Scholar of Iran Hostage Crisis Puts ‘Argo’ in Historical Context
Professor Mohsen Milani, an expert on Iran, explains how some misguided radical Islamists terminated Iran's strategic alliance with the United States and hijacked the revolution.
Thirty-three years ago on Nov. 4, a group of misguided radical Islamists stormed and occupied the American Embassy in Tehran, took its personnel hostage and terminated Iran's strategic alliance with the United States.
In the US, this illegal and brazen act of defiance left an indelibly negative perception of Iran. During the 444-day ordeal, Americans were traumatized watching their flag burned by hysterical mobs shouting "Death to America" and their diplomats blindfolded and humiliatingly paraded in front of the world. They heard about the inhuman mock execution of the hostages, and were incensed that the hostages would be placed on trial in the revolutionary courts infamous for executing the accused first and justifying their actions later. They mourned the death of eight American servicemen in Operation Eagle Claw on April 24, 1980, a daring rescue operation that was aborted in a sandstorm inside Iran before it could reach its target.
Nothing seemed to work for America. That a superpower was incapable of freeing the hostages from a third-world country undermined American prestige and created lingering outrage among Americans against Iran — an outrage more intense than that directed against Vietnam, whose soldiers killed more than 55,000 Americans during the Vietnam War.
The hostage crisis remains a nightmare for America. In that context, Ben Affleck's thriller movie, "Argo," offers a mostly forgotten and surprisingly happy tale about an otherwise sad episode that, in the words of former hostage Barry Rosen, was closer to “defeat for both sides.”
