On November 17, the Office of the State Department Historian released its records on the hostage affair. Students seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979 to protest the Carter administration’s decision to take in the ailing former shah for medical treatment. Student leaders later said their intention was to hold the embassy for a few days, but 52 Americans ended up being held for 444 days. U.S.-Iran relations have never recovered from the crisis. The U.S. records were categorized into five topics. This piece covers the first category on U.S. responses, with links to the other four topics:
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First Responses 1. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter
2. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
3. Memorandum of Conversation
4. Memorandum From Gary Sick of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
5. Memorandum From Gary Sick of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
6. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
7. Letter From President Carter to Ayatollah Khomeini
8. Record of a National Security Council Meeting
9. Memorandum From William Odom of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
10. Intelligence Information Cable Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency
11. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
12. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Saunders) to Secretary of State Vance
13. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
14. Record of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
15. Memorandum From the White House Chief of Staff (Jordan) to President Carter
16. Briefing Memorandum From the Director of the Office for Combating Terrorism (Quainton) to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Newsom)
17. Memorandum From William Odom of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
18. Intelligence Cable Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency
19. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
20. Intelligence Information Cable Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency
21. Memorandum From Gary Sick of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
22. Editorial Note
23. Briefing Memorandum From the Acting Director of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (Mark) to Secretary of State Vance
24. Paper Prepared by the Interagency Group
25. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
26. Intelligence Memorandum Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency
27. Memorandum for the Files
28. Memorandum From Gary Sick of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
29. Memorandum for the Record by the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Saunders)
30. Editorial Note
31. Memorandum From the Chief, Near East and South Asia Division, Directorate of Operations, Central Intelligence Agency (Cogan) to Director of Intelligence Turner
32. Memorandum From the Inspector General, Central Intelligence Agency (Waller) to Director of Central Intelligence Turner
33. Memorandum From the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Newsom) to Secretary of State Vance
34. Memorandum From Director of Central Intelligence Turner to President Carter
35. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
36. Paper Prepared by the Joint Staff
37. Memorandum From Gary Sick of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
38. Intelligence Memorandum Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency
39. Editorial Note
40. Report Prepared by the Interagency Group
41. Editorial Note
42. Paper Prepared in the Department of State
43. Memorandum From Ambassador Eilts to President Carter
44. Memorandum From Director of Central Intelligence Turner to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
45. Telegram From the Consulate in Frankfurt to the Department of State
46. Message From the Chargé d’Affaires in Iran (Laingen) to Secretary of State Vance
47. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
48. Memorandum From the Deputy Secretary of the Treasury (Carswell) to the Special Coordination Committee and the National Security Council
49. Memorandum From Director of Central Intelligence Turner
50. Paper Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency
51. Minutes of a National Security Council Meeting
52. Message From the U.S. Government to the Iranian Government
53. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter
54. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee (Intelligence) Meeting
55. Memorandum Prepared by the Iran Task Force, Central Intelligence Agency
56. Memorandum From the White House Chief of Staff (Jordan) to President Carter
57. Memorandum From the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Newsom) to Secretary of State Vance
58. Memorandum from the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Tarnoff) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
59. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
60. Memorandum From Secretary of State Vance to President Carter
61. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter
62. Editorial Note
63. Memorandum of Conversation
64. Memorandum From Director of Central Intelligence Turner to the Deputy Director for Operations, Central Intelligence Agency (McMahon)
65. Memorandum From Paul Henze of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
66. Memorandum From Secretary of State Vance to President Carter
67. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
68. Memorandum From Director of Central Intelligence Turner to President Carter
69. Briefing Memorandum From the Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs (Cooper) to Secretary of State Vance
70. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
71. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter
72. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Tarnoff) to Secretary of State Vance
73. Paper Prepared in the National Foreign Assessment Center, Central Intelligence Agency
