October Surprise: Top Reagan Backers Persuaded Iran to Hold the Hostages Until after the 1980 Election

[mikegriffith1]

Until fairly recently, I flatly rejected the "October Surprise" claim that top Republicans, especially William Casey, cut a deal with the Iranians to hold the American hostages until after the 1980 election. I did not believe former NSC staffer Gary Sick's 1991 book on the subject. However, after reading Dr. Kai Bird's book The Outlier and especially after reading award-winning investigative journalist Robert Parry's 2016 book Trick or Treason: The 1980 October Surprise Mystery, I am convinced that Casey and certain other top Reagan backers did make a deal with the Iranians to delay releasing the hostages until after the election.

Among other things, Parry demolishes the 1991 congressional October Surprise Task Force's report. For example, Parry debunks the committee's claims about Casey's alibi for the time period when he reportedly met with Iranian contacts in Madrid, Spain. Parry found documents that showed that the George H. W. Bush White House withheld key evidence from the October Surprise Task Force. This evidence included a secret State Department cable that proved that Casey was in Madrid at the exact same time an Iranian source said Casey met with Iranian representatives to try to persuade them not to release the hostages until after the election.

I take no pleasure in acknowledging the evidence that top Reagan backers persuaded the Iranians not to release the hostages until after the election. I just hope that Reagan was not aware of this effort. If evidence ever surfaces that Reagan knew about it, my opinion of him will change substantially. I would not put it past Casey to take this action on his own, without Reagan's knowledge. I hope that was the case.

Jimmy Carter arguably would have won the 1980 election if he had been able to get the hostages released before the election.

 

[jbrownson0831]

Until fairly recently, I flatly rejected the "October Surprise" claim that top Republicans, especially William Casey, cut a deal with the Iranians to hold the American hostages until after the 1980 election. I did not buy former NSC staffer Gary Sick's 1991 book on the subject. However, after reading Dr. Kai Bird's book The Outlier and especially after reading award-winning investigative journalist Robert Parry's 2016 book Trick or Treason: The 1980 October Surprise Mystery, I am convinced that Casey and certain other top Reagan backers did make a deal with the Iranians to delay the release of the hostages until after the election.

Among other things, Parry demolishes the 1991 congressional October Surprise Task Force's report. For example, Parry debunks the committee's claims about Casey's alibi for the time period when he reportedly met with Iranian contacts in Madrid, Spain. Parry found documents that showed that the George H. W. Bush White House withheld key evidence from the October Surprise Task Force. This evidence included a secret State Department cable that proved that Casey was in Madrid at the exact same time an Iranian source said Casey met with Iranian representatives to try to persuade them not to release the hostages until after the election.

I take no pleasure in acknowledging the evidence that top Reagan backers persuaded the Iranians not to release the hostages until after the election. I just hope that Reagan was not aware of this effort. If evidence ever surfaces that Reagan knew about it, my opinion of him will change substantially. I would not put it past Casey to take this action on his own, without Reagan's knowledge. I hope that was the case.

Jimmy Carter arguably would have won the 1980 election if he had been able to get the hostages released before the election.

Carter totally botched his rescue opportunity.

 

[shockedcanadian]

Until fairly recently, I flatly rejected the "October Surprise" claim that top Republicans, especially William Casey, cut a deal with the Iranians to hold the American hostages until after the 1980 election. I did not believe former NSC staffer Gary Sick's 1991 book on the subject. However, after reading Dr. Kai Bird's book The Outlier and especially after reading award-winning investigative journalist Robert Parry's 2016 book Trick or Treason: The 1980 October Surprise Mystery, I am convinced that Casey and certain other top Reagan backers did make a deal with the Iranians to delay releasing the hostages until after the election.

Among other things, Parry demolishes the 1991 congressional October Surprise Task Force's report. For example, Parry debunks the committee's claims about Casey's alibi for the time period when he reportedly met with Iranian contacts in Madrid, Spain. Parry found documents that showed that the George H. W. Bush White House withheld key evidence from the October Surprise Task Force. This evidence included a secret State Department cable that proved that Casey was in Madrid at the exact same time an Iranian source said Casey met with Iranian representatives to try to persuade them not to release the hostages until after the election.

I take no pleasure in acknowledging the evidence that top Reagan backers persuaded the Iranians not to release the hostages until after the election. I just hope that Reagan was not aware of this effort. If evidence ever surfaces that Reagan knew about it, my opinion of him will change substantially. I would not put it past Casey to take this action on his own, without Reagan's knowledge. I hope that was the case.

Jimmy Carter arguably would have won the 1980 election if he had been able to get the hostages released before the election.

This was fairly well established from what I read years ago, I think it was the CIA behind this effort as they wanted Reagan to win over Carter for a number of reasons.

 

[mikegriffith1]

Carter totally botched his rescue opportunity.

We can't really blame Carter for the failed rescue attempt. It was a combination of bad weather and faulty maintenance. But the rescue attempt is really beside the point. The point is that it was illegal and immoral for Reagan backers to persuade the Iranians to keep holding the hostages until after the election.

 

[theHawk]

Wow, lefties are so distraught they are now going back rewriting history to make Carter look good.

 

[Rambunctious]

DEBUNCKED years ago... false story... the real story is Reagan's word was taken seriously and Iran blinked.....

 

[mikegriffith1]

DEBUNCKED years ago... false story... the real story is Reagan's word was taken seriously and Iran blinked.....

Who debunked it? Who? Have you read Bird's book or Parry's book? Do you know that Iranian sources later confirmed the deal?

And, FYI, Carter had already finalized the agreement with Iran to release the hostages, but even then Iran delayed their release until after Reagan was sworn in. If high-level Reagan operatives had not made the back-channel deal with the Ayatollah, the hostages would have been released before the election.

 

[Edgetho]

This thread is stupid beyond belief.

Only a complete idiot would believe that Iran was engaging in an October Surprise to benefit Reagan 10 FUCKING WEEKS AFTER THE ELECTION!!

It figures the dumbest motherfuckers on the Planet (dimocrap scum) would buy into this shit.

 

[Rambunctious]

We can't really blame Carter for the failed rescue attempt. It was a combination of bad weather and faulty maintenance. But the rescue attempt is really beside the point. The point is that it was illegal and immoral for Reagan backers to persuade the Iranians to keep holding the hostages until after the election.

Who debunked it? Who? Have you read Bird's book or Parry's book? Do you know that Iranian sources later confirmed the deal?

And, FYI, Carter had already finalized the agreement with Iran to release the hostages, but even then Iran delayed their release until after Reagan was sworn in. If high-level Reagan operatives had not made the back-channel deal with the Ayatollah, the hostages would have been released before the election.

Come on man... everyone alive back then knows the truth....

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

Jimmy Carter arguably would have won the 1980 election if he had been able to get the hostages released before the election.

That's some funny stuff right there.
Which late night comedy show do you write for?

 

[Edgetho]

The OP uses a dead source that was basically booted from even the DISGUSTING FILTH because he was a nutty-as-shit commie. The only people that would hire him was "The People's World" a stone-cold commie rag.

This isn't the first time the OP has used communist propaganda as a source.

 

[jbrownson0831]

We can't really blame Carter for the failed rescue attempt. It was a combination of bad weather and faulty maintenance. But the rescue attempt is really beside the point. The point is that it was illegal and immoral for Reagan backers to persuade the Iranians to keep holding the hostages until after the election.

The Commander in Chief is ultimately responsible, so yes we can blame him.
I thought you said if Carter got them back he would have won the election...so how is the rescue attempt beside the point?

 

[jbrownson0831]

This was fairly well established from what I read years ago, I think it was the CIA behind this effort as they wanted Reagan to win over Carter for a number of reasons.

Reagan needed no help to beat the 2nd worst president in history.

 

[1srelluc]

If you don't like the history, just rewrite it.

 

[mudwhistle]

This was fairly well established from what I read years ago, I think it was the CIA behind this effort as they wanted Reagan to win over Carter for a number of reasons.

This is another case of the pot calling the kettle black.

Obama tried to undercut Trump in his negotiations with foreign countries after Trump won the 2016 election.

He went to the Iraqi government and tried to tell them not to agree with anything Trump negotiates.

Obama was a sneaky little shit that got away with many crimes.....and the only reason nobody dares to bring charges against him is because of the black vote.

 

[Seymour Flops]

Until fairly recently, I flatly rejected the "October Surprise" claim that top Republicans, especially William Casey, cut a deal with the Iranians to hold the American hostages until after the 1980 election. I did not believe former NSC staffer Gary Sick's 1991 book on the subject. However, after reading Dr. Kai Bird's book The Outlier and especially after reading award-winning investigative journalist Robert Parry's 2016 book Trick or Treason: The 1980 October Surprise Mystery, I am convinced that Casey and certain other top Reagan backers did make a deal with the Iranians to delay releasing the hostages until after the election.

Among other things, Parry demolishes the 1991 congressional October Surprise Task Force's report. For example, Parry debunks the committee's claims about Casey's alibi for the time period when he reportedly met with Iranian contacts in Madrid, Spain. Parry found documents that showed that the George H. W. Bush White House withheld key evidence from the October Surprise Task Force. This evidence included a secret State Department cable that proved that Casey was in Madrid at the exact same time an Iranian source said Casey met with Iranian representatives to try to persuade them not to release the hostages until after the election.

I take no pleasure in acknowledging the evidence that top Reagan backers persuaded the Iranians not to release the hostages until after the election. I just hope that Reagan was not aware of this effort. If evidence ever surfaces that Reagan knew about it, my opinion of him will change substantially. I would not put it past Casey to take this action on his own, without Reagan's knowledge. I hope that was the case.

Jimmy Carter arguably would have won the 1980 election if he had been able to get the hostages released before the election.

This is a classic type conspiracy theory. The “evidence” is ‘if so and so had happened, then it would have led to this that did happen.

Yes, if Reagan’s entourage had cut a secret deal to hold the hostages until right after the inauguration, then the hostages would’ve been held until right after the inauguration.

That is not evidence of such a secret deal.

Because it is just as true that if the Iranians were not nearly as confident that Ronald Reagan would sit around with his thumb up his butt while they held the hostages, then they would have released the hostages as soon as Reagan became president.

One of the Carter insiders wrote in his book that the negotiators was drill pleading with the radiance on an inauguration morning. After RWR was sworn in, they stood to leave. The Iranians ask when are the Reagan negotiators going to be here? The Carter people said they aren’t going to be any Reagan negotiators.

 

[mikegriffith1]

A good, fairly short online article on the evidence on the October Surprise is Dr. Leslie Griffin's article "Was the October Surprise Treason?" Dr. Griffin is a professor of law at the University of Nevada and has been studying this subject for decades. Here's her article:

Was the October Surprise Treason? Craig Unger’s Den of Spies

UNLV Boyd School of Law professor Leslie C. Griffin revisits the “October Surprise,” a theory alleging that the Reagan/Bush campaign in 1980 covertly negotiated with Iran to delay the release of Ameri...

verdict.justia.com

 

[jbrownson0831]

A good, fairly short online article on the evidence on the October Surprise is Dr. Leslie Griffin's article "Was the October Surprise Treason?" Dr. Griffin is a professor of law at the University of Nevada and has been studying this subject for decades. Here's her article:

Was the October Surprise Treason? Craig Unger’s Den of Spies

UNLV Boyd School of Law professor Leslie C. Griffin revisits the “October Surprise,” a theory alleging that the Reagan/Bush campaign in 1980 covertly negotiated with Iran to delay the release of Ameri...

verdict.justia.com

Ooooh, lefty law professor, all the more reason to call this a farce.

 

[AZrailwhale]

We can't really blame Carter for the failed rescue attempt. It was a combination of bad weather and faulty maintenance. But the rescue attempt is really beside the point. The point is that it was illegal and immoral for Reagan backers to persuade the Iranians to keep holding the hostages until after the election.

Carter knew how bad the status of US forces was during his term. He was totally ineffective in dealing with the Mullahs, insisting in being conciliatory rather than establishing a position of strength via airpower. Iran was very vulnerable to modern weapons especially since the Mullahs were busily exterminating or expelling every person corrupted by western knowledge in Iran.

 

[mikegriffith1]

This thread is stupid beyond belief. Only a complete idiot would believe that Iran was engaging in an October Surprise to benefit Reagan 10 WEEKS AFTER THE ELECTION!!

Not at all. With Republican promises of a better deal from Reagan, the Iranians were only too happy to spite Carter by releasing the hostages right after Reagan's inauguration. And Reagan started selling weapons to the Ayatollah's regime soon after he took office, something that Carter had refused to do.

Moreover, Reagan kept selling weapons to Iran. Heard of the Iran-Contra affair? Carter never would have done that. I say this as someone who voted for Reagan and who still admires Reagan.

As for the failed rescue operation, only blind partisans will blame Carter. The mission failed partly because it was not well planned and mainly because it encountered horrible weather. Carter did not micromanage the mission planning but, as he should have, let the military plan the operation.

I notice nobody is dealing with the evidence that October Surprise plot occurred.