotiating process Their sense of urgency seemed to have vanished We decided that Christopher should inform Benyahia that our authority would expire at noon the next day, and he should order his plane to stand by for his departure from Algiers at that time. We hoped this order would impress one key fact on the Algerians and the Iranians There was a deadline: noon, Tuesday. January 2fl. After that, neither Christopher nor I could speak for the United States, and the entire negotiating process might have to begin anew It was shortly before midnight on Monday when the telex message from the Bank Markazi began a test message, coming through which would have to be perfected to constitute the final and official instructions to hanks so that funds could be moved. 1 had been assured by Treasury Department officials that this kind of message would be sent almost instantaneously, using the most modern electronic technology for speed and accuracy. Instead, the message was garbled and confused: it came through a few letters at a time. V'e made wry jokes about revolutionary-guartypists The sloppy Iranians were extremely aggravating Time Running Out There w as little we could do. The American banks simply could not afford to act without legally accurate instructions. Time was running out I received a series of reports throughout these last few hours early in the morning of Inauguration Day. and I jotted down some rough notes as they came in: 1:50 a m . from Treasury: "The machine is burping!" The Bank Markazi was to send specific instructions to each of the 12 hanks authorizing the transfer of exact amounts of principal and interest, amounting to a total of d Ex-Preside- Rosalynn Balked nt, At Call to Attend Sadat Funeral The Sadat Funeral Bv Jimmy Almost exactly Carter eight years after the last major conflict in the Middle East, I was at home in Plains, studying my diary notes aheut the Camp David negotiations for these memoirs when the telephone call came My wonderful friend. Anwar El Sadat, was dead Rosalynn and I sent word to his wife. Jihan. that we would come to Egypt, and we began to make plans for the trip on a commercial airline. Later, both President Reagan and Vice President Bush decided that it would be too dangerous for them to go to Cairo, and I was asked to travel with former Presidents Nixon and Ford to represent the United States at the funeral At first Rosalynn and I decided not to do so. because we wanted to go as personal friends and not m any nfficial capacity, hut the proposed arrangments had already been announced from the Whit" House. After an argument with mv staff. I agreed to accept the invitation for us to join tV official delegation at 111 Esse We three former presidents were somewhat ill ai ease when we first met at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington. I hardly knew Richard Nixon, and Gerry Ford and I had not seen each other since the highly partisan political campaign of 190 Surprisingly, President Nion w as the one who eased the tension, by discussing with us his new home in New Jersey and the hook he was writT.g He com plitTifnWd Rusdhnn on her rlnthes and the rolor of her eves, and President Ford and I as he two of them had a good ronveisation about Nixon's wife. Pat. the selection of furniture and carpets and the Nixons ret move By the time we were 8'rhome the same piano we had all used as Air Forre One. we were in talking more freely with one another about the events in Sadat's life and how- - much he had meant to us personally and to the cause of peace. In Cairo, we found that security was extremely tight; the normally bustling streets of the huge city seemed almost deserted. We Americans shared the air of gloom and uncertainty that had settled over Egypt To Rosalynn and me. the most memorable part of these sad hours was our visit with Jihan Sadat and the family. Began to Weep When we arrived at their home. Sadat's son Gamal was on the front steps to greet us Presidents Nixon and Ford, in the ear ahead of ours, were welcomed first, hut when the voting man saw us approaching from the side, he left his post of duty, ran to embrace me. and began fo weep on my shoulder I felt as if he were mv own son. and tried to console him in his grief The funeral services seemed peculiar to us Westerners, lacking any sense of personal in- ohemrnt or emotion Several hundred world leaders, representing 80 nafions. ga'hered first in a crowded pavilion At the appointed time, we moved out of the large and ornate tent to the edge of the parade route and watched the caispassage of the horse-drawson carrying SadaiN body n As I walked in 'he midst of kings and princes, presidents, chancellors and prime ministers. I felt sure that they were all recalling in their own fashion what Anwar Sadat and his life had meant to them We went slowly down the broad avenue re--' owsrd the parade-grounic w ing stand w here 'he assassination had occurred Finally. wh n we reached the stand, we realized that arrival there signified the end of the funeral ceremony One of the Egyptians pointed nut o me the veat of THE STATE OF UTAH INVITES YOUR BID ON THE FOLLOWING RECTANGULAR LOT ZONED 2 C-- to o 3500 Soufb, Sol Coke C'y. Uob, G Frr & Sons Frontnqft 105 f?et and dp w .de ond HR ft on the oost side Total approximate! 131 foe on oceocje 15 0 306. more or Ipa Pofetenre Nio 87207 Minimum Arreptable Bd 15 8 000 A cashier's cho It m the amount 10r of the bid must be furnished with the bd the successful bidder has 45 days to pay hnlance The Utah Dfpartmpnt pf Transpoaon mokes no representation as to title Of boundary tmos, tide passed by State through Quit Claim Deed In the even the snrressful b'ddrr foils 0 make payment in Ml within he time specified rfepnsi submitted wilt be forfeited os liquidated damages In th$ evr? merves h nqht tp qwq'H to he second highest h'dder For further information and bid fofm caM Property Management Utah Deportment of T a1 '.por taHon 9S' 4257 an d recced n Portm 147, Sae Copitnl pid form IQ 30 's 2001 Auo ond F 11 O rn no , aO-Hhl- Mombpr 1982 ? j DquGIAS CHRISTIANStN Director, Division of Purchasing honor m the front row. where Sadat had been sitting when the attack was launched against him. and we could see that many bullet holes were still evident m the ceiling and back wall, where they had been sprayed by the assassins uns. Waited in Reom Jihan had been occupying the same seat as the funeral entourage approached Rosalynn. Susan Mubarak. Mrs Nimein (the first lady of Sudani, and Empress Farah. the widow of the Shah of Iran, had been sitting with her Now Vice President Mubarak, Jihan Sadat, and members of their families waited in a room just behind the stands to speak to the visiting statesmen, but there were so many people trying to go through the door that no one could move. I was near the back of the cr: ' i. waiting until eve could approach the entrance without being crushed, when one of the Egyptian soldiers guarding the door looked down and saw me. He nodded as he recognized me. and then he shouted. "Car-fair- ! As if by magic, the parade guards opened an aisle so that I could reach the door, pushing the other dignitaries bark out of the way. Somewhat embarrassed, I gathered the other Americans around me and we hastened forward. I embraced those who were in the recebvng line, rejoined Rosalynn. and then we moved out the back door into the brilliant Egyptian sunshine. It was a disturbingly antic lamac-timoment, and as Rosalynn and I were driven to the airport to leave the ancient city of Cairo. I was flooded with memories ot day w ith Anwar my Sadat and our effort to find the peace for which h" had now given his life kal. i . id. .Mi l .)& 2.30 am. from Christopher in .Algiers: "We see it Everyone is checking it. There is a problem. The 2:40 am, from Miller: message is continuing but garbled If the test number at the end is accurate, we will buy it " 2 45 am., from Christopher. "I am ready to go to Benyahia. but a serious difference has now developed among Americans concernbetw ppo ing the escrow language Treasury and h" Federal Reserve " ' I issue an order: Treasury mv position Notify the represents Fed officials to comply Tell the banks to move using the garbled 13 4 , Ih? agreement." The lawyers are claiming that without the deleted language thev lannot approve the settlement terms 4 29 a m . I listen to an unbelievable argument between New York and .Algiers, with one of the irate Federal Reserve attornevs m Algeria finally saving that he is fainting and cannot discuss ihe subject any further! The other Fed law ms m Algiers now rlaim thev have never seen a copy of the agreements with Iran. I tell Tonv Solomon: Have them sign the agreement. 'Money Is In' 4 35 am., from Miller "The money 'from the private banks) is in. Will now transfer to the Fed account in London. We're cheeking on whether the Algerians and the Bank of England are signing the escrow agreement." A total of $7,977 billion of Iranian money would have to he in the Bank of England and ready to be transferred from our account there to the Algerian account, the last step before the hostages ran be released. 4:38 am, from Christopher: ' There is still a problem, and it is serious. Algiers will not accept any amendments proposed by thp lawyers for th" Federal Reserve unless they are first approved specifically bv Iran. I tell Culler: "Get Solomon, Christopher, and the lawyers on the same line. I will use all the authority I have to get this resolved We can use the escrow agreement. the written understandings, and today's telex messages combined to cover anv possible procedural problem. We can work out the remaining questions later." We have the conference call and I eventually convince the Fed officials and attorneys that the total package is adequate. 5:90 a m Finally, Solomon tells his attorneys. "Sign it' 1 breathe a sigh of relief. 6.05 a m. The Operations Center reports a message from Tehran control tower: "Line up Flight 133 " From Christopher: "AH parties are now signing the escrow agreement. Iran has bepn informed Benvahia states that the hostages will he moved out wi'hin an hour after notice from Algeria.'' 6.47 a m. I place a call to Governor Rtsgsn to g!v? him fhc good news, and am informed that he prefers not to be disturbed, but that he mav call back later. 1 respond that I will call him when the hostages are released. Planes Are Ready , 7 35 a m Rosalynn comes in with my razor, followed by a barber She says. ".Jimmy, you have forgotten to shave and ou need a haircut." I go into the bathroom for a quick shave, and then the barber cuts my hair w hile I talk on the telephone. 7 55 a m., from our Operations Center in Washington: "The planes are getting ready to take oft. ' I am personalis receiving reports on radio traffic almost halfway around the world between thp Tehran airport control tower and the three planes poised at the end a tunw av of . long awaited message has o me from the Operations The come Center through satellite and o'hei relay stations I shout "Flight 133 is ready for takeoff!" The Oval Offie is tilled with rbeers. Now we need onlv the final word from Algiers to Tehran. 8 1s am, from Christopher ' The hank certification was completed a' 8 04 Algeria confirmed this a 8:96. Thcv are nmv notifying Iran ' 8.26 a rn from Operations Center The planes are now standing a' the end of ihe runwav I then get a series of reports about esroii planes orbiting the airport and a ifpp chprking the runwav 'Having dealt with thp Iranian officials tor many months, we were not turpi ivcd w hen they delayed the takeoff, for no apparent rational purpose I stayed by the tele. ' phones ' am. from Christopher Takeoff is not imminent, hut I can slate for certain that it will be helore noon Iran asks Algeria not to announce departure until after 'he planes clear Iranian airspace. " I We will try to answer, " rompiv 10 45 am., from Rosalynn "Jimmv. the Reagans will be here in 15 minutes You will have to put on your morning clothes and greet them I left the Oval Office reluctantly af'er making arrangements to be kepi informed about every development. and walked rapidly over to mv privaip quarters in the White House As I put on my rented formal suit. was able to transfer mv thoughts for thp first time to the Washington ceremonies now about to begin They seemed like a dream: reality was in thp Oval Office, Algiers, and Iran. I combed mv hair in the President's bat broom, a convenient cubicle wiih rows of electrical outlets installed when Lyndon Johnson once found electrical devices plugged into all 'be existing ones As I looked a' mv self in the mirror. I wondered if I had aged so much as Presiden' or whether I was just exhausted As I rode to the Capitol and sa' through the inaugural ceremonies, the hostages were always on mv mind. 1 still had no assurance that all my recent efforts would he successful, and no way to know that this would soon beeome one of my pven happier than happiest days lhal dav exactly four years earlier when President Gerald Ford had greeted me on the way to my ow n inauguration. Less than two hours later. I was notified thrcigh 'he Secret Service radios that at 12.33 p.m. the first aircraft had been allowed to take off nine miiiu'es later 'be other plane had followed. I was no longer President of the Uni'ed States. The American hostages were free. It is impossible for me to put into words how much the hostages had come to mean to me. or how moved I was that morning to know they were coming home. At the same time. I was leaving the home I'd known fur four years, too soon for ail I had hoped to accomplish I was overwhelmed with happihut because of the hostages' ness freedom not none 9 45 1 CODynght Jimmy Carter. "KCfroted from the soon-tbe published bonk KEEPING FAITH tv Jimmv Cd"fer. Reprinted bv arrangement w'th oubiisfw, Bantam Books. Times Sv"diratp h'jted bv Los Dn Audubons Car-tair- c 1982 Jimm C$ri$sr pc from 00" published bonk KEEPING Faith by r. bv Reprinted J;mrrv Car4?' rangement wih the pubiise" Bantam Books Distributed b. LOS Anoe'es Syndicate Cocvriah fc PCrDOd Engravings Sold for $1.5 million - HOUSTON 'UFIi Art collectors and investors purchased 434 American bird engravings from a rare set by John James Audubon for a rerord $1,541,265 in a two-daauc tion that ended Saturday y Within 15 minutes of completing the Audubon sale. 16 oil paintings by Walter Ufer. a member of the Taos-Sant- a Fe, NM, art colony, were auctioned for $1,639,200 Experts had predicted the set of 19ih century Audubon engravings missing only a meadowlark to he considered a complete set of Auduwould bons birds of America bring a record $1 3 million The engravings were estimated to be worth betw pen $500 and $30,000 each, said officials of Christie. Mason A-- Woods Inc of New York, which conducted the auction The previous record sale price for Advert sement Hearing Tests Set For Senior Citizens Electronic hearing Salt Lake Clt Ben ue office nn M Factory trained Hearing Aid Sjiei Hearing 1 100 Ea.-- t Aid single Audubon prin' of was broken Friday with the a wild turkey engraving for by Dale Parker of Austin. a $33,000 sale of $35,200 Texas, auction officials said An engraving of a great blue heron sold for $28.600 Saturday. The third highest price (nr a singe print was $22, 0(0 for an engraving of a Canada goose. Christie's soid the set of Audubon? for the Delaware Art Museum, which received it as a gift from Francis DuPont The museum plans to use the proceeds to buy other art Nicholas Stogdon. a spoxesman for Christie's, said onb two unbound complete set of Audubon prints are known to exist, m he National Gallery in Washington and the Darwin Museum in Moscow. A 'pekeswoman for Christie's said more than 2.50 bidders, many of them bidding on behalf of several clients, crowded the auction area sale Officials during the two-da- y said mailed bids were received from 17 states and London Ufer's painting titled "The Bakers" drew the highest price of $374,000 Audubon hogan his project in 1820 and died in 151. Bv 1838. he had produced 200 folios of 4.35 prints each At the time, thev were considered the most lavish color plates ever sold, going for tl.ono each Audubon's original drawings were bought bv the New York Historical Society for $4,000 m 1863. Audubon's widow sold the bound family copy of ihe prints for $600 That copy i now owned by the J H Luther Stark Foundation in Orange. Texas FACTORY DIRECT SPAS m Salt Lake f'i , tet's l he given at the Beltnne 9AM n i r.- and Tuesday from ml1 is will he at our office to 5 P M at 21 12 South tfurm 'hi lest. Anyone whn has trouble hearing i, (! nme in have a 'est Ufaing 'he t.i del. rrrnre if ho is rjne which may be w 3! he helped Some ef 'he auses of hear mg explained and diagram? w w of how the ear n6 s ill he ,hown a hearing U K' ervone .should ha a onee a year if there is anv "'uble at all hearing clearly E'- er pe, pi. no., wearing a hearing aid cr tV...,., who have be- n told nnth.r.g m.u3 le ic t.e for them should have a hi .mng est and find out v. he' her the r t m- i h vis of hearing correction r i an in ip 'hem hear he The free hear .ng test s w iP he g; en Monday and Tue ,d.iy from 9 A M to 5 PM at 2112 South 1190 Eas' M vou rant get there on Monday and Toe-di- y 93'ih and a range lot n .ippnmimi n at , inether time cull i.lahl" Ip home !e,tirg p. al,n la'est electronic equipment c !,, NO MIDDLEMEN! Direct from Factory Highest quality Spas! 9 Models to Choose From 2 spd V HP motor 1 6 kw Hotter 25 na ft Dacron Mipr Sol'd Redwood Decking 8 Sidinq Skirl and spa onp pier O Conitnjction Completely insulted - a- I $5,500,000,000. text They ran assume that the earlier draft version from the Bank of England is rnrrept 3 10 am, from Miller The monev is moving to London 'Chpersi 3 40 a m from Robert Carswell Deputy Secretary of th" Treasure 'The US. Federal Reserve attorneys in Algiers still refuse to sign NOW ONLY Alto: Redwood S2599 ftiuwbo. Chemical, Covor. FACTORY DIRECT SPAS h(T 48S-SPA- S 558 East 2100 So. |