LETTER TO ADMIRAL DANIEL J. MURPHY FROM WILLIAM J. CASEY RE CIA ROLE IN IRANIAN HOSTAGE CRISIS

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 05036667
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: March 9, 2023
• Document Release Date: May 4, 2020
• Case Number: F-2013-00944
• Publication Date: May 19, 1981

TO:
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UNCLASSIFIED I I CON TIAL
SECRET I
EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT f_iV\i't
Routing Slip
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Remarks:
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SUSPENSE
Date
Thomas B. ormack
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19 May 1981
Dear Dan,
Here is a summary of CIA's role in the Iranian
hostage crisis which I promised you last week. If
the Vice President would like a further oral briefing,
we would be glad to arrange it.
I think this is important background for questions
I will soon be raising with respect to resources and
arrangement to rebuild and maintain the Agency's
paramilitark capabilities-which have been allowed
to run down seriously, to the point where we can
entirely lose significant capabilities. I am taking
action on this with the resources at hand, but more
will be needed.
Admiral Daniel J--. Murphy-, N Ret.)
Chief of_ Staff
Off iceof the Vice Presiclen.
Room 272-, Old ED&
\
William -J. Casey
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� me Utrector ot Central Intelligence
Wishington. D. C 20505
19 May 1981
In the _long letter I wrote the President on 6 May about personnel
changes-and reorganization steps taken here, I said snmpthinn rpnardinn
hic.hpina interpsted in hizarinn ahntit hnw CIA
George Bush
asked �tora orienng on-thls,. and I am sending the enclosed account of the
CIA role in -the Iranian hostage affair to him.
`s-show -of interest on what went on there, when I intro-
to- MITI' list Saturday-, leads me to think that he too might
is, accounti,so I am sending the enclosed to you.
lso, IhaveiTaunehed-a -comprehensive effort here to identify, at an
early stage, the danger-of the kind of instability which proved so devastating
in Iram--and -which- sa worries us in the few other countries which have a great
deal of politicallSignificance-.
As part at this',A, have called for _a retrospective evaluation on how
-theSe--:factors instability lost Iran and what might have been done about
it at various stages._ To-do this well, we need access to work done last year
on US-Iranian-relationS-froin-1941 through 1979. CIA contributed only on the
intelligence sidei.;_the' compilation and analysis was done at State. The
-results exist-twortly-two,-copfies-, one in Secretary Haig's office and one at
the NSC_Staff-_-_.,State -currently' is struggling with FOIA requests for the
documents,:tut:;they-hav&ftat been released within the US Government. The
docurnents-In-questiOrr-have-no;-,t-itle but can be referred to as "all the summary
:papers-On the- US-Iran-relationship since 1941." To enhance our own understanding,
I would 11-kaire-aLcess,..-to one set of those papers either from your shop or
-State,-and-I ant-askilna--yorr-tarst. 1 hope you will eit er provide a set for us
or give me-igti-idanc-e--as-to--the-best way to get them.
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Enclosure
The Honorable Richard- V. Allen
Assistant to the President for
National Security Affairs
The White House
Yours,
William J. Casey
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CIA'S IRAN TASK FORCE
iNTELLIGENCE AND OPERATIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS
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playett-a rote 111 the extiltration of the six American diplomats
hidden andlcare&lor-by:Ithe in Tehran. By early December,
CIA had started -on strategies and scenarios fur opttion thP
six out of- ---kari-antEundertook- several operational initiatives_
On 4 December;.--the-State Department requested CIA to assume responsibility
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for-the-exfillx-ation of the-six--Americans from Iran.- On 13 December, the CIA
submitted an errinrdtion pla-n to the State Department (Precht) for consideration.
And on 17 December; in response to pressure, CIA discussed the subject
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. mindful of our need for its
communications and-other-support in Tehran, did not push for a decision and agreed
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that the sfx Americans could "stay put for the time being." By the end of the .
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month; however,--both the El-.S. and had become increasingly
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concerned that the presence of the Americans in the would become
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,
known to_Iranlan-,authorittes. An article by Kim King in the Ottawa journal on
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29 December on the subject of American diplomats who had avoided capture by
the militants on 4 November gave added point to these concerns. Exfiltration
planning went into high gear, and in early January it was decided that the
Americans would leave Tehran by commercial air
On 7�Japuary, CIA officers Mendez conferred
On cover and documenta i
with the
PxfiltrAtirrn
documentation,
On 19 January,
LiA otticer Mendez proceeded to Tehran to brief the six Americans on their
cover scenario and distribute to them the appropriate documents and pocket
litter for their cover roles� -On 28 January, Mendez led the six Americans
� through Mehribad:Airport-without incident and they arrived in Zurich a few
� hours later. -
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