Break in Diplomatic Relations and the Rescue Mission


235. Memorandum From Gary Sick of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Aaron)

Source: Carter Library, Brzezinski Donated Material, Box 14. Secret.


236. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting

Source: Carter Library, Plains File, Box 10. Secret. The meeting took place in the White House Situation Room. Carter wrote “Zbig, C” in the upper right corner.


237. Paper Prepared in the Department of State

Source: Carter Library, Plains File, Box 7. Secret; Sensitive. Drafted by Precht.


238. Draft Message From the U.S. Government to Iranian President Bani-Sadr and Iranian Foreign Minister Ghotbzadeh

Source: Carter Library, Plains File, Box 7. Secret; Sensitive. Sent via the Swiss Embassy in Tehran. Bracketed material represents alternative language. In an April 3 covering memorandum from Aaron to Carter, transmitting this draft message, Aaron pointed out that Vance wanted guidance on whether to include a specific date. Aaron offered two considerations—one, that failure to specify a date might lessen the impact of the message, and, two, that holding a date in reserve could be useful given the fluid situation in Iran. (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 31, Iran 4/1/80–4/18/80)


239. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Saunders) to Secretary of State Vance

Source: Department of State, Official Files of [P] David D. Newsom, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Lot 82D85, Iran Update April 1980. Secret; Eyes Only. Drafted by Precht. Also sent to Christopher and Newsom.


240. Draft Message From the U.S. Government to the Iranian Government

Source: Carter Library, Plains File, Box 7. Secret. Sent via the Swiss ostensibly as a message from the Swiss Ambassador in Washington, Raymond Probst, to Lang. In an April 4 covering memorandum to Carter, Aaron wrote: “Attached is the draft message to the Iranians which Cy has prepared. It incorporates all my comments.” On another copy of this draft, an unknown hand wrote: “cleared by pres 1900.” (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Middle East File, Box 32, Subject File, Iran [Retained 4/80]) Villalon told Precht the United States should send a firm message laying out the U.S. position and the gravity of the situation to eliminate any doubt of U.S. willingness to go forward. If the message were oral, he suggested sending it through Lang. (Memorandum of conversation, April 4; ibid.)


241. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Aaron) to President Carter

Source: Carter Library, Plains File, Box 7. Secret; Sensitive. Sent for action. Carter initialed “C” in the upper right corner.


242. Message From the Swiss Ambassador to Iran (Lang) to the Department of State

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 6, Iran 4/1/80–4/18/80. Secret. In an April 5 covering note to Carter, Aaron wrote: “Attached is the latest message from the Swiss. Cy asked that I send it up to you.” There is no numeral 1 in the original.


243. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 31, Iran 4/1/80–4/18/80. Secret; Sensitive. Drafted by Precht. Villalon and Precht talked by phone. According to an attached April 5 covering memorandum from the White House Situation Room to Brzezinski, the memorandum of conversation was sent to Carter on the evening of April 5 at Aaron’s request.


244. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Middle East File, Box 100, Meetings File, 4/7/80 NSC Meeting re Iran. Secret. All tabs are attached but not printed.


245. Minutes of a National Security Council Meeting

Source: Carter Library, National Security Council, NSC Institutional Files (H–Files), Box 57. Top Secret; Sensitive. The meeting took place in the Cabinet Room at the White House.


247. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Carter Library, Plains File, Box 1. Secret.


248. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Office File, Box 87, For President or Brzezinski Only File, Iran Rescue Mission 11/79–7/80. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. Carter initialed “C” in the upper right corner of the memorandum. This was originally written as an April 8 memorandum from Sick to Brzezinski, which Brzezinski asked Sick to rewrite as a memorandum to the President. (Ibid.)


249. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee (Implementation) Meeting

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Middle East File, Box 100, Meetings File, 4/10/80 SCC re Iran. Secret; Outside the System.


250. Minutes of a National Security Council Meeting

Source: Carter Library, Plains File, Box 7, Iran 4/80. Top Secret; Sensitive. The meeting took place in the White House. At the top of the page, Carter wrote: “Susan, My top secret pers file. J.” Susan Clough was Carter’s personal secretary. Vance was on vacation in Florida. (Brzezinski, Power and Principle, pp. 492–493) Jordan also attended this meeting and for the first time learned of the rescue operation. (Jordan, Crisis, pp. 249–251) In his memoir, Carter quoted from his April 10 diary entry: “The Iranian terrorists are making all kinds of crazy threats to kill the American hostages if they are invaded by Iraq—whom they identify as an American puppet.” He then wrote: “We could no longer afford to depend on diplomacy. I decided to act. On April 11, I called together my top advisers.” (Carter, Keeping Faith, p. 506)


251. Memorandum From Robert D. Blackwill of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) and the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Aaron)

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 6, Iran 4/1/80–4/18/80. Secret; Outside the System. Sent for information. Carter wrote in the upper right corner of the memorandum: “Zbig—Discuss with Warren. C.” Below Carter’s handwritten note, an unknown hand wrote “done.”


252. Memorandum From Paul Henze of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)

Source: National Security Council, Carter Intelligence Files, Logged INT Files, Box I031, Folder 2, JEC INT 8002284–8006395. Secret. Sent for information. Copies were sent to Sick, Odom, Ermarth, Welch, Brement, and Griffith. In the upper right corner of the memorandum, Brzezinski wrote: “helpful. ZB.” Below Brzezinski’s note, Sick wrote: “great—other than penultimate para!! GS.”


253. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Subject File, Box 38, Memcons Pres 3/80. Secret. In the upper right corner of the memorandum, Carter wrote: “ok. J.”


254. Minutes of a National Security Council Meeting

Source: Carter Library, Plains File, Box 7, Iran 4/80. Top Secret; Sensitive. The meeting took place in the White House. As he later recalled, Vance had voiced to Carter his objection to the rescue mission earlier in the morning and then again before the NSC meeting. After the meeting, Vance questioned his desire to remain in the administration. (Vance, Hard Choices, pp. 409–410) According to the President’s Daily Diary, Vance and Carter met from 12:10 until 12:47 p.m. (Carter Library, President’s Daily Diary) No other record of their April 15 non-NSC meetings has been found.


256. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting

Source: Carter Library, Brzezinski Donated Material, Box 14. Secret. The meeting took place in the White House Situation Room. Carter wrote “Zbig, J” in the upper right corner.


257. Memorandum From Fritz Ermarth of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Middle East File, Box 32, Subject File, Iran 4/1/80–4/17/80. Secret. Sent for information. Brement, Welch, and Odom concurred.


258. Memorandum From Marshall Brement and Stephen Larrabee of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) and the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Aaron)

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 31, Iran 4/1/80–4/18/80. Top Secret. Sent for information. Copies were sent to Albright, Odom, Friendly, Deal, Henze, Griffith, Ermarth, Blackwill, Sick, Thornton, and Welch. A stamped notation at the top of the page reads: “ZB has seen.”


259. Message From the Department of State to the Swiss Ambassador to Iran (Lang)

Source: Department of State, Official Files of [P] David D. Newsom, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Lot 82D85, Iran Update April 1980. Secret. Sent via the Swiss Embassy. Attached to an undated briefing memorandum from Saunders to Vance, Christopher, and Newsom entitled Iran Update—April 18, 1980.


260. Intelligence Cable Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Cables File, Box 93, Iran, 4/18/80. Secret; Specat; [handling restriction not declassified]; Exclusive. Sent to the Department of State, JCS/DIA, the White House Situation Room, the NSC Staff, and the CIA Office of Current Operations.


262. Memorandum Prepared by the Iran Working Group

Source: Department of State, Records of David D. Newsom, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Subject Files, 1978–1981, Lot 81D154, Memoranda of Conversation. Secret; Sensitive. Drafted by Precht. A stamped notation on the memorandum reads: “Mr. Newsom has seen Apr 24, 1980.” There is no indication as to the location of Cottam or Ghotbzadeh.


263. Telegram From the Commander of the Joint Task Force (Vaught) to the Deputy Commander of the Joint Task Force at Masirah (Gast)

Source: Department of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff Records, RG 218–07–0002, Records of J–3 DDSO, Box 8, Iranian Hostage Crisis 1979–1984, I 380–458 Rice Bowl JTF Message Traffic (22–25 Apr 80). Top Secret. Also sent to Beckwith, the Deputy Commander of the Joint Task Force for Fixed Wing Air Operations at Masirah, and the Deputy Commander for Helicopter Operations aboard the Nimitz.