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| Argo prompts more questions over the US and forged passports | Argo prompts more questions over the US and forged passports |
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| Canada, Britain, Iran and now New Zealand, have problems about the accuracy of Ben Affleck's film, Argo, (New Zealand points to its diplomat's diary as proof that Argo got it wrong, 4 April; Simon Jenkins, Comment, 18 January). Ireland and Belgium can be added to the list of countries with reservations about the Oscar-winning movie and the US handling of the crisis over the American hostages in Tehran. | Canada, Britain, Iran and now New Zealand, have problems about the accuracy of Ben Affleck's film, Argo, (New Zealand points to its diplomat's diary as proof that Argo got it wrong, 4 April; Simon Jenkins, Comment, 18 January). Ireland and Belgium can be added to the list of countries with reservations about the Oscar-winning movie and the US handling of the crisis over the American hostages in Tehran. |
| In the film Tony Mendez, played by Affleck, wrote "British" as his false nationality on the Iranian immigration form. In fact the CIA fixer carried a forged Irish passport. Oliver North would later also use false Irish documents to enter Tehran during the Iran-Contra scandal. The Irish were regarded as neutral by revolutionary Iran. This benefitted me when I went to Tehran in January 1980 to report for the Irish Times on the hostage crisis. Shortly after I arrived all American journalists were abruptly expelled, but I was allowed to stay on. I asked to enter the American embassy complex on Taleghani Avenue and talk to the hostage-takers. I was taken to a room that had housed the US State Department intelligence unit. Two unshaven revolutionary students in zip-up sweaters responded to my questions with mind-numbing revolutionary speeches. | In the film Tony Mendez, played by Affleck, wrote "British" as his false nationality on the Iranian immigration form. In fact the CIA fixer carried a forged Irish passport. Oliver North would later also use false Irish documents to enter Tehran during the Iran-Contra scandal. The Irish were regarded as neutral by revolutionary Iran. This benefitted me when I went to Tehran in January 1980 to report for the Irish Times on the hostage crisis. Shortly after I arrived all American journalists were abruptly expelled, but I was allowed to stay on. I asked to enter the American embassy complex on Taleghani Avenue and talk to the hostage-takers. I was taken to a room that had housed the US State Department intelligence unit. Two unshaven revolutionary students in zip-up sweaters responded to my questions with mind-numbing revolutionary speeches. |
| As I left, a hostage-taker named Rahim presented me with copies of embassy documents which showed the extent of the CIA's use of fake passports. One specified Belgian cover for an agent with the alias Paul Timmermans. It stated: "According to personal data in your passport, you are single, were born in Antwerp, Belgium 08 July '34, have blue eyes, have no distinguishing characteristics and are approximately 1.88 metres tall. Your occupation is that of a commercial business representative. Your Belgian passport was ostensibly issued in Jette [Brussels] and to enhance its validity the following back travel has been added, a trip to Madrid, Spain, in April 1977, a trip to Lisbon, Portugal, in August 1977, a trip to Helsinki, Finland, in 1978." | As I left, a hostage-taker named Rahim presented me with copies of embassy documents which showed the extent of the CIA's use of fake passports. One specified Belgian cover for an agent with the alias Paul Timmermans. It stated: "According to personal data in your passport, you are single, were born in Antwerp, Belgium 08 July '34, have blue eyes, have no distinguishing characteristics and are approximately 1.88 metres tall. Your occupation is that of a commercial business representative. Your Belgian passport was ostensibly issued in Jette [Brussels] and to enhance its validity the following back travel has been added, a trip to Madrid, Spain, in April 1977, a trip to Lisbon, Portugal, in August 1977, a trip to Helsinki, Finland, in 1978." |
| Among the embassy papers were also detailed accounts of US diplomats' conversations with prominent Iranians. Officials in other western embassies told me at the time how angry they were at their US counterparts for failing to destroy the documents in time and allowing their sources to be compromised. Their own Iranian contacts thereafter declined to meet them. As for me, I am happy that Mendez's cover as an Irish national was not blown, as holders of genuine Irish passports would have become suspect as CIA agents – and I probably would have got the boot along with my colleagues from the American media. Conor O'Clery Dublin | Among the embassy papers were also detailed accounts of US diplomats' conversations with prominent Iranians. Officials in other western embassies told me at the time how angry they were at their US counterparts for failing to destroy the documents in time and allowing their sources to be compromised. Their own Iranian contacts thereafter declined to meet them. As for me, I am happy that Mendez's cover as an Irish national was not blown, as holders of genuine Irish passports would have become suspect as CIA agents – and I probably would have got the boot along with my colleagues from the American media. Conor O'Clery Dublin |
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