EXPERT FORSAKEN DURING HOSTAGE CRISIS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000100890035-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 20, 2010
• Sequence Number: 35
• Publication Date: February 12, 1981
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/20: CIA-RDP90-00552R000100890035-7
ARTICLE A.'Y;:.;..&xLa
ON PAG3--,i_--
THE WASHINGTON POST
12 February 1981
JACK ANDERSON
hx Forsaken Uurin else : .
To help get the hostages back from thatzGov. Reagan" will be the presi-
Iran, the Carter administration called 'dent-elect on Nov. 5," wrote Cohen
upon Herb Cohen, an internationally With Reagan the winner, this would
respected : lawyer,- whose specialty is put Carter "in an excellent position to
negotiating..- He- not only told Jimmy negotiate a palatable agreement" be-
s
e
or
,:
crtticg
Carter's people what they were doing - fore the transfer of power. "If by word off all commercial flights, sealing -the
but he`' predicted= the . release of the - spokesmen make clear - that there will .' The idea was. to impose these pen
hostages almost -to the exact hour. 4 ; -: bea radical departure from the exist aloes, one at a .time; five days apart:
Carter strategists paid no- attention to ment-sponsored terrorism," Cohen ad the position of acting instead of . react
q'he
hi
o
h
his
"
rn.
p s
ug
t
expert -views, . vtsed,:
the Iranians will view Inaugu ing, Cohen argued, keeping .the Iran_
th
l
d
d hi
f
h
d
en exc
u
e
m
rom t
eir
eliber- ration Day as their final deadline. ians off-balance, wondering what was
.. 4:,..... T~i..~ .. as D_~_l.l n______f_ _ t.- - - u? .. .. .,. .. .. _ _ _
visers consulted Cohen, ironically, did: tion of dealing with Carter, the Satan The plan was rejected if it was-ever`
anyone, listen ? to-him. _. r known,: rather than Reagan; the Satan conside
d
Th
n
O
re
.
e
on
ct. 23, ,when
He' submitted his conclusions , ur unknown.". Cohen added prophetically the Republicans were still nervously:
writing to_Reagan's. campaign manag :"There is a negotiating truism that wondering if Carter would .pull
-
an
er, William Casey, on Oct:' 25 10 `most concession behavior and all set- "October Surprise" to get the hostages
da
s befo
th
l
tion. "Kh
i
i
m
"
y
re
e e
ec
ome
n
Cle
ents will occur at the deadline.
out and himself reelected, Iteagan s
and his mullahs know that:.they- are -Reagan issued statements calculated campaign manager flew to New. York
selling to?`an anxious buyer," advised to?- exploit the Iranian apprehension City for a five-hour talk with Cohen.;.
Cohen. "Therefore, ' the maximum .. about him: Cohen correctly calculated 'Caseyked him to
ut hi
n
in
p
s
ews
price that they can extract from this ' that the statements would impress the writing
and two da
s lat
C
he
o
,
y
er,
o
n
j
administration will be just prior to the Iranians. because, he wrote, they saw fered this analysis: "Since January, the 1
election ..' = . ?'. Y Reagan as "a person who means what - ineptitude of the -Carter adm
"To put it bluntly, any experienced he says,"". Thus Reagan responded as tion caused the `Iranian Hostage-
negotiator. or bazaar -vendor knows Cohen recommended, and the Iran- sis' to become mired in Wonderland,
that on Nov. 5 the Iranians will have ians reacted as Cohen predicted - on where the Red Queen is the sickly ,se`
1
to put 'their"illegally obtained` -mer-; :` the exact' deadline he had foreseen. nile Khomeini, the drowsy dormouse
chandise' on sale at a cut-rate price " From the beginning,.. Cohen studied - an American president and Alice; :the
Although the anxious' Carter. might . _ : the Koran for clues to Khomeini's be- figure of reason, has been outs on ii`
be.willing..to pay the maximum price, havior. He also brought to the hostage -prolonged coffee break"
Cohen. predicted, there,. wouldn't be crisis his experience-in dealing with He concluded the Carter. ad time- to cut a ` deal before? Election .'other hostages, as a consultant to the tration had failed to grasp -= and ex-,
Day. The-: release of ..the hostages Justice Department and the FBL ploit - the -key point in the_
would come-too late, therefore, to bail F' He advised Carter's people to aban- seizure: It was a criminal act, an e>
out CarterAnd sot it is, pro bable don their "passive policy" and take the Iranian mullahs werekidnape.
:-offensive. His plan was simple;.He,
.listed two dozen new sanctions to
pose on Iran - embargoing food:and:
ellite communication
n
tw
k
c
STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/20: CIA-RDP90-00552R000100890035-7