Iran Hostage Crisis Video Questions
View the following introductory video clips and answer each question.
Video Clip 1: Events Preceding the 1979 Iran Hostage Crisis
What happened in Iran in 1953? How did
this contribute to the Iran Hostage Crisis?
The popularly elected Prime Minister was removed by the CIA and the Shah was
put back on his father’s throne. This decreased popularity among the US with a
lot of Iranian citizens.
Describe the relationship between the
Shah of Iran and the United States.
The Shah and the leaders of the US got a long extremely well. For many years,
they worked and met together. The Shah was given access to a lot of American
resources.
What events in Iran preceded the 1979
Iran Hostage Crisis?
In February of that year the police had been ordered to intervene and take the
students out of the embassy.
Video Clip 2: Iranian Revolution and Ayatollah Khomeini
Describe the facts in the early Iranian
Revolution.
Communist faction, Democratic-Liberal faction, Parliamentary-Republic, Islamic
faction that wants a theocracy, they were all vying for control.
Who was the Ayatollah Khomeini? What
role did he play in the Iranian Revolution? He was a Islamic leader who wanted a theocracy, his faction gained a lot of
prominence and power. He led the revolution overthrow the Shah in 1979.
According to Mr. Farber, how did the
The people seen the US as a common enemy, as the coup in 1953 was a huge deal
United States serve as a unifying factor for for them, which made them dislike the US. Therefore, they agreed the US was the
enemy so they could come together.
the Iranian people?
Video Clip 3: The Seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Iran
Describe the events that led to the seizure
of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
The protests started at the embassy with a student sit-in to demonstrate the
illegitimacy of the American government’s presence in their country. A group of
the students climbed over the fence into the embassy.
How did the Iranian government respond
to these protests at the U.S. Embassy?
What was the consequence of this?
The government never responded to the protests in the Embassy, the
consequence was that these people in the embassy were easily taken as hostages
as they had no local protection.
Describe the number of people at the U.S.
Embassy at the time. Why was this?
66 people, they were the only necessary people, they did know they were in a
risky position because of all of the trouble brewing in Iran
Video Clip 4: Former Iranian Hostage John Limbert on his Experiences
How does Mr. Limbert's description of his
experience contrast to the Iranian
narrative?
He describes it as an unpleasant experience and says they were not treated well.
However, the Iranian narrative describes them as fine, in a nice hotel. But in
reality, they were messed with, isolated, threatened, and held in these
unpleasant conditions.
According to Mr. Limbert, how does his
treatment compare to the cultural values
of his captors?
He sees it as completely unacceptable because he knows that the Iranians would
normally treat their guests with great hospitality. However, he was treated
horribly which went against much of their cultural values.
Video Clip 5: Media Coverage of the Iran Hostage Crisis
Describe the media coverage of the hostage
crisis.
This crisis became an obsession of all three of the US networks and was
reported on daily.
How did the captors and hostages both use
the media for their own purposes?
For the Iranian students (the captors) it was a great propaganda ploy for
coverage, but for the hostages this was the only opportunity for them to
communicate with their loved ones back home.
How connected were the hostages with their They were not connected very well. There was a lack of mail and the relatives
complained about it a lot. This issue of the hostages not being connected with
families at home?
their families became a hot issue.
What is meant by a "news blackout" for the
hostages? What was the reasoning behind
this?
This meant that they would not tell the hostages anything. As a result, the
hostages became very anxious, or uncertain of what was going on, meant to
isolate and intimidate the hostages.
Video Clip 6: The 1980 Rescue Attempt During the Iran Hostage Crisis
Describe the planning that went into the
rescue attempt.
The president authorized the beginning of a hostage rescue 2 days after the
crisis. The government had gone through all of the diplomatic channels to get
them released. On April 24th Colonel Beckwith had created the Delta Force and
enabled them to go through with the plan.
Why did President Carter try the rescue
when he did?
Because of the failure of the last effort in Paris, and the Hamilton Jordan Chief
of Staff had also failed. This proved that the diplomatic appeals would have no
effect.
What occurred during the rescue attempt?
A minimum of 6 helicopters to from an aircraft carrier to desert one, refuel,
then go into the outskirts of Tehran to stay overnight. Then, in the morning, go
in trucks to the embassy and storm it and come back.
According to Mr. Eizenstat, why did it fail?
Sandstorms, helicopter hydraulic problems, and a lack of coordination all
contributed to the failure of the mission
How did this event impact the Carter
administration?
As these 8 servicemen went down into flames, the Carter administration also
went down in flames. This absolute failure and tragedy had a deep negative
impact on the administration.
Video Clip 7: The 1980 Election and the Iran Hostage Crisis
Summarize President Carter's
remarks about the Iran hostage rescue
attempt.
He said it was a tragedy and he also took complete responsibility for it. He also said
the American people mist persevere and they will find a diplomatic and peaceful way
to resolve this hostage crisis. He also added that the rescue mission was a failure
because of mechanical problems.
What impact did the failed rescue
attempt on President Carter's failed
reelection in 1980?
This made it even more unlikely that the hostages would be released before the
election in 1980. This deeply impacted the American politics and self-image. The
crisis also led to decreasing faith in Carter as President.
Video Clip 8: The End of the Iran Hostage Crisis
Describe the negotiations that led to
the release of the hostages.
Negotiations had been going on for a year between the Iran captors and Carter, the
hostages were finally released, however, Reagan became President through his
inauguration
When were the hostages released?
Why was this significant?
They were released after the Carter administration had left office. It was dramatic
because Carter had been the one working so hard and long to get hostages released
and they were released as Reagan became President.
How does Mr. Limbert describe the
events leading to the release of the
hostages?
He was told they were leaving the next day and were examined by Algerian doctors.
The people waited all day the next day, then shoved into buses going to the airport,
loaded on to three planes, and the Swiss Ambassador was there to make sure
everyone was there.