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People and Politics by Patrick Roberts

Oscar nominated ‘Argo’ deliberately misrepresents Irish passport role in hostage crisis - Irish connection to daring rescue of diplomats is changed to British

Posted on Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 08:30 AM

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Argo

Oscar nominated ‘Argo’ deliberately misrepresents Irish passport role in hostage crisis - Irish connection to daring rescue of diplomats is changed to British.

The movie “Argo” about a sensational CIA operation to free American diplomats hiding in the Canadian Ambassador’s residence during the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979 has sparked outrage in Canada. It is a strong contender for Best Picture at this year’s Oscars.

Ken Taylor, the Canadian Ambassador at the time, has attacked the movie as glorifying the CIA and American role and downplaying the bravery of the Canadians who took the Americans in and protected them.

But the film, which tells the story of CIA agent Tony Mendez and his successful effort to free the American diplomats who fled the embassy before the students took it over in November 1979 also ignores an Irish angle to the story.

Conor O’Clery, the former Irish Times journalist who covered Iran at the time, notes that Mendez entered Teheran on an Irish passport, not a British one as the movie shows. As he pointed out in a recent Irish Times article about that era

“The American spooks knew that the Irish were regarded as neutrals by revolutionary Iran (Oliver North would use a forged Irish passport a few years later to enter Tehran during the Iran-Contra scandal).”

Why the movie makers tried to gloss over that pertinent fact remains a mystery. It was central to the CIA cover story that the Mendez fake passport was Irish. A British one would never have succeeded.

O’Clery notes that he too, got special access because he carried the Irish passport.

Writing about his Irish identity he says “This benefited me when I went to Iran 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, and became practically the only guest in the Intercontinental Hotel....

“One of the students, named Rahim, with drooping moustache and deep brown eyes, asked as I took my leave why Europeans were not supporting the overthrow of the Shah’s cruel regime.

He added: “If the people of England knew of the crimes committed in their name in Northern Ireland, they would not allow the government to remain in power.

O’Clery offers an insight into what was the real espionage and spy craft going on in the embassy at the time.

“Rahim presented me with a “revolutionary pack” of copies of secret papers which the CIA had failed to destroy before the siege and which showed the extent of the spy agency’s use of fake passports.

“One document 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 [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...”

Strange isn’t it why Hollywood insists on alternate versions of the truth even when the actual truth is indisputable. Little wonder people believe Hollywood wants to make it all up even when the truth is even more compelling.

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bunkerhill | Mar 08, 2013, 03:24 PM EST

Our local American newspaper did an insightful piece on "Argo," a substandard, low budget film which though it was not even considered in the running won an academy award. How did this happen people inquired? They questioned the Hollywood movie moguls on the truthfulness of the "movie" along with the "movie" about our great President Lincoln in which he was portrayed as a homosexual. There is nothing wrong with being a homosexual, but who can say at this late date that that was the case. The highly successful moguls said that indeed both movie scripts were stretched beyond the truth to make them more enticing to the American public. One was quoted as saying "If you want history go to a library. It is not the job of the movie industry to present history but to present an interesting film." Be very sceptical about anything that comes out of the Hollywood movie industry.

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seanomelb | Feb 27, 2013, 05:56 PM EST

Stiofan the Iran affair (1979/1981) and McBridehelped open a dialogue throgh third partise with the protaganists. I certainly got my dates confused as McBride received the awards years before the event in question. My memory failed me in this timing issue I do apologise.

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Stiofain | Feb 26, 2013, 10:21 PM EST

seanomelb I think I missed something on your statement "...the role played (by) the inreratinal[sic]jurist Sean McBride in the Iran affair." Sean McBride died in 1988,how did he play a role in the Iran affair? I know I must have missed something,your usually very good on facts. Scrivner very good point.

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lcobryan | Feb 25, 2013, 07:37 PM EST

It is ridiculous to change facts unless they wished to garner an earned status on those who had not earned said for propaganda reasons. The real tragedy is so many people come away believing the info was accurate. Talk about rewriting the past. Also, whether for good or bad intent, the Irish passport and therefor the Irish people (what they stand for) have been abused. There is no surprise. Males lie. Always have and will do, compromise and sacrifice whom or whatever to achieve their desired outcome. Most of the time this falls on the self-serving, ignoble side.

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jamieLM | Feb 25, 2013, 09:53 AM EST

If you want the facts about an historical event, never watch a film, especially one produced in Hollywood for the purpose of entertainment. Smart people watch a documentary produced by competent historians and researchers and/or crack several books by recognized authors on the subject. Films are loaded with misinformation or skewed by the producer's point of view.

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CitizenWhy | Feb 24, 2013, 11:41 PM EST

The movie also left out the Canadian ambassador's help. That's how movies are made. Facts are simplified to make the story easy to tell and move along. Surely the Irish would understand, being famous for never letting the facts get in the way of a good story. ... But the Canadian ambassador's comments are on the mark. Why is the CIA, totally incompetent in the real story, glorified? Access. Affleck obviously wants military and CIA access for future movies.

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canadianirish | Feb 24, 2013, 09:29 PM EST

All this Oscar buzz surrounding 'Argo' is misplaced. Director Ben Affleck's research skills are sorely lacking. For the life of me, I can't understand why this movie is deemed Oscar worthy. I'm not an Affleck fan at all.

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seanomelb | Feb 24, 2013, 06:04 PM EST

The movie does not mention the roll played the internatinal jurist Sean McBride in the Iran affair. McBride received the Nobel and the Lenin peace prize for his effortsand the only man ever to be honoured with both awards. Sean was also chief of staff of the IRA in the thirties.

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Scrivner | Feb 24, 2013, 04:20 PM EST

Roberts, you sweet innocent fool, if the movie had glorified the use of an Irish passport every Irish person travelling would be at risk from the fanatics. The pros know that a harp on cardboard may or may not be real, but shouting it in a cinema would be like waving a red flag at an angry bull. Better to let them think the Brits are jerks, they change their minds when "they" need to cash a cheque (at HSBC).

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Silling | Feb 24, 2013, 10:48 AM EST

For Joe Kelsall. If you read " Boyhood's Fire " even google it, you will see that the author has been making false passports for everybody and anybody and he admits it, shows one of them in the book and guess what? The Irish government offered him a job at one stage. Go on Joe, google " Boyhood's Fire " right now.

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antoman | Feb 24, 2013, 09:51 AM EST

..and the Israeli's used Irish passports to do murder. Something should be done or an Irishman on arrival in one of those dodgy countries might find his passport being closely scrutinised and could well be asked to "do something Irish".

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Joe Kelsall | Feb 24, 2013, 09:38 AM EST

The sanctity of an Irish Passport is inviolable. I have been well received in Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Lybia, Egypt, Turkey and Morocco because of my Irish Passport. It is a criminal act using its sanctity for nefarious purposes. It endangers Irish citizens.What has the Irish Government done about it?

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