A Classic Case of Deception (Antonio J. Mendez)

CIA Goes Hollywood A Classic Case of Deception Antonio J. Mendez

Background: Exf""tltration and and disguise, cover legends and sup- 1 the CIA porung. d ata, " poe k et 1·ttter, " an d so forth is fuhdamental deception trade When briefing the CIA's Directorate craft in cl4ndestine operations. of Operations (DO) or other compo Personal documentation and disguise nents of the Intelligence Community specialists! graphic artists, and other (IC) about the Office ofTechnical graphics specialists spend hundreds of Services' (OTS) exfiltration capabil hours preparing the materials, tailor ity, I always made a point to remind ing the co;ver legends, and them that "readiness" is the key. coordinating the plan. This is one of the full-time concerns ' The operational of my former OTS office, the Graph Infiltratin'g and exfiltrating people ics and Authentication Division into and but of hostile areas are the involvement'' of GAD (GAD). most perilous applications of this officers in the tradecrafi. The mental attitude and In arranging for the escape of refu demeanof of the subject is as impor exf"tltration from Iran gees and other people of potential tant as th~ technical accuracy of the of six US Department intelligence value who are subject to tradecrafi items. Sometimes, techni political persecution and hostile pur cal operations officers actually lead of State personnel suit, prior planning is not always the escap~es through the checkpoints on 28January 1980 possible because they show up at odd to ensure/ that their confidence does hours in out-of-the-way places. Cur not falter~ at the crucial moment. I was a closely held rent surveys and collection of up-to secret until the CIA date intelligence regarding travel con trols and procedures are vital. OTS I Operation in Iran: Going decided to reveal it engages in this activity worldwide. as part of its 50th Public j anniversary The readiness to move clandestine agents out of harm's way using quasi The oper~tional involvement of GAD celebrations in 1997. legal methods is equally important. officers irl the exfilrration from Iran of six US Sfate Department personnel CIA's policy and practice are to bring I its valuable human assets in from the on 28 Japuary 1980 was a closely held cold when they can no longer remain secret until the CIA decided to reveal it in place. Sometimes this includes as part of the Agency's 50th anniver their families. Public Law 110 gives sary celebrations in 1997. '' I the IC the authority to resettle these ' I people in the United States as US David Martin, the CBS News corre- persons when the time comes and the sponden't covering national security quota allows. issues inJWashington, DC, had the story ear,ly on, as did Mike Ruane of OTS/GAD and its successor compo The Philadelphia Inquirer. The nents have serviced these kinds of Canadiah Broadcasting Company Antonio J. Mendez served in the operations since OSS days. The and Reaaer's Digest both have done Directorate of Operations and the "authentication" of operations offic serious ~ieces since the CIA opened Directorate of Science and Technology. ers and their agents by providing the files /on this important success them with personal documentation story. Deception

A failed e:xitltration operation'' ... would embarrass the US, its Jean Pelletier's book, Canadian President, and the the US and Canadian administra Caper, published in 1980, mentions tions. The stakes were high. A failed that Canada-whose diplomats in CIA, and probably exfiltration operation would receive Tehran had hidden and cared for the would make life even immediate worldwide attenrion and six American "houseguests" after Ira would seriously embarrass the US, its more difficult for President, and the CIA. It would nian militants seized the US American hostages probably make life even more diffi Embassy-had received CIA help in cult for all American hostages in Iran. the form of forged entries in Cana in Iran. The Canadians also had a lot to lose; dian passports to enable Canadian the safety 9f their people in Iran and Ambassador to Iran Kenneth Taylor security of their Embassy there would to engineer the escape of the six from be at risk. Iran. A brief passage in Hamilton Jordan's book, Crisis, alludes to CIA New Job, New'' Challenge Bur we had maintained a very officers on the scene in Tehran. Mter impressive record of success with On 11 December 1979, about a he left office, former President operations of this type over many month after the takeover of our years. Carter, in statements to the media, Embassy in Tehran, I moved from gave hints of even more credit due my job as Chief, OTS, Disguise Sec his administration for the only true tion, to Chief, OTS, Authenrication Collecting Basic Data operational success of the hostage Branch. I had operational responsi CfiSIS. bility worldwide for disguise, false documentation, and forensic moni We had recently moved one agent toring of questioned documents for out oflran through Tehran's Mehra My recollections of the long national counterterrorism or counrerintelli bad Airport. As a result of this emergency-which began on 4 Nov gence purposes. operation, we had a body of techni ember 1979 with the US Embassy take cal data on the airport conrrols and of the over and ended with the release of the I had already spent the first days of the competence and efficiency 52 hostages 1 on Inauguration Day in the crisis creating a deception opera-· people operating them. The task of January 1981-encompass several tion designed to defuse the crisis. collecting and analyzing current doc ument inrelligence thus would be a major plans and operational actions President Carter decided not to use matter of verifYing fairly recent infor focused on Iran that were supported this plan, however. He has since lamented that decision. mation and ensuring that it was up to by OTS. These included intelli date, rather than having to start from gence-gathering, deception options, scratch. The requirement for dealing with the the hostage rescue effort, secret nego six State Department employees hid tiations with the Iranian Govern ing under the care of the Canadian We also were conrinuing to support ment; and exfiltrations of agents and Embassy in Iran was one of many the infiltration and exfiltration of a the "Canadian six." challenges I had to address on my few inrelligence officers and agents first day on the new job. I immedi who were traveling in and out of Iran on intelligence-gathering and hos In those days, the atmosphere in CIA ately formed a small team to work on this problem. tage-rescue planning operations. We was one of full alert. OTS, like many could use these people as collection Agency components, was buzzing sources. The complexities were evidenr. We with intense activity. There are needed to find a way to rescue six numerous stories about technical and Americans with no intelligence back operational innovations resulting ground, and we would have to Major Potential Obstacles from the emergency-like environ coordinate a sensitive plan of action ment; the rescue of the six is one of with another US Government depart We were most concerned about the many such stories. ment and with senior policymakers in exit controls at the airport. Long

2 Deception

before the revolution, Iranian The Passport Question We decided to push for this option, authorities had adopted a two-sheet but to ~oncentrate first on devising embarkation/ disembarkation form. The debate over passports began with cover f~r the six before making final This form was printed on carbonless the question of whether to use ordi recomciendations on the type of paper and filled out by the traveler nary US passports, Canadian passpor:t to be used. upon entry. The authorities retained passports, or other foreign passports a white sheet, and the traveler at our disposal. CIA managers were retained a yellow copy to present at not comfortable with the idea of : the exit control point when depart using foreign passports. They were Quest; for Infonnation ing. The clerk was supposed to concerned that persons who were not match the two forms to verify that intelligence professionals could well We began an all-source quest for the traveler left before his visa prove unable to sustain a foreign inform,ation on the types of groups cover story. expired. Many countries in the world rravelirig in and out of Mehrabad Air have similar systems; few complete pore. ~n the meantime, the DO's the verification process on the spot, if The Iranians, moreover, had embar Near ~ast (NE) Division was devel ever. rassed the US by finding a pair of oping information on overland OTS-produced foreign passports in the US Embassy that had been issued "black:' exfiltration qptions, hoping We hoped to determine whether the to two CIA officers posted in Tehran. to 1'd et:J.tlI 'fy a smugger1 ' s route or a militants operating at Mehrabad were One of these officers was among the "rat liAe" into Turkey. Texas billion completing this kind of positive hostages being held in the Embassy. aire H, Ross Perot had used such a check before travelers cleared the air The discovery of the passports was plan t6 exfiltrate two of his employ pore. Earlier in 1979, the control the topic of extensive media coverage ees eahy in the Iranian revolution. I personnel were unprofessional and in Iran and other countries. He haa already offered support to the did not collect the forms unless the I Agency for hostage rescue efforts. departing traveler volunteered them. Regarding Canadian passports, we ' We had to determine whether this initially doubted that Canada would was still the case. be prepared to overlook its own pass We sqon developed information pore laws. We also did not think whicH indicated that groups traveling legally to Iran included oilfield tech Another significant challenge we Ottawa would be willing to put niciaqs from European-based faced was to come up with a cover Canadian citizens and facilities in Iran in the increased danger they comp'anies, news teams of all nation- story and supporting documentation ! for a group of North American men would face if the true purpose and alitie~ covering the hostage situation, American use of the passports were and women. We debated three inter and all sorts of curiosity seekers and exposed. I connected issues related to chis aspect do-gooders from around the world. of our planning: the type and Man~ of these people were US citi nationality of passports we should Given these drawbacks and obstacles zens. i None fit our purposes, given use, the kind of cover, and whether to the Canadian and other foreign the profiles and patterns of these we should move the six out in a passport options, it seemed chat OTS groubs and the careful scrutiny and would have to take on the task of group or individually. conttol applied to them by the Ira building a cover for the use of US passports. But we feared that such an nian lsecuriry and immigration CIA management had strong opin exercise would call unwanted atten servi~es. We believed it was impor tant that professional intelligence ions on these points, as did the State tion to the six subjects and put them I Department. And the Canadian at greater risk. officers make the final probe into Government would have to be drawn Iran ;and meet personally with the six into the discussions at some point. On balance, our experience and judg in order to assess their state of mind Once it was, it too would also tend to ment ultimately favored using and ~heir ability to carry out the I . cake strong positions. Canadian passports, despite the risks. oper,anon. I i

3 Deception

I believed that we should try'' to devise a cover so exotic Talks with the Canadians that no one would Hollywood Consultation We requested a meeting with senior imagine it was being In my former job as chief of the OTS NE managers to present our position used for operational Disguise Section, I had engaged the and to review the options. We were services of many consultants in the also aware that the senior NE officer purposes. entertainment industry. Our makeup in charge of rescuing the six and con consultant, "Jerome Calloway," was a ducting liaison with the Canadians technical makeup expert who had on the crisis had already visited received many awards. (He recently Ottawa, where his talks with officials was awarded CIA's Intelligence in a Canadian government ministry cover professional intelligence Medal of Merit, one of the few non had included the topic of Canadian officers. '' staffers to be so honored.) His moti passports. Our meeting with NE vation for helping us was purely Division officers went fairly well, and We had an opportunity while meet patriotic. they agreed in principle with our ing with our Canadian ministry position. contact, "Lon DeGaldo," to display a We had already involved Jerome in bit of magic. He thought one of the the hostage crisis. One week after the Because the Canadians were under proposed aliases had a slightly Semitic takeover, I had invited him to Wash standably concerned with the sound-not a good idea in a Muslim ington to help prepare a deception mechanics of the exfiltration and how country. We quickly picked another option related to the crisis. He, the their passports would be used, we name, and I forged a signature in the disguise team, and I had worked suggested that OTS get approval to appropriate handwriting on the mar around the clock ro complete this go to Ottawa to explain these details. gin of a fresh set of passport photos. option in five days. An OTS documents specialist, "Joe This trick was mostly showmanship, Missouri," and I arranged to depart but it helped to establish our creden When we received orders to stand for Ottawa immediately. We pre tials as experts. down on that undertaking, Jerome pared passport photos and returned to California. Before leav appropriate alias bio data for the six, ing, he reaffirmed his desire to help which we would take with us to Next, we discussed cover legends. in any way possible in the rescue of Ottawa in the hope that we could We explained the different points of our diplomats. As soon as I checked win the Canadians over. We had view on group cover versus individ already directed many questions to ual cover, the need to gather more into my hotel in Ottawa, I called Jer Canadian Ambassador Taylor, and information on travelers, and our ome at his home. He had no idea his replies had given us a good feel intention to send an officer or offic what I was working on. I simply said ing about his penchant for ers into Tehran to do a final probe of that I was in Ottawa and that I clandestine planning. the controls and to meet with the six needed to know how many people houseguests. would be in an advance party scout In our discussions with Canadian ing a site for a film production. officials, we learned that the Parlia This gave me an opportunity to try ment in Ottawa had already approved out an idea for a cover legend that Jerome replied that this would the use of Canadian passports for had occurred to me the night before require about eight people, including non-citizens for humanitarian pur at home in Maryland while I was a production manager, a cameraman, poses. We immediately requested six packing. Cover legends hold up best an art director, a transportation man spares for the six houseguests to give when their details closely follow the ager, a script consultant, an associate us a redundant capability for the actual experience or background of producer, a business manager, and a operation. We also asked for two the user. If possible, the cover should director. Their purpose would be to additional passports for use by CIA be sufficiently dull so that it does not look at a shooting site from artistic, "escorts." The Canadians agreed to pique undue interest. In this case, logistic, and financial points of view. the spares, but they declined to give however, I believed we should try to us two additional passports because devise a cover so exotic that no one The associate producer represented Parliament had not approved the would imagine it was being used for the financial backers. The business exception to their passport law to operational purposes. manager concerned himself mainly

4 Deception

with banking arrangements; even a mention this idea, even though we shot in the arm and would provide an 10-day shoot could require millions were not too excited about it. ideal pJblic relations tool to help of dollars spent on the local econ counter.act the adverse publicity stem omy. The transportation manager We adjourned our meeting and made ming frpm the hostage situation. rented a variety of vehicles, ranging arrangements for follow-up talks. We from limousines to transport the stars then sent a cable to CIA Headquar A relative "moderate"-Abulhassan to heavy equipment required for con ters outlining our accomplishments, Bani-SJdr-was about to be elected structing a set. The production including our discussions on cover Preside~t of Iran, and we judged it manager made it all come together. options. This was the first time that possible that he could be sold on The other team members were tech we reported the movie idea. these e?onomic points and then nicians who created the film footage might ~e able to gain agreement from from the words in the script. Over the next week (it was now late the radical factions of the regime. If December), I commuted between so, the 1cover for infiltrating the Delta Because movie-making is widely Ottawa and Washington. An OTS Force (in preparation for a hostage known as an unusual business, most team began forming in Ottawa to rescue ~ttempt at the Embassy) as a people would not be surprised that a prepare the documentation and dis team of movie set construction work Hollywood production company guise items for a Canadian pouch to ers and camera crews to prepare the would travel around the world look Tehran. The GAD team at OTS set wa~ a natural. We imagined that ing for the right street or hillside to continued to collect information on it might be possible to conceal weap shoot a particular scene. Iranian border controls. All world ons and other material in the motion • I • wide messages on the subject were p1crurcr: equipment. being sent and answered with the Cover Options Flash indicator, CIA's highest precedence. For~g a Film Company Recommending this kind of cover for I most clandestine activities would be Senior CIA managers did not sum One vireekend in early January, out of the question, but I sensed that I marily reject the Hollywood option, betwepn trips to Ottawa and plan- it might be just right for this opera recognizing that it could have advan ning sessions with NE Division, I tion. I tried the idea on Lon, our tages even beyond the problem of ministry contact, and he was made ~a quick visit to California. I rescuing the six. The thinking was as brought along $10,000 in cash, the intrigued with it. Certainly it was follows: first o'f several black-bag deliveries of not incompatible with the Canadian runc d sI to set up our motiOn. picture . passport option. Film companies are 1 typically made up of an international The idea of using paramilitary means comp'any. I arrived on Friday night cast of characters. The Canadian to rescue the hostages held at the US and rriet with Jerome and one of his motion picture industry was well Embassy had seemed impossible, assoc\ates in a suite of production established. · given Tehran's geographical loca offices they had reserved for our pur tion. The movie cover might enable poses: on the old Columbia Studio lot We discussed the motion-picture us to approach the Iranian Ministry in Hollywood. I had invited a CIA cover option as well as another idea of National Guidance with a pro contJacts officer to the meeting to act or two. Lon too had thought about posal to shoot a movie sequence in or as witness to the cash delivery and to the problem of cover; he had an idea near Tehran. The Ministry had been folloir up as bagman and auditor for the r~n of the operation. It would for a group of food economists who charged with countering negative I publicity on Iran by promoting tour take two years to clear all accounts on might be seen traveling to various 1 ism. Tehran was also looking for these matters. places in the Third World. The State I Department had already given us a ways to alleviate some of the cash I suggestion about a group of unem flow problems caused when the Our production company, "Studio ployed school teachers looking for United States froze Iran's assets in the Six Rroductions," was created in four jobs in international schools around US. A motion picture production on daysJ including a weekend, in mid the world. We felt obliged to Iranian soil could be an economic Janu~ry. Our offices had previously I

5 Deception

Hollywood was an ideal place'' to create and dismantle a been occupied by Michael Douglas, culture or mythology. After several who had just completed producing major cover entity tries, we hit on it! During our 10- The China Syndrome. overnight. year association, he had proven to be a great story and joke teller. He once Jerome and his associate were mas rold a group of us a profane "knock ters at working the Hollywood knock" joke, with the word "Argo" in system. They had begun applying the punch line. discussing what the theme should be. "grease" and calling in favors even Because Star Wars'' had made it big before I arrived. Simple things such only recently, many science-fiction, This word became an in-house dis as the installation of telephones were fantasy, and superhero films were guise-team recognition signal and supposed to take weeks, but we had being produced. We decided we battle cry. We used it to break the everything we needed down to the needed a script with "sci-fi," Middle tension that often built up when we paper clips by the fourth day. Eastern, and mythological elements. were working long hours under diffi Something about the glory of Islam cult circumstances preparing for an We arranged for full-page ads in would be nice, too. Jerome recalled a important operation. Jerome remem Variety and The Hollywood recent script that might serve our bered this. He also recalled that the Reporter, the two trade papers most purpose, and he hauled it out of a name stemmed from mythology. He important to any business publicity pile of manuscripts submitted for his looked up the definition of Argo and campaign. We tried to keep Jer consideration. confirmed it as the name of rhe ship ome's well-known name hidden, bur on which Jason and the Argonauts the "trades" had their reporters hot This script fit our purpose beauti sailed to rescue the Golden Fleece on our trail, and the word was out fully, particularly because no from the many-headed dragon hold that something big was brewing in uninitiated person could decipher its ing it captive in the sacred garden. the industry. complicated story line. The script Perfect! This precisely described the was based on an award-winning sci-fi situation in Iran. When the press discovered that Jer novel. The producers had also envi ome was connected with this sioned building a huge set that would I quickly designed an "Argo" logo, independent production company, later become a major theme park. which we used for full-page ads in the interest mounted and more press play They had hired a famous comic-strip trades. The ads proclaimed that followed. Our efforts to keep Jer artist to prepare concepts for the sets. "Studio Six Productions Presents ome's involvement secret actually This gave us some good "eyewash" to 'Argo' ... A cosmic conflagration ... added credibility to our putative film add to a production portfolio. story by Teresa Harris." (Teresa Har making company. Hollywood, more ris was the alias we selected for our over, was an ideal place to create and We decided to repackage our bor story consultant; it would be used by dismantle a major cover entity over rowed script by decorating it with the one of the six awaiting our arrival in night. The Mafia and many shady appropriate logo and title markings. Tehran.) foreign investors were notorious for The only copy of the script we backing productions in Hollywood, needed would be carried by me as a where fortunes are frequently made prop to be shown to the Iranians in and lost. It is also an ideal place to my role as production manager-and Calling the Iranian Consulate launder money. only in the event we were questioned at the airport in Tehran. On my last day in California, I made our first business call from our stu Picking a Script dio offices to rhe Iranian Consulate Argo in San Francisco, using my alias. I Once Studio Six Productions was set said I required a visa and instructions up, we tackled rhe problem of identi Jerome and I then set about picking a on procedures for obtaining permis fying an appropriate script. Jerome name for our movie. We needed sion to scout a shooting location in and I sat around his kitchen table something catchy from Eastern Tehran. My party of eight would be

6 Deception

that we ilPply at the nearest Iranian Consulate in our area. This was not surprisiAg because many Iranian dip lomats ~ere carried over from the Shah's r'egime, and most were unsure of their !current status and their visa grantin$ authorities.

I depar~ed on the "red-eye special" that night with all the trappings of a Hollywpod type, including match books from the Brown Derby Restaur'ant, where Studio Six Produc tions hJld a farewell dinner for me. !

Final Technical Preparations I I Back iq Washington, the various efforts peing mounted against Iran were stjll going full tilt. Our opera tions ptan for the rescue of the six was being implemented at the work ing lev~ls of OTS and NE Division, bur it Had not yet been coordinated with o~ approved by policymakers. I

I My im1mediate task was to partici pate in! the final technical prepad.tions for our three cover oprionk. I had collected several exem plars of supporting documentation I . for ou~ production party that were to be repfoduced by the OTS graphics specialists to pad the wallets of our party. iThe script had to be altered and a presentation portfolio prepared for out production manager.

Joe Missouri, the document special made up of six Canadians, a Euro OTS-produced documentation for ist wh~ had accompanied me on the pean, and a Latin American. his cover legend as an associate pro iniriallrrip to Ottawa, had remained ducer representing our production behinq at that time to negotiate for company's ostensible South Ameri The Latin American would be an ancillary documentation to support can backers. I would travel on an OTS authentication officer, "Julio," the clnadian parr of the legend. OTS-produced European passport. who was posted in Europe. His lan This ~ad required special authoriza guages were Spanish, French, and tion fiom senior levels of the Arabic, and he had considerable exfil The call to the Iranian Consulate was Canadian Government, which Mis tration experience. We had selected a washout. Officials there suggested souri inanaged to obtain. This was I ! 7 Deception

quite an accomplishment for a young A review of the US documents pack materials. The Canadian couriers officer. age on the night before we left for apparently had a much easier time Ottawa to load the Canadian pouch than the rypical US State Depart revealed a possibly embarrassing By this time, Joe had returned to ment courier, who usually problem. The Canadians were suc Washington and taken charge of the accompanies several mailbag-sized ceeding in getting backstopped Argo portfolio. Joe had always been pouches. The Canadian courier is Canadian documents. CIA's ability an artist at the typewriter. He took only allowed one bag, and he keeps it to obtain similar backstopped alias the roles of various members of the documents was too slow, and we had with him at all times. Some of our production party and fleshed them not been able to obtain internal CIA extra disguise materials had to be left out in the form of resumes. This permission to acquire these for our out of the bag to Tehran. clever ploy provided briefing papers subjects. The US document pack for each subject that could be carried ages were going to be terribly in the open in the production man During this last trip to Ottawa, it outclassed by the Canadians. In fact, ager's portfolio. When completed, became clear that the Canadians were the only reason for sending US alias this portfolio had everything needed documents was to appease one of the losing patience with the Americans. to sell even the most sophisticated policymaking levels participating in We still had not obtained our govern investment banker on mir movie. the operations planning. The plan ment's final decision on our was still not finally approved or coor operations plan. They had made all A week after my return from Califor dinated in our own government. sorts of concessions without hesita nia, the US and Canadian document tion. What was taking us so long to and disguise packages were ready for If our Canadian counterparts took move? They insisted that final the Canadian pouch. The OTS team inventory of the documents when we approval of all plans be accomplished in Ottawa had also been working on loaded the pouch, we would look as soon as possible. I promised to the Canadian documents, applying silly. This bothered us. As soon as send that word back immediately. the finishing touches to the pass we arrived at the US Embassy in ports. We had 12 Canadian Ottawa the next morning, we made passports and 12 US passports, a the rounds there collecting business redundant capabiliry for both nation cards and other wallet stuffers to fill Green Light alities. The redundant documents out our package. were designed for final issuance by Back at the Embassy, I prepared a the Canadians in Tehran in case Julio As it turned out, the loading of the or I failed to get in or did not show long cable outlining every detail of "bag" did not include a close exami the operation as I envisioned it. This up at the Canadian Embassy after we · nation of our respective document was precisely the kind of summary we arrived. Julio and I would complete packages, so we avoided embarrass the second set of passports in Tehran, ment. The subjects themselves would would send in before launching an giving us last-minute on-site have the final vote when presented exfiltration from a foreign location. flexibility. with the choice of two passports, It was slightly irregular for me to send three cover stories, and the option of this from Ottawa as the plan that the A highly detailed set of instructions moving out individually or together. Canadians and I wanted to be on the use of the documents and on Because my OTS colleague and I ulti approved. the final briefing of the subjects had mately would make the presentation also been prepared for easy reference of the choices in Tehran, we could I caught hell for that cable when I by non-experts. Airline tickets were greatly influence the decision. enclosed showing aroundothe-world returned to Washington, but then itineraries. Joe and I had found lapel The Canadian pouch or bag turned was told it was a fine piece of work. pins and baggage stickers with a our to be the size of a pillowcase, The plan received final approval Canadian maple leaf design; these too barely big enough for our exfiltration within two days, and our materials were part of the kit. kit of documents and disguise were en route to Tehran.

8 Deception

Press Probes Moving to Europe I arrive4 in Europe on the morning of 22 Ja,nuary, and Julio returned from his trip that afternoon with his A disturbing bit of informacion The next phase of the operation took Iranian ;visa. I still had to obtain a known to most of us involved in this place in Europe. The OTS shop visa in iny alias passport. I planned operation had come to light weeks there had been debriefing travelers, to drivt; to Bonn the next day and to before. Certain members of the news collecting data, and obtaining exem apply there. I hoped the Iranians media had figured out that the fuzzy plars of the Iranian visas and entry there w'ould issue it in a few hours, as cachets required for our up-to-date information being provided to the they h~d for Julio in Geneva. intelligence on Iranian document press by our State Department controls. Julio was gearing up his We received a Flash message from spokesman in Washington regarding alias document package. My alias Ottaw

9 Deception

chose to do so, it would be perfectly As soon as I got back from Bonn, I immigration authorities was that the proper for them to send me to my sent a Flash message to Washington officer was a professional in uniform own Embassy for a letter of introduc and Ottawa that I was ready. I instead of an untrained civilian irreg tion before the visa was granted. I received approval to launch within ular. The immigration officers had was dropped off down the block from the hour. Thirty minutes later, how gone into hiding at the beginning of the Iranian Embassy, and I walked ever, I received another message from the revolution. It appeared that they back to the entrance to the consular Washington directing me to delay my had now come back to work. section. departure because the President wanted to give final approval and was At entry, unlike my last visit, cus being briefed at that moment. toms and security personnel were not A half-dozen visa applicants were sit overly concerned about foreigners. ting in the reception area filling out After 30 minutes, I received the presi Because oflran's balance-of-payment applications. A handful of young Ira dential OK in a terse message which problems, they were especially inter nian "Revolutionary Guards" in said, "President has just approved the ested in Iranian citizens leaving with civilian clothes were standing around Finding. You may proceed on your valuables like fine Persian rugs or scrutinizing everyone. It was then mission to Tehran. Good luck." In gold. The economic situation had that I realized I had left the portfolio terms of approvals, this case was the become worse in the last few months, in the car when I was dropped off, ultimate cliffhanger. and we could expect the exit controls but I had my alias passport and other to be tighter. personal identity documents. I filled out the forms and went to the clerk's We took a taxi to the Sheraton Hotel window to give them to the consular Entering Tehran and checked in. Our next step was to official. Julio and I had an especially worth go to the Swissair office downtown to while chance meeting just before I reconfirm eight airline reservations In response to the official's polite left for the airport that evening. We for Monday morning to Zurich. In questions, I said, in my best accent, had an opportunity to meet with an exfiltration operation, it is impor that the purpose of my visit to another Agency officer who had been tant to reconfirm your space on the Tehran was to meet with business traveling in and out of Tehran in airplane for the day you are supposed associates at the Sheraton Hotel in support of the hostage rescue opera to leave. Because it is difficult to Tehran; they were flying in from tion. He would ultimately be bring the subjects to the point where Hong Kong today and were expect responsible for creating the inside they have the courage to walk into ing me. I also said that I did not support mechanism. He had been in the airport, if they then have to back obtain a visa in my own country the "business" since serving with OSS track because their flight did not because I was in Germany on busi and parachuting into Europe during arrive or had mechanical problems, or ness when I received the telex about World War II. He clearly was a mas their reservations were lost, it would the meeting in Tehran. I received my ter of the game, and gave us some be doubly hard for them to get up visa in about 15 minutes. useful insights about the situation at their nerve next time. We chose Mehrabad and in Tehran. This Swissair because of its record of effi strengthened our confidence and gave cient and reliable service. Presidential OK us a better idea about how to behave. The Swissair office was not open yet. Julio and I both arrived in Mehrabad From my earlier trip to Tehran, I Our plan for entry into Iran was for at 5 a.m. on Friday 25 January. (I knew that the US Embassy was a few me to leave that evening (23 Janu was a day late because of delays blocks down the street and that the ary), and to arrive at Mehrabad caused by bad weather.) Immigra Canadian Embassy also was sup Airport the next day at 5 a.m. Julio tion controls were straightforward, posed to be nearby. would follow the same itinerary 24 and the disembarkation/embarkation hours later. If anything happened to form was still being used. The differ It seemed eerie approaching the US one of us en route, the other might ence I noted this time from my Embassy compound knowing that still get through. previous experience with Mehrabad more than 50 Americans were being

10 Deception

It seemed eerie , approaching'' the held inside, including CIA officers. US Embassy involved in hiding and caring for the The high walls were decorated with compound knowing six. Keb and these other ambassa propaganda banners and posters cele dors w~re also visiting regularly with brating the revolution. Although we that more than 50 Bruce Laingen, the American charge, knew our colleagues would experi Americans were being who was under "house protection" in ence some rough going during their the Fo~eign Ministry; Laingen, captivity, we also knew there was held another Embassy staff officer, and the nothing we could do to help at the inside, including CIA Embas~y security officer were to time. We had to keep our attention spend the entire crisi~ living in the on the task at hand. officers. rooms ,of the Foreign Ministry, where they had gone to pro'test the demon stratiops at the gates of the US Canadian Embassy Embassy just as it was about to be overru~n. Laingen was free to depart Ken introduced us to his secretary, Iran ally rime, but he refused to aban Julio and I began looking for the Laverna, a small,'' elderly lady who don hts colleagues. Canadian Embassy. Although our was pleasant and cheerful. During a map showed it to be located directly short meeting in Ken's office, he We asked and received Ken's permis across a narrow side street from the explained that most members of his sion to send a message to Washington US Embassy, the building we found staff already had quietly departed through Ottawa, confirming our was the Swedish Embassy. Tehran. There would be only five arriv~ in Iran and informing every Canadians left after his family one concerned that we planned to departed that afternoon. The There was an Iranian guard at the meet ~ith the six that evening. We remaining five, including himself, entrance who did not understand our were also introduced to Roger Lucy, would depart on Monday 28 January questions and was perplexed by our who was house-sitting with the four for London shortly after the Swissair street map. Just then, a young Ira Americans staying at Sheardown's flight we hoped to board at 7:30a.m. nian came along. He spoke to the hous~. Roger spoke Farsi fluently; it with the houseguests, Early on Mon guard, apparently asking him who was He who discovered our mistake day, he planned to inform the were these confused-looking West on t~e visas. Foreign Ministry by diplomatic letter erners. He then spoke to Julio in I that the Canadian Embassy would be German. The fellow was polite and Claulie Gauthier was another mem closed temporarily. helpful. He wrote down an address ber JfKen's staff. He was a burly in Farsi, hailed a taxi for us, and gave French Canadian responsible for the the address to the taxi driver, who We described briefly the things we Embassy's physical security. Claude rook us a considerable way across needed to accomplish over the next earn~d the nickname of"Sledge" dur town to the Canadian Embassy. few days, starting with a meeting with ing these final days because he was the houseguests so we could brief dest~oying classified communications Ambassador Taylor, who had been them on the plan and assess their equipment with a 12-pound sledge expecting us to arrive sometime that ability to carry it off. We all agreed hammer. Everyone at the Embassy morning, was waiting upstairs in his the meeting would occur at 5 p.m. at was friendly and informal; they outer office. We did not immedi the suburban residence ofJohn see~ed amused by our business. ately recognize him as the Sheardown, the Embassy's second Ambassador. He was a tall, lean, officer, where four of the six house Wh~n it was time to go to meet the rather young, pleasant individual guests had been hiding since six, Julio and I left with Claude. Ken dressed in Western jeans and a plaid November. hadiJeft earlier to see his wife off at shirt and wearing cowboy boors. He Me~rabad and to pick up the wore "mod" glasses and had a full At this initial meeting with Ken, we Staffords, the two, houseguests who salt-and-pepper Afro-style haircut. learned that at least two more ambas wer,k staying with him. We all This improbable-looking diplomat sadors in the local diplomatic corps arrived at the Sheardown house at greeted us warmly. and some of their staff also were abo~ut the same time. The house was I

11 Deception

on the outskirts of town in a well-to preferred. I waited about 15 min The Last Arrangements do neighborhood. It was palatial, utes and then walked in on them. with a high wall surrounding it. They were debating the questions, The next two days passed swiftly. and I distracted them by doing a bit We spent most of Saturday filling in of sleight-of-hand with two sugar the passports with the appropriate cubes. I had used this trick many Meeting the Six entries, including the Iranian visas times to illustrate how to set up a issued in Canada. The visa exemplar deception operation and to over The six houseguests rushed to meet had been collected only recently for come apparent obstacles. It helped to us as we entered the house. They us by a Canadian friend in Ottawa. persuade reluctant subjects that they appeared in good spirits and were It was a better fit for the ostensible were involved with professionals in happy to see us. We spent the first travel itinerary of the Studio Six the art of deception. The six decided few minutes getting acquainted. The team. Their cover legend and airline to go as a group, using the Srudio Six six were two young married couples, tickets showed them arriving in cover. Joseph and Kathleen Stafford and Tehran from Hong Kong at approxi Mark and Cora Lijek, and two single mately the same hour that Julio and I men, Bob Anders and Lee Schatz. The six showed us around the house, had arrived from Zurich. Their flight Anders, about 50, had been head of where four of them had passed nearly had actually arrived on that day and the consular section, and the two three months in a fair amount of time, and passengers disembarking couples had worked for him. Schatz comfort. The huge, well-furnished would have been processed by the was a tall young man who was the house had a kitchen with enough same immigration officers who had agriculture attache. Those from the equipment for a modern restaurant. processed us. Consequently, the Ira Consulate had escaped out the back The Americans had spent a good bit nian entry cachets stamped in our door to the street when the militants of their time planning and cooking passports served as prime exemplars had been breaking in the front door. gourmet dinners for themselves and for those we entered in the passports Schatz had had an office in a build the few outsiders they saw. They also of the six. ing across the street from the had become masters at the game of Embassy, and he had gone directly to Scrabble. the Swedish Embassy, where he hid The worst thing that can happen for a week. The Swedish flag was his when making false passport entries is blanket. As we were being shown around, one to forge the signature of an immigra of the other ambassadors and his tion officer on an ostensible arrival cachet and then discover that this I told them about the three cover sto attache, Richard, arrived. They had ries that we were offering for their visited the houseguests more than same individual is about to stamp you consideration. I also explained what once. They wanted to meet the CIA out of the country. He would know had to be accomplished during the officers who had come to oversee the that he was not at work the day your next two days and how we would escape of the six people they had passport says you arrived. You have proceed through the airport on Mon come to know well. Both these men to know how all these systems work. day. There was considerable were to prove helpful to us. discussion about the mechanics of the The attache, Richard, was dispatched controls and how we would respond When it was time for Julio and me to to the airport to pick up a stack of if questioned about our presence in go back to our hotel, Claude dropped the disembarkation/embarkation Tehran. Only one exhibited anxiety us down the block from the hotel. forms from an airline contact. Julio about the risks involved. He would pick us up the next morn would complete the Farsi notations ing to take us to the Canadian on enough of these, and each of the Finally, I instructed the six to go into Embassy. On Sarurday, we had to six would write in his or her false bio the dining room to discuss among put the finishing touches on the graphic information and sign in the themselves whether they wanted to go Canadian passportS and send our new aliases. Again, the forms we had to the airport in a group or individu final plan of action to Onawa and received and filled in on arrival were ally and which cover story they Washington for approval. our models.

12 Deception

We spread our our forgery materials Amateur Actors Ottawa and Washington were pleased on a table in Ken Taylor's office. He with o~r proposed plan of action. He spent most of his day making last Everything was in good order by Sun said th~ last line of their cable was, minute arrangements to close the day night 27 January, when we "See ydu later, exfiltrator." Embassy, sitting nearby and listening reconvened at the Sheardown house. to our banter about some fine point The six houseguests were impressed Shortly, two senior friendly-country of making false documents, or con with their documentation packages, ambashdors arrived-the same two sulting with us on some detail of the and we were impressed with the who ~ere mentioned above as having arrangements for the exfiltration. transformation of their appearances been actively involved in efforts to Claude was wielding his sledgeham and personalities. On Friday night, hide apd help the six Americans. The mer somewhere in the building and we had given each of them their cover six seryed a sumptuous seven-course burning and shredding classified legend as prepared by Joe Missouri in dinner with fine wine, champagne, paper. the Studio Six portfolio. We also had coffee; and liqueurs. I told them provided them with disguise materi about/Jerome and the Argo knock On Sunday morning, I completed a als and props that would help fill out knocK joke. Everyone took up the their roles. Argo cry.I I also told everyone that long cable outlining the operations I plan, and the message was transmit they would be tempted to sell the They had scrounged clothes from one story ~o some publisher after the ted to Ottawa. One of the details in 1 the plan explained that: another and restyled their images to operation was over. I admonished look more "Hollywood." Each of them 1not to yield to temptation, them was having great fun playing becaJse Julio and I needed to stay in ... the six Canadians from Studio their part and hamming it up. The busidess to help others in the future. Six had called on the local Cana most dramatic change was made by The~ apparently took this advice dian Ambassador hoping that they the rather distinguished and conser seriously. could arrange for an appointment I vative Bob Anders. Now, his snow I with the Ministry ofNational white hair was a "mod" blow dry. He Afte~ dinner, Roger appeared in mili Guidance to present their proposal was wearing tight trousers with no tary fatigues, complete with hat, to use the local market for I 0 days pockets and a blue silk shirt unbut sunglasses, jackboots, and swagger ofshooting "Argo". . . . The Cana toned down the front with his chest stick'. The interrogations began. The dian Ambassador has advised hair cradling a gold chain and medal intefrogations impressed some of the them to seek a location elsewhere if lion. With his topcoat resting across mor~ overconfident members of the possible, but has offired one ofthe his shoulders like a cape, he strolled groJp with the importance of Embassy's vacant residences as around the room with the flair of a rem~mbering the details of their guest quarters . ... They heeded his Hollywood dandy. cover stories and gave them a taste of advice, and after looking around a whit could be in store for them at the I Jew days, have decided to leave The mental attitudes of the six were airp;orr. Iran .... positive. We began briefing them on the details of their ostensible prior Outing the interrogations, one of the This provided details that paralleled travel and arrival in Iran. They soon ambassadors asked me to step into the true facts. It also gave us the -seemed to have grasped these details andther room. He told me that, dur option of bringing the six to the air fairly well. We warned them that ing: one of the visits the three port on Monday in an Embassy there was to be a hostile interroga ambassadors had made to the For vehicle with an Embassy driver, tion staged after dinner to test their eigb Ministry to meet with Bruce thereby solving the problem of find ability to answer the questions under Lai~gen and his aides, the US ing reliable transportation to the stress. Roger Lucy volunteered to be Enibassy security officer had pulled airport. Laverna then could also the interrogator. hi~ aside to confide that he was reconfirm the airline reservations, planning his own escape. He had which would be a normal service per Ken Taylor soon arrived with an alrfady made one trip outside the formed for Canadian guests of the answer from Ottawa to our cable. building, and he asked for a glass cut Embassy. Apparently, the policymakers in te~. The ambassador asked my advice

13 Deception

about rhe glass cutter and if he should airport at 5 a.m., the chances were emigration checkpoint. Lee Schatz also give him a gun. I said "yes" to the airport would be less chaotic. was so eager that he had gotten way the glass cutter but "no" to the gun. Also, the officials manning rhe con ahead of us and was already clearing I thanked him for this information, trols might still be sleepy, and the checkpoint, with no apparent dif and told him we would be back in most of the Revolutionary Guards ficulty. The others began presenting touch on these topics if more infor would still be in their beds. This their documents and the yellow mation was required. was the case that Monday morning, embarkation forms. I waited for each 28 January 1980. to clear in case one got into trouble. Before we left at midnight, we made I would get involved quickly as the final arrangements for getting to the production manager responsible for airport. I would go 30 minutes ahead As Smooth as Silk the well-being of his pre-production of the others with Richard, who crew. I was armed with the Argo would pick me up at the hotel at 3 portfolio and would overwhelm any Richard and I proceeded through the one standing in the way with a.m. We would confirm that all was customs check to the Swissair normal at the airport and that Swiss Hollywood talk. The Iranian official counter. There were few other travel at the checkpoint could not have air was en route from Zurich. I ers, and the airport employees were would clear customs and check in at cared less. He stamped each of us out still groggy. The Swissair clerk con and collected the yellow forms. One the airline counter, where I would firmed that the flight would arrive at wait so the others could see me as yellow form floated off his counter 5 a.m. I stood at my prearranged and was some distance away on the they entered the airport as a signal spot to wait for the rest of our party. that all was in order. Julio would floor. When no one was looking, I Richard went to find the manager of picked it up and stuck it among my accompany them to the airport in the another airline, who was a useful Embassy van and lead the way papers. It was the form we had friend to have at the airport. He had forged for Bob Anders. through customs. already provided the blank embarka tion forms. We would have had ro We were in the departure lounge, and collect these ourselves on the way in we still had to go through the final Day of Departure and had, in fact, picked up several security check before we arrived at extras, but the manager had given us the waiting area by our gate. The six plenty to cover any mistakes when I was awakened in my dark hotel were wandering around in the gift filling them out. It is rare to have an room the next morning by the tele shops like ordinary tourists. A few inside contact at an airport for an phone ringing next to my bed. It was fatigues-dad Revolutionary Guards exfiltration. Richard calling from the lobby. It were scrutinizing everyone. was 3 a.m., and I should have been up at 2:15. My watch alarm had Soon the others arrived, and Julio led Richard appeared with the airline gone off, and I must have slept the way through customs. The six manager. They had been watching us through it. I rushed to shower and had had difficulty putting together a clear the checkpoint. I shook hands dress, arriving in the lobby about 15 decent collection of luggage and with the manager, and he asked me minutes later. clothing. They appeared to be travel why we had not booked his airline; ing a bit light for Hollywood types he would have arranged for red-car Mehrabad is like many Middle East on an around-the-world trip. They pet treatment. I told him to stand by ern or South Asian airports. seemed bright and eager, however, because we might still need his flight Although of fairly modern cOnstruc and they had plastered their luggage if Swissair had any problem. I tion, the people who pass through as with the Canadian maple leaf stick noticed the two elderly ladies from travelers or hang around to greet or ers we had found in Ottawa. the Canadian Embassy starting to see travelers off make an orderly tran arrive in the. departure lounge for sit impossible. This was another Mter they had cleared customs and their flight. Ken Taylor and the men reason for choosing the 7:30 a.m. checked in at the airline counter, we of the Embassy would leave later in Swissair flight. If we arrived at the all proceeded to the immigration/ the day after we had departed.

14 Deception

We were all a bit on edge. The'' roving guards continued Last-Minute Delay their random Publi<;ity The Swissair flight was called for the interrogations of A few days later, the story hit the first time, and we proceeded through other travelers. streets in Montreal. I was still in the security check into the small Germany when the story came over glassed-in room by our gate. We the Anbed Forces radio station. I were just a short bus ride from the arrived' in New York two days later, aircraft. Then the PA system and at ~the airport I picked up a copy announced that the Swissair flight plane, Bob Anders punched me in the of TheiNew York Post with the head was delayed for departure because of arm and said, "You'' arranged for line, "~anada to the Rescue!" mechanical problems! I reassured our everything, didn't you?" He was party and walked back through the pointing at the name lettered across When I boarded the flight in Ger 1 security checkpoint to find Richard the nose of the airplane. The name many,II was carrying a large tin of and his friend. of our airplane was "Argau," a region IraniaA caviar that the Staffords had in Switzerland. We took it a sign bough't for me in the departure The departure lounge was filling up. that everything would be all right. loung~ in Mehrabad.. I asked the Several flights were arriving. I won We waited until the plane took off stewar'dess if she would keep it cold dered whether I should switch to one for m~. She said, "No, ir is either and had cleared Iranian airspace of these if Swissair was to be delayed Russidn or Iranian, and we don't like before we could give the thumbs up too long. eitherl" The Soviets had invaded and order Bloody Marys. Afgha:nistan in December, and Presi I found Richard and his friend. They dent CCarter had withdrawn from the had already spoken to Swissair and Moscbw Olympics. By lunchtime, Julio and I were sit I learned the mechanical problem was ting in the Zurich airport restaurant minor. We would not be delayed too waiting for our connecting flight to Chap~er 21 of the Pelletier book, The long, perhaps an hour. We discussed Germany. Some of the six dropped CanaUian Caper, covered the impact the options of switching flights, but down and kissed the tarmac of the of out success in Canada and the we decided that that would be too UnitJd States. complicated and that it would call Zurich runway after they came down I I unnecessary attention to us. I the ramp. The other passengers returned to our gate and reported this viewed this as rather strange behavior. Tq the Embassy staffs heroism was to the others. ad,ded a typically Canadian touch ofmodesty. It was important, said US State Department representatives Kr;n Taylor in an interview later, We were all a bit on edge. The rov met us at the other side of Swiss for the Americans to say thank you. ing guards continued their random immigration and customs. The six ... They did more than that. They interrogations of other travelers. We were whisked away in a van to a w~nt wild. It was the first good made small talk and tried not to mountain lodge; Julio and I were left n1ws after three months ofnation attract any attention. standing in the parking lot. I had a~ trauma. . . . The maple leaf loaned one of them my topcoat [(!(anadian flag] was flown in After a tense hour, the Swissair flight because it was chilly. It was US Gov Oklahoma City, in Livonia, was called. Everyone was suddenly Michigan, and in a hundred other ernment property; Julio and I had anxious and excited about the pros American towns and cities. Bill bought European-style clothing, top pect of pulling it off. b~ards sprang up throughout the coats, and shoes for our trip to American countryside with giant Tehran. I never retrieved the top l~tters that spelled Thank You, Success coat, and later was admonished by C!;anada. A major US bank our Budget and Fiscal people when I bought a full-page ad in The New The bus trip was brief and as we did my accounting. Just another typ York Times to commemorate the started up the ramp to board the air- ical TDY. All part of the job. Canadian deed.

15 Deception

Jerome took out an ad in his local Burbank paper which said, "Thanks, Canada, we needed that .... "

Ken Taylor became an instant hero. He was described as "the Scarlet Pim pernel of diplomacy." He returned to Ottawa, covered in glory. Subse quently, he was involved in a whirlwind tour of appearances, some with the six. He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, received a Congressional Medal from the United States, and was awarded sev eral honorary degrees. He lived his cover all the way. President Jimmy Carter expresses his appreciation to author for his key An ironic coda: by the time Studio role in the exfiltration operation. Six folded several weeks after the res cue, we had received 26 scripts, including some potential moneymak hands with the President (I was then ers. One was from Steven Spielberg. under cover), I had a total of nine NOTES minutes in the Oval Office. Later that day, I was promoted by the 1. Originally, 66 US Embassy staffers director of OTS. In May,] ulio and I were taken hostage on 4 November Meeting the President 1979. Two weeks later, most minor each received CIA's Intelligence Star icy-group members and women were award. On 12 March 1980, I accompanied released, reducing rhe number to 53. the Director of Central Intelligence, Another hostage with multiple sclero sis was freed and flown home in mid- Admiral Turner, to his morning 1980. The total then remained at 52 meeting with President Carter and Reunion and Recognition until all were released in January National Securiry Adviser Brzezin 1981. ski. I was to have two and one-half minutes of the Admiral's meeting Later in May I invited the six to my with the President. At first, the Presi farm for the weekend. Jerome flew in dent seemed confused about what I from Burbank to join us in a secret had done. He apparently thought I reunion. The next week, the six and was the "old hand" we had met the Ken Taylor were honored guests at a night before I went to Iran, who was game in Yankee Stadium, where they still in Tehran at that point working were cheered by 30,000 fans. on preparations for the military res cue operation. In September 1997, after I was selected as one of the CIA50 Trail I showed the President some of the blazers, Agency representatives asked cover materials used in the operation me if I would agree to be interviewed and told him the Argo/Argau story. by CBS Evening News about the res Because of some indecision about cue of the six. I agreed, and the whether the White House photogra public finally learned the true story of pher should take my picture shaking the hostage rescue operation.