31ST ANNUAL HORACE MANN MODEL CONFERENCE OCTOBER 22, 2016 JCC: IRANIAN HOSTAGE CRISIS

JAMES CHANG & MEHR SURI GEORGE LOEWENSON CHAIR MODERATORS TABLE OF CONTENTS

LETTER FROM THE SECRETARIAT 3 LETTER FROM THE CHAIR 4 COMMITTEE BACKGROUND 5 COMMITTEE PROCEDURE 6 THE IRANIAN HOSTAGE CRISIS 9

OVERVIEW OF THE TOPIC 9

HISTORY 9

CURRENT SITUATION 14

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS 17

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER 18

POSITIONS 18 SOURCES 25

Horace Mann Model United Nations Conference 2 LETTER FROM THE SECRETARIAT

Dahlia Krutkovich DEAR DELEGATES, Isabella Muti Henry Shapiro Secretaries-General Welcome to Horace Mann's 31st annual Model United Nations Daniel Frackman conference, HoMMUNC XXXI! Since 1985, HoMMUNC has Maya Klaris engaged the future leaders of the world in a day full of learning, Noah Shapiro Directors-General debate, and compromise. The conference brings together intellectually curious high school and middle school students to Charles Gay Zachary Gaynor contemplate and discuss serious global concerns. We are honored Ananya Kumar-Banarjee to have inherited the responsibility of preparing this event for Livia Mann over 1000 students that will participate in HoMMUNC XXXI. William Scherr Audrey Shapiro Benjamin Shapiro Regardless of your age or experience in Model UN, we challenge Senior Executive Board you to remain engaged in the discourse of your committees and Joshua Doolan truly involve yourself in the negotiation process. Each committee Jenna Freidus Samuel Harris is comprised of an eclectic group of delegates and will address Charles Hayman and important global concern. Take this opportunity to delve deep Valerie Maier Radhika Mehta into that problem: educate yourself think innovatively to create Evan Megibow the best solutions, and lead the committee to a resolution that Jada Yang Under-Secretaries- could better the world. Through the platform of Model UN, you General will have the chance to gain invaluable skills in leadership, public speaking, and writing and will become a more globally-aware Bliss Beyer Jacqueline Lee person. As a bonus, you will meet like-minded students from Joanne Wang around the area and create lasting friendships. Under-Directors- General Horace Mann Model United Nations has played an immense role Alexander Karpf Chase Kauder in our lives over the past three years, and it has been our pleasure Alexis Megibow to organize HoMMUNC XXXI along with a dedicated senior and Ethan Parisier Mehr Suri junior staff over the past 6 months. We hope you have a fun and Senior Staff enriching experience at the conference.

Mitchell Francis Aaron Thompson Sincerely, Faculty Advisors DAHLIA KRUTKOVICH, ISABELLA MUTI, AND HENRY SHAPIRO Secretaries-General HoMMUNC XXXI

Horace Mann Model United Nations Conference 3 LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

Dahlia Krutkovich DEAR DELEGATES, Isabella Muti Henry Shapiro Secretaries-General It is my pleasure to welcome you to the JCC on the Iran Hostage Daniel Frackman Crisis of HoMMUNC XXXI. My name is Mehr Suri, and I will Maya Klaris serve as the Chair of the committee alongside my moderators, Noah Shapiro Directors-General George Loewenson and James Chang.

Charles Gay Zachary Gaynor I am currently a senior at HM, and although I am President of our Ananya Kumar- school’s Model Congress team, I’ve attended quite a few MUN Banarjee conferences in the past, and am looking forward to chairing this Livia Mann William Scherr one. Aside from Model Congress, my other passions are: Soul Audrey Shapiro Cycle, pumpkin spice, and the Oklahoma City Thunder (you Benjamin Shapiro Senior Executive guess which one is actually true). Board

Joshua Doolan I am really excited for HoMMUNC XXXI and am sure this Jenna Freidus committee will be a blast! Our concentration on the Iran Hostage Samuel Harris Charles Hayman Crisis is unique – although an immensely important milestone in Valerie Maier US foreign policy towards, not only Iran, but the Middle East in Radhika Mehta Evan Megibow its entirety, many high schools tend to gloss over the event. What Jada Yang makes this event particularly unique is its historical malleability, Under-Secretaries- to not only be seen as an historical landmark, but also as a General medium through which one might analyze current issues arising Bliss Beyer in the Middle East. I urge you all to not only read the background Jacqueline Lee Joanne Wang guide in its entirety (George & James worked hard on it), but also Under-Directors- to delve further into research on the topic and its repercussions. General Overall, I want this to be a fun, rewarding, and intellectual Alexander Karpf experience, and only through your own research and subsequent Chase Kauder Alexis Megibow contributions in committee, can we make this aspiration a reality. Ethan Parisier Mehr Suri Senior Staff See you in October, MEHR SURI Mitchell Francis [email protected] Aaron Thompson Faculty Advisors CHAIR, JCC: IRAN

Horace Mann Model United Nations Conference 4 COMMITTEE BACKGROUND This half of the joint crisis committee will focus on the Iranian side of the Iranian Hostages Crisis. A JCC works fluidly so that delegates on either side of the crisis can speak, interact, and work together through crisis notes. The main topic of debate will be how to ensure the hostages remain in Iranian custody; however, delegates are encouraged to think beyond the situation at hand and work towards a world in which the newly-minted Islamic republic of Iran holds evermore power. The committee can explore all kinds of solutions, from military actions to diplomatic agreements. Of course, delegates are encouraged to work with the other half of the joint crisis committee, if they so desire

Horace Mann Model United Nations Conference 5 COMMITTEE PROCEDURE address topics relevant to recent This committee will run as a crisis updates. Directives will require a set committee. The start date is April 25th, number of sponsors plus signatories in 1980, after the failure of Operation order to be accepted by the dais, which Eagle Claw so there is no need to will be specified at the beginning of the research beyond that date. Debate will first committee session. Once accepted, flow as a perpetual moderated caucus a delegate must motion for the with a speaking time specified at the legislation’s introduction. If this beginning of committee that can be motion passes, the legislation will be changed at any time through a read aloud to the committee by the procedural motion. This moderated dais. Delegates then have the right to caucus can be interrupted by passing motion for question and answer motions for unmoderated caucuses or sessions with the authors, to write and the introduction of directives. The chair introduce amendments to the directive, reserves the right to rule motions that to move into voting procedure with or she deems do not benefit the flow of without speakers for and against, or the committee dilatory in which case they committee may decide to discuss the will not be formally voted upon. There directive in moderated caucus. In terms are four main forms of legislation that of the content of directives, the goal is can written: directives, press releases, to include in detail the very specific communiques, and unilateral actions. actions that the sponsoring delegates would like the committee to take. Directives Directives are the actions taken Press Releases by the entire committee to address an Press releases are formal issue. They can be sponsored by any statements from the Iranian delegates in committee and should government (or any given news agency

Horace Mann Model United Nations Conference 6 that a delegate represents) that are introduction and passage, and require released to the public, often to update the approval of the committee to pass. the world on the current state of global affairs and the actions being taken by Unilateral Actions the body. The content of these Each delegate’s specific documents should be the exact text that assignment on this committee affords the sponsoring delegates would like them the ability to use their position’s released to the public. After being resources to help reach the committee’s introduced, press releases can be goals and to advance his or her own treated just like directives in terms of personal interests. In this sense, each procedure (they must be passed by the member of this committee has the committee) and debate. powers that the representative of their company, agency, or newspaper on the Communiques would have. In order to use these Communiques are the same as powers, throughout committee press releases except for the fact that delegates can pass up notes addressed the audience for a communique is one to “crisis.” These notes should contain, person or group instead of the entire very specifically, the actions that will world. In this sense, they can be be taken, whether they be a letter to a thought of as letters from the potential ally or the launching of a committee or a single person to a secret new mercenary force. Crisis person or group. They are most often notes will remain secret from all the written to solicit actions or support other delegates, and as such they are a from various significant individuals or place for creativity. Small groups of groups relating to a conflict. delegates can also combine their Communiques can be treated like press resources and write unilateral actions releases and directives in terms of their together. Note that just like all other

Horace Mann Model United Nations Conference 7 forms of legislation in this committee, crisis notes will impact the ongoing situation on an international level. The dais will be responding to crisis notes with updates on their progress and effects.

Horace Mann Model United Nations Conference 8 THE IRANIAN HOSTAGE Crisis from the Iranian point of view. CRISIS Regardless of how events unfolded historically, this committee itself will Overview of the Topic start on April 25th 1980, with the The , which failure of Operation Eagle Claw. lasted 444 days from November 4, 1979, to January 20, 1981 History , was widely condemned by American By 1951, several things were media as an “entanglement” of true about the nation of Iran. First, “vengeance and mutual Iran had endured more than 150 years incomprehension,” and immortalized of British imperialism, forced to watch in popular sentiment as a crisis rooted the immeasurable wealth of its in extortion, terrorism, and anarchy.1 petroleum industry fuel the high Yet in Iran, the lurid international standard of living Britons enjoyed, standoff represented a revolutionary while ordinary Iranians wallowed in student movement to end American domestic penury. Second, controversial interference of its sovereign affairs. dictator had been coerced President Jimmy Carter’s decision to into abdicating after failing to resist grant Iran’s deposed pro-Western Shah foreign intervention; his pro-Western asylum in the United States would son was ultimately prove to be a pivotal episode slated to assume the Peacock Throne. in the history of Iran-U.S. relations, Third, the winds of revolution were forming policy implications that sweeping a country denied its stretched far beyond Carter’s sovereignty for so long, brimming with subsequent re-election defeat. Large- a ubiquitous national identity but scale international conflicts are rarely perpetually unable to exercise it.2 ever black and white; the following is a concise history of the Iran Hostage

Horace Mann Model United Nations Conference 9 This climate of frustration, to compel Iran to withdraw the plan. resentment, and a burning desire to Meanwhile, Mossadegh’s popularity at regain control of Iran’s destiny set the home skyrocketed. Finally, Iranian stage for a peaceful but deeply people possessed finally one a transformative national shift. After common, unifying cause to rally decades of monarchical rulers and around. The immense push against autocrats, Iran’s parliament Great Britain’s fiscal oppression democratically elected as prime endeared the Prime Minister to popular minister one of the most highly Iranian sentiment, for he was regarded educated men in the country, as a modern leader who—as a British Mohammed Mossadegh, the first diplomat wrote in a report from Iranian ever to earn a doctorate in law —had “flouted the authority of a great from a European university. In a power and a great foreign interest.”4 transcendent decision characterized by both its watershed ambition and internationally-suicidal nature, Mossadegh heroically championed the nationalization of the oil industry. Even before taking office, his nationalization law passed both houses of parliament unanimously.3 The move naturally infuriated the British, who refused the accept the boldness of Mossadegh’s challenge. They withdrew their oil technicians, The Shah on the Cover of Time Magazine in 1974 blockaded the port from which oil was http://content.time.com/time/covers/ 0,16641,19741104,00.html exported, and asked the United Nations

Horace Mann Model United Nations Conference 10 Mossadegh’s daring turned him During this period, Iranians into a global figure. He traveled to hoped the United States, an emerging to plead his case to the hegemon, would emerge as their ally United Nations—the first time the and protector. Indeed, most of the leader of such a chronically oppressed Americans who had come to Iran and third-world country had mounted a during the first half of the 20th century stage of such diametrically august were teachers, nurses, and missionaries dignity. who had left highly positive "My countrymen lack the bare impressions.6 necessities of existence," said American newspapers, however, Mossadegh, addressing the U.N. chose instead to pander to the British Security Council. "Their standard of and were entirely unsympathetic to living is probably one of the lowest in Mossadegh's plea. They charged that the world. Our greatest national Mossadegh was defying international resource is oil. This should be the law and threatening the flow of oil to source of work and food for the the free world. The New York Times, population of Iran. Its exploitation for instance, decried Iran as a "defiant should properly be our national scorner" of the United Nations, and industry, and the revenue from it further blamed "Iranian nationalism should go to improve our conditions of and Islamic fanaticism" for carrying life."5 the dispute "beyond the field of legality This epic struggle for control of and common sense.”7 the oil industry was the vehicle that In the long, sorry chronicle of transformed Iranian nationalism from unwanted foreign imperialism within an abstract idea into a tangible Iran, the United States would movement. Iranians discovered their ultimately situate itself on the side of identity within their newfound cause. the self-interested aggressor with

Horace Mann Model United Nations Conference 11 Operation Ajax in 1953. Prime that Iran was collapsing into chaos. On Minister Winston Churchill, wavering the night of August 19th, a mob of against an unyielding Mossadegh, Iranian royalists incited by Western asked the sitting president Dwight D. propaganda—and backed by police and Eisenhower to order the Central military units whose leaders the CIA Intelligence Agency to undermine had suborned—converged on Mossadegh’s government. Obsessed Mossadegh’s residence. Two hours with the wild, unbased distortion of later, the Prime Minister’s dreams for Marxist influence in the predominantly his nation were set aflame along with Muslim nation, Eisenhower the remains of his house, reduced to impulsively agreed to the military coup ash and debris. Mossadegh was d'état. There was no real attempt from arrested, tried for high treason, and Washington to understand Mossadegh sentenced to house arrest for life. He and the integrity of his motivations, nor died in 1967.8 was even the basic courtesy of The CIA quickly moved to bring responding to Mossadegh’s letters Mohammed Reza Pahlavi back from afforded to him. Rome, where he had fled during the And so the destructive narrative pre-coup turmoil. The United States continued. Iran’s most democratic installed Pahlavi firmly into power, government to date was targeted by propping him with money from Iran’s CIA agents, who employed tactics that petroleum revenue. Rather than acting ranged from bribing newspaper editors as a constitutional monarch, Shah to organizing riots. From a command Pahlavi appointed himself an absolute center in the basement of the United monarch. The inexperienced leader States Embassy, operatives slowly squandered the national budget on tens eroded public perception of of billions of dollars’ worth of Mossadegh, sculpting the impression advanced weaponry rather than

Horace Mann Model United Nations Conference 12 investing in social reform, bringing huge profits to American arms manufacturers while allowing Iranian citizens to starve. Pahlavi ruled with an iron fist, utilizing brutal secret police to torture opposition figures, repressing independent institution (political parties, student groups, labor unions, or civic groups), and consolidating power for himself. 9 The greeting supporters http://statics.ml.imam-khomeini.ir/UserFiles/en/Images/ Yet in the face of all odds, the News/2016/19_89_34.jpg indomitable resolve and collective In the following months, the emotion of Iran’s population United States would repeatedly refuse culminated in one of the most to return Pahlavi to Iran to stand trial astonishing political turnarounds of the for the crimes he committed during his 20th century. Nearly every significant tenure. President Jimmy Carter had group within Iranian society rose up in made a inflammatory televised toast to opposition against a Shah who had sold Pahlavi the year prior, declaring how out to a foreign power. Pahlavi, beloved the shah was by his people. thought by Washington to be American international presence would invulnerable, was overthrown and be unanimously perceived by Iranians forced to flee on January 16, 1979. seen as a force of unwelcome intrusion After stays in Egypt, Morocco, the and deliberate sabotage.11 Bahamas, and Mexico, Pahlavi was Meanwhile, public viewed the finally granted asylum by the United provisional government of Prime States on October 22, purportedly for Minister as cancer treatment.10 increasingly pro-American—moderates

Horace Mann Model United Nations Conference 13 plotting to normalize relations with the Current Situation United States and extinguish In association with the esteemed revolutionary sentiment in the country. heads of other Islamic groups within Iranians turned to Ayatollah Ruhollah Tehran’s most elite universities, Khomeini instead, a radical cleric and political activist and politician Ebrahim political leader whose revolutionary Asgharzadeh masterminded Iran’s Islamic movement promised a respite noble attempt at reclaiming its national from the past and a push towards identity in September of 1979. The greater autonomy for the Iranian Muslim Student Followers of the people.12 Imam’s Line, composed of student Khomeini, who had previously supporters of the Islamic Revolution been exiled by the Shah for 15 years, from the Sharif University of returned to overwhelming support in Technology, the University of Tehran, Iran.13 Tehran Polytechnic, and other top The stage was set. For each day Iranian universities, acted in solidarity Pahlavi enjoyed refuge in the United with Asgharzadeh and Khomeini by States and Bazargan governed at home, storming the American embassy in 14 yet another straw was being perched Tehran on November 4, 1979. precariously on the camel’s back. Anti- American sentiment had been festering for years, and public outcry had mounted to a deafening roar. As it inevitably did, the will of the Iranian people would take its course. . Iranian Students Storming the American Embassy http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/04/us-embassy- tehran-photos_n_6100340.html

Horace Mann Model United Nations Conference 14 That torpid Sunday morning, popular support and easily deflected 300 to 500 Iranian students used metal criticism of his controversial theocratic cutters to break the chains locking the constitution, which was scheduled for a embassy’s gates, followed by arriving referendum vote. In particular, buses full of demonstrators. At first, carefully selected dispatches and the students planned a symbolic reports discovered at the embassy and occupation, in which they would released by the hostage-takers enabled release statements to the press and Khomeini to discredit and disempower peacefully exit when government moderate figures. The referendum was security forces arrived to restore order. ultimately successful, allowing both One such placard read: “Don’t be leftists and theocrats to further utilize afraid. We just want to sit in.”15 allegations of pro-Americanism to But it soon became apparent the suppress their middle-of-the-road Marine embassy guards were severely opponents. Revolutionary fever was outnumbered and would not use violent gripping the nation.16 force. Khomeini went on public radio Still, the hostage-takers were in Tehran praising the seizure, the humane in their treatment of embassy “second revolution” with its roots at personnel. Declaring their solidarity the American spy den in the heart of with other “oppressed minorities” and Iran. The student organizers arrested all “the special place of women in ,” embassy personnel, parading them in they even release 13 women and front of photographers outside, not yet African-Americans in the middle of knowing their courage would catapult November 1979. Hostages were treated them onto every major news headline almost as diplomats, although granted, across the world. this began deteriorating when Under the slogan “America can’t do a Bazargan’s provisional government thing,” Khomeini rallied enormous crumbled just days after the takeover.17

Horace Mann Model United Nations Conference 15 Meanwhile, the hostage crisis it scratched last minute by Khomeini. created a reciprocal surge of patriotism The sudden power imbalance between that united the imperialist Americans in the nations was unprecedented. Iran their disdain against Iran. Television was finally entering international news gave daily updates, and popular discourse from a platform of strength CBS anchor Walter Cronkite signed off and assertiveness. Carter, facing each evening by reporting how many increasing public strain, was growing days the hostages had been held desperate. captive. The hostage-taking was seen Late in the afternoon of April 24, there “not just as a diplomatic affront,” 1980, eight RH-53D helicopters flew but as a “declaration of war on from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz on diplomacy itself.” President Carter a secret rescue mission approved by applied the full extent of economic Carter: Operation Eagle Claw. They pressure, terminating oil imports on encountered severe dust storms that November 12, 1979, and freezing disabled two of the helicopters, one around eight billion dollars’ worth of colliding into a tanker aircraft, killing Iranian assets on November 14. A eight American servicemen.19 severe backlash against Iranians in United States saw beatings and other forms of hate crime.18 As far as diplomatic channels went, a pattern emerged in President Carter’s attempts to negotiate the hostages’ release: he would latch onto a The Wreckage of an RH-53D helicopter en route to Tehran as deal proffered by a top Iranian official part of Operation Eagle Claw. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/ and be forced to grant minor but Usburnedhelicopter.jpg humiliating concessions, only to have

Horace Mann Model United Nations Conference 16 Khomeini credited divine Delegates may choose to venture intervention on behalf of Islam, and his on the path of all-out antagonism, a prestige skyrocketed even higher in symbolic act of retribution against Iran. Iranian officials favoring release centuries of foreign injustice. Such a of the hostages were weakened. In decision would likely entail shunning America, President Carter’s political negotiations and flouting international popular and re-election prospects protocol entirely. Undoubtedly this crashed.20 course of action will provoke enormous pro-Western backlash. On Possible Solutions the other hand, the Iranian people have Delegates may choose to follow long celebrated outright disdain the path of least external resistance and towards interventionist forces—the most internal resistance: strong-arming possibility of true sovereignty has student revolutionaries to release the never been closer within reach than in hostages through various channels. modern times. What will be ultimately Such a move would dramatically lessen done with the hostages can only be left foreign pressure, but would be hugely up to individual imagination. unpopular within the national sphere. Delegates may choose to pursue Likely, this decision will be publicly any one of the intermediary paths viewed as the Iranian government between submission and de facto bending once again to American warfare. Successful manipulation of hegemony. Furthermore, the influential factions within Iranian mobilization of the Iranian military society will be crucial in achieving may be required to quell unrest, risking desired outcomes. The United States Iranian-on-Iranian casualties and has pledged not to be sympathetic to domestic ire. “Iranian terrorists,” and one should expect no lack of conflict during

Horace Mann Model United Nations Conference 17 international negotiations. Any solution 5. How should the Iranian must consider the end objective, how government work with the well it can satisfy the interests at stake, international community? Is the and the timing of the intended best strategy to negotiate openly message. with the U.N. and foreign diplomats, or force them to come Questions to Consider to the bargaining table? 1. What is the ultimate objective of 6. What novel political/military/ the hostage-taking? What does Iran cultural influences does the primarily desire to gain from the hostage-taking generate United States? domestically? How will these 2. How will the Iranian government internal forces reshape the national want to portray the hostage-taking landscape? What revolutionary to the global media? How should opportunities and challenges do the movement be framed in the they create? larger context? 3. How will Iran balance the severe Positions fiscal pressure induced by the Supreme Leader hostage-taking with the people’s Note: The dais will act as Supreme yearning for independence? Is the Leader Khomeini throughout the tradeoff sustainable? Is it worth it? course of the crisis committee rather 4. Within the international than any individual delegate. community, what messages does Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the Iranian government want to the spiritual and ideological leader of give to its allies? Its enemies? How the , had advocated will the hostage taking reflect on for religious government long before Iran in the long term? the fall of the Shah. He grew up in a

Horace Mann Model United Nations Conference 18 religious household and studied the four-year term as in qur’an from an early age. In June January 1980, taking office the next 1963, after publicly condemning Reza month. Despite Banisadr’s election, Shah Pahlavi, Khomeini was arrested Supreme Leader Khomeini retained the and detained until August. A year later power to dismiss him or any president he began a fourteen year exile, at any time. 22 returning in February 1979 after the Shah had fled the country. A stalwart Prime Minister Mehdi Bazargan advocate of religious influence in Mehdi Bazargan was one of the government, Khomeini served as most pro-democracy and liberal figures for ten years. in the Iranian Revolution. Upon the 21 success of the revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini appointed him the first President Sayyed Abolhassan prime minister of Iran. He questioned Banisadr Iran’s new constitution; he preferred Sayyed Abolhassan Banisadr calling the state of Iran an “Islamic was born in Iran in 1933. His father Democratic Republic” over an “Islamic was a close aide and ally of Ruhollah Republic,” among other qualms with Khomeini. Banisadr participated in the constitution, which he believed was student anti-shah movements in the too radical. He offered his resignation early ‘60s, was imprisoned twice, and only one month after taking office to was wounded in an uprising. Banisadr protest what he saw as the conferring became Minister of Finance in the of an inordinate amount of power upon newly formed Iranian government in Ayatollah Khomeini. Khomeini would February 1979. After a brief stint as not accept his resignation. Bazargan Minister of Finance, and then Foreign attempted to resigned again in minister, Banisadr was elected to a November 1979, this time successfully,

Horace Mann Model United Nations Conference 19 out of protest of the hostage crisis and militant groups, including the Palestine the government’s support of it.23 Liberation Organization.25

Foreign Minister Sadegh Grand Ayatollah Yousef Saanei Ghotbzadeh Yousef Saanei, a shi’ite cleric, received his religious education from a accompanied Ayatollah Khomeini number of clerics, including Ayatollah during his 1978 exile in France and Khomeini. He led the Iranian became a close ally and aide of the from 1980 to 1983. soon-to-be supreme leader. Upon The powerful council, composed of Khomeini’s return from exile and the religious leaders, approves or vetoes establishment of the Islamic Republic, the candidacy of candidates for Ghotbzadeh became the Foreign political office. Saanei was a liberal by Minister of Iran, and served in that the standards of the government that he capacity through and beyond Operation served, holding somewhat moderate Eagle Claw.24 positions on the status of women and on religious influence in government.26 Mostafa Chamran Mostafa Chamran served as the Mohammad Mousavi Khoeiniha first Minister of Defense of the Islamic Mohammad Mousavi Khoeiniha Republic of Iran. In his capacity as was the spiritual leader of the Muslim defense minister, he led the Student Followers of the Imam’s Line, Revolutionary Guard, Iran’s main the group that organized the hostage armed forces. Chamran had left Iran taking. A revolutionary activist leader, numerous times in the 20 years before he was arrested in 1977 by the shah’s the revolution to receive military secret police for his revolutionary training and to fight for various Islamic activities. He was released a year later

Horace Mann Model United Nations Conference 20 due to the unrest caused by the Iranian revolution, was one of the main revolution. He was a member of Iran’s leaders of the hostage takers. He first parliament beginning in May 1980. 27 conceived the idea of the capture of the United States Embassy in Tehran in Deputy Prime Minister Sadeq September 1979. He only put the plan Tabatabaei into action once outraged by the United Sadeq Tabatabaei was in the States’s granting the Shah temporary midst of his tenure as deputy prime asylum and having American doctors minister of Iran when Operation Eagle operate on him. Asgharzadeh did not Claw occurred. Tabatabaei had been notify Ayatollah Khomeini of his plans appointed as deputy prime minister by to take over the embassy, although Mehdi Bazargan just before Bazargan’s Khomeini supported him once the resignation as Prime Minister, and he plans were in place.29 had overseen the referendum that created the Islamic Republic of Iran. Speaker Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi- Tabatabaei simultaneously served as Rafsanjani deputy prime minister and secretary of Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi- state. Committed to a diplomatic Rafsanjani became Iraqi Minister of resolution to the hostage crisis, he set the Interior following the Iranian up a meeting with an American Deputy revolution in 1979. He later became Secretary of State through West speaker of the Iranian Parliament, also Germany in the midst of the crisis.28 known as the majjis, in 1980. Rafsanjani supported a free market Ebrahim Asgharzadeh domestic policy while promoting a Ebrahim Asgharzadeh, an policy of avoiding conflict with the electrical engineering student at a United States and other western powers Tehran university at the time of the where possible.30

Horace Mann Model United Nations Conference 21 the hostage takers, as she was much Hussein Sheikholeslam more proficient than the others in Hussein Sheikholeslam led English. Masoumeh frequently interrogations of the American appeared on American TV shows to hostages in the United States embassy, present the hostage takers’ ideas. The and he was responsible for looking foreign press called her “Mary,” while through the classified documents kept the hostages dubbed her “tiger lily” in the embassy. The release of Asked by an ABC correspondent about classified documents and information whether she would ever potentially obtained during interrogation could shoot the hostages, she replied, “When have bolstered the students’ case that I've seen an American gun being lifted United States influence was up and killing my brothers and sisters intentionally detrimental to Iran, in the streets, of course.”32 potentially hindering American efforts at rescuing the captives and gaining Prime Minister Mohammad-Ali Iran the support of the international Rajai community. Additionally, the Mohammad Ali Rajani became alteration of the level of brutality of the Prime Minister of Iran during the interrogations could be a bargaining Iranian hostage crisis, replacing Mehdi chip in negotiations with the United Bazargan over six months after the States.31 former’s resignation. Rajani was actively involved in the Islamic Masoumeh Ebtekar Revolution, leading a program to purge Masoumeh Ebtekar was the most Iranian Universities of Western styles prominent female Iranian in the of thinking. Before the revolution, he hostage crisis. She served as the had been arrested three times by the spokesperson and English translator for

Horace Mann Model United Nations Conference 22 Shah’s secret police for revolutionary hostage takers, Mohsen Miramadi was activities.33 “particularly nasty.”36

Behzad Nabavi Ali Akbar Mohtashamipour served as chief Ali Akbar Mohtashamipour negotiator for the Iranians during the became a trusted advisor of Ayatollah hostage crisis. He began his adult life Khomeini when he accompanied as a guerilla fighter against the Shah, Khomeini through his exile. Khomeini and was subsequently arrested. During became his religious mentor. the Iranian Revolution, he served as Mohtashamipour was one of the more one of the founders of the Islamic radical clerics of those leading the Revolutionary Committees, a militant revolution. He called for the export of group aimed at combating armed the revolution. Continuing his militant opposition to the new regime. He also tendencies, Mohtashamipour went on founded what would eventually to found Hezbollah.37 become the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence.34 Abbas Abdi Like the other hostage takers, Mohsen Mirdamadi Abbas Abdi was in college, at Tehran Mohsen Mirdamadi served as Polytechnic University, during the part of the leadership council of the Iranian Hostage Crisis. Abdi joined hostage takers. Like the others, he was other students in planning and staging a college student in the Tehran area the taking of hostages and was among infuriated by the United States’ the first group of students to storm the decision to provide the Shah surgery United States Embassy in Tehran. 38 for his gallstones.35 One hostage, John Limbert, remarked that among the

Horace Mann Model United Nations Conference 23 Hamid Aboutalebi Hamdi Aboutalebi is said to have attacked the United States embassy along with other Iranian students during the hostage crisis. And yet, today he denies involvement in the hostage taking, claiming he had only a peripheral role in the hostage crisis. Whether or not Aboutalebi was actually present for the storming of the US embassy, he was a member of the Student Followers of the Imam’s line, the main organizing group of the attack.39

Horace Mann Model United Nations Conference 24 SOURCES 1 http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,954605,00.html

2 http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/inside-irans-fury-11823881/?no-ist

3 https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/short-history/iraniancrises

4 http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/inside-irans-fury-11823881/?no-ist

5 http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/inside-irans-fury-11823881/?no-ist

6 http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,954605,00.html

7 http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/inside-irans-fury-11823881/?no-ist

8 http://www.coldwar.org/articles/50s/OperationAjax.asp

9 http://www.history.com/topics/iran-hostage-crisis

10 http://www.history.com/topics/iran-hostage-crisis

11 http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/inside-irans-fury-11823881/?no-ist

12 http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/inside-irans-fury-11823881/?no-ist

13 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/carter-hostage-crisis/

14 https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/short-history/iraniancrises

15 http://www.history.com/topics/iran-hostage-crisis

16 http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,954605,00.html

17 http://www.nytimes.com/1981/01/27/us/no-headline-240600.html

18 http://www.history.com/topics/iran-hostage-crisis

19 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/carter-hostage-crisis/

20 http://www.history.com/topics/iran-hostage-crisis

21 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruhollah_Khomeini

22 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abolhassan_Banisadr

23 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehdi_Bazargan

24 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadegh_Ghotbzadeh

25 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mostafa_Chamran

Horace Mann Model United Nations Conference 25 26 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yousef_Saanei

27 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_Mousavi_Khoeiniha

28 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadeq_Tabatabaei

29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebrahim_Asgharzadeh

30 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akbar_Hashemi_Rafsanjani

31 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hossein_Sheikholeslam

32 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masoumeh_Ebtekar

33 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamid_Aboutalebi

34 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behzad_Nabavi

35 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_Reza_Pahlavi

36http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/07/AR2009080702047.html? utm_term=.7c2b97452110; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohsen_Mirdamadi

37 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Akbar_Mohtashamipur

38 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbas_Abdi

39 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamid_Aboutalebi

Horace Mann Model United Nations Conference 26