Word: algerianness
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Once inside the white airliner, the Americans waited another 25 minutes. The delay, some were told, was to complete the paper processing that would prove that all were aboard. Each had to sign a passenger list. Actually, the Algerian crew at the first plane's controls was not permitted to roll the craft down the runway until 12:33 p.m., Washington time ?some five hours after everything had seemed set for release and just eleven minutes after the Inauguration ceremony had ended on the Capitol's West Front...
After a brief formal ceremony officially transferring custody of the Americans from Algerian intermediaries into U.S. hands, the returnees found themselves back in the grasp of a benevolent bureaucracy. They were asked to line up by alphabet: those with last names starting from A to K were directed to board one U.S. C-9A Nightingale hospital plane; the rest were assigned to a sister aircraft. Now the rain stopped, stars became visible and some of the Marines broke into a sprint for the waiting planes. The winner of the race thrust his arms in the air and shouted: "God bless...
...Algerian officials, who were acting as middlemen in the negotiations, were dismayed. The straight-faced diplomat told them: "My authority expires then, and then I'm going." The Algerians swiftly notified Iran of this new development, and over the next 18 hours the 14½-month hostage ordeal finally reached its denouement. Whether the small gambit helped nudge the deal into place no one but the Iranians will ever know, but at least one top State Department aide thinks so: "The exercise proved that deadlines work...
...Algerians did not send the message on to Tehran. They complained that it was too complicated for the Iranians, contending that even they could not understand it. The Algerian action was an incentive to Christopher to come back to Algiers because serious negotiations appeared about to start...
Christopher returned to the Algerian capital on Jan. 8 with a new dispatch for Tehran. After transmitting the message, he decided to stay an extra day or two just in case something might happen. It did. More questions arrived from Tehran on Jan. 10, and then the rush of negotiations continued unabated...