We at war.
We at war with terrorism, racism, but most of all,
We at war with ourselves.
We at war with terrorism, racism, but most of all,
We at war with ourselves.
-Kanye West
Act I: The Father
It will probably never be known what went wrong in Tehran. Our intelligence suggests that the attack had been planned as a hostage taking, but any evidence that would have helped us understand what happened was destroyed when the attackers torched the embassy. We believe that the attackers were only students, barely adults, not prepared for the realities of having a gun pointed at you by a man who intends to use it. We believe that the attack was largely spontaneous, not planned far in advance. The attackers themselves weren’t affiliated with the rebels, only sympathetic to them, though that remains classified information. A rebel attack would have been better planned, and rebel fighters would have been more prepared.
It really doesn’t matter why, in the end. 55 American citizens are dead. There is no possibility of rescue, no second chances, no do-overs. Now is not the time to regret what might have been. Now is the time for action.
Chapter 1
November 4th, 1979:
“We go now live to Washington, where the President is expected to make a statement on the developing situation in Tehran.”
The broadcast cuts to a podium, emblazoned with the seal of the President of the United States. A solemn Walter Mondale stands in the background, his hands held in contemplation, his eyes staring off into the distance. The camera quickly pans to the right as President Jimmy Carter enters the room. Like Mondale, he is visibly shaken. He holds a sheet of paper, which he sets on the podium as he takes position behind it. As he speaks, he occasionally looks down, presumably reading from it.
“As you are likely now aware, at around 10 PM last night, or 6:30 this morning in Iran, revolutionary forces in Tehran took the American embassy by force. It is my unfortunate duty to inform you that none of the Americans in the embassy have survived the attack.”
Several members of the press corps audibly gasp. Mondale winces for a moment, then appears to stiffen his body. Bracing himself for something he knows is coming. Carter looks down to the podium, studying the paper, beginning to fully appreciate the nature of what he is about to say. He looks up, and takes a deep breath.
“My fellow Americans, we cannot abide this travesty. For too long we have turned a blind eye to the actions of a dangerous and radical group, a group for which no means is too heinous to achieve its ends.”
The rhetoric sounds strange coming from Carter’s mouth. It isn’t how he talks; it’s clearly been prepared for him, possibly on short notice. His delivery is cold. He sounds defeated.
“The 55 Americans in that embassy were not enemy combatants, nor were they agents of the Shah. They were civilians, ordinary people working a job to put food on the table, and for the crime of being American they were killed.”
He looks down to the podium for a great while before continuing.
“The Government of the United States of America will not tolerate an offense of this grave magnitude. This attack was nothing less than an act of war, and will be responded to as such. Over the coming months, we will be working with the Shah and forces loyal to him in an effort to put an end to the revolution in Iran, and bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice. At this time, our prayers are with the families of the victims. Thank you. I will not be taking any questions.”
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