Word: banisadr
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Iran's Banisadr, however, insisted that the commission would investigate "the crimes of the ex-Shah and American intervention in Iran." What the Waldheim announcement had said was that the panel would "hear Iran's grievances" and "allow for early solution" of the U.S.-Iranian crisis. In addition, the commission was to "speak to each of the hostages." This is important to the Administration because so far no one has seen each of the 50 Americans being held at the embassy, or the three held at the Iranian Foreign Ministry. The White House thus insisted, as a condition...
...that the panel would not sit as a court, hold a trial or reach a verdict. Yes, Waldheim assured him, Tehran understood that. Vance persisted, saying that he would feel better if it were on paper. The Secretary-General said that he would get the terms in writing, that Banisadr had promised this...
...following day, Waldheim and his staff on the 38th floor of the U.N. Secretariat waited for a telex message from Tehran that would confirm what they felt certain had been Banisadr's verbal agreement. The message finally arrived late in the day. As Waldheim read it, according to a U.N. aide who was present, he swallowed hard, suppressed an instinct to curse and "looked like a man who had been kicked in the pants." The cable mentioned nothing about the hostages and referred to the commission as though Banisadr was expecting it to hold a trial. Said the Iranian...
That very moment, an aide hurried into Waldheim's office to report that Banisadr had said in Tehran that the U.N. commission's task had nothing to do with the release of the hostages. Asked if there had been any agreement on the hostages, Banisadr said, "That's for later...
There were signs that Banisadr's power was indeed growing last week. In an unexpected development, he was appointed commander of the country's armed forces by Ayatullah Ruhollah Khomeini, Iran's near absolute ruler. Earlier Banisadr had been made chairman of the powerful Revolutionary Council. Yet he was unable to gain Khomeini's full backing on the hostage issue. Though Banisadr had indicated to Waldheim that Khomeini would publicly endorse the commission and call for the hostages' release, the clerical strongman instead went on radio last week to denounce the U.S. and praise...