‘Argo’ – Interview:

17 May, 2023 Siobhan Marie Day 0 Comments 2 categories

Fareed Zakaria: GPS: Inside “Argo”: Fareed Zakaria talks with Tony Mendez…

In 2012, CNN‘s Fareed Zakaria: GPS featured a compelling interview with Tony Mendez, the real-life CIA operative whose remarkable story of the “Canadian Caper“ served as the inspiration for the acclaimed film Argo. Hosted by Fareed Zakaria, the interview provided viewers with a unique opportunity to delve into the intricacies of Mendez’s career, the audacious rescue mission, and the behind-the-scenes details that captivated audiences worldwide.

Fareed Zakaria GPS is a weekly public affairs show hosted by journalist and author Fareed Zakaria on CNN and broadcast around the world by CNN International. The "GPS" in the show's title stands for "Global Public Square," a reference to the show's focus on international issues and foreign affairs, airing Sunday at 10:00 am ET to 11:00 am ET, with a replay at 1:00 pm ET to 2:00 pm ET.

Tony Mendez's classified United States Mission to Tehran, Iran to rescue six diplomats. Photo Credit: Google Images

Tony Mendez arrives at the 'Argo' - Los Angeles Premiere at AMPAS Samuel Goldwyn Theater on October 4, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California. Photo Credit: Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage

The "Canadian Caper" was the joint covert rescue by the Canadian government and the CIA of six American diplomats who had evaded capture during the seizure of the United States embassy in Tehran, Iran, on November 4, 1979, after the Iranian Revolution, when Islamist students took most of the American embassy personnel hostage, demanding the return of the US-backed Shah for trial. After the diplomats had been sheltered by the British mission and Canadian diplomatic personnel, the Canadian and United States governments worked on a strategy to gain their escape through subterfuge and use of Canadian passports. The "caper" involved a CIA officer (Tony Mendez and his colleague Ed Johnson) joining the six diplomats in Tehran to form a fake film crew. It was purportedly made up of six Canadians, one Irishman and one Latin American, who were finishing scouting for an appropriate location to shoot a scene for the science-fiction film Argo, production of which had in fact been abandoned. On the morning of Sunday, January 27, 1980, the full eight-person party passed through passport control, at the Mehrabad Airport in Tehran, boarded a Swissair flight to Zürich and escaped Iran. An article written about these events was published in Wired in 2007. The article was used loosely—alongside a memoir Mendez wrote—as the basis of the 2012 film Argo. Photo Credit: Google Images

Directed by Ben Affleck, Screenplay by Chris Terrio Based on "The Master of Disguise" by Antonio J. Mendez, and "The Great Escape: How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans from Tehran" by Joshuah Bearman, Produced by Ben Affleck, George Clooney, and Grant Heslov, Starring: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, with Cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto, and Edited by William Goldenberg, with Music by Alexandre Desplat, Production companies: GK Films, and Smokehouse Pictures, and Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. (2012)

"Fareed Zakaria: GPS" and "The real "Argo": Fareed Zakaria talks with Tony Mendez" Fareed Zakaria has a 1-on-1 interview with Tony Mendez, the man behind "Argo." on Oct 15, 2012. Photo Credit: CNN

The Background

The interview began by setting the stage for viewers. Fareed Zakaria introduced Tony Mendez as a seasoned CIA officer with a specialization in exfiltration and disguise. He contextualized the interview within the backdrop of the Iranian Revolution from 1978 – 1979, and the U.S. Embassy hostage crisis in 1979, emphasizing the high-stakes environment in which Mendez operated.

Mass demonstrations of people protesting against the Shah and the Pahlavi government on the day of Hosseini's Ashura on 11th December 1978 at College Bridge (now Hafez Bridge), Tehran. Photo Credit: Wikipedia Commons

Iran hostage crisis - Iranian students climb up U.S. embassy gates in Tehran. Photo Credit: Google Images

The Iran hostage crisis was a diplomatic standoff between the United States and Iran. Fifty-two American diplomats and citizens were held hostage after a group of militarized Iranian college students belonging to the Muslim Student Followers of the Imam's Line, who supported the Iranian Revolution, took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran[4][5] and took them as hostages. The hostages were held for 444 days, from November 4, 1979 to their release on January 20, 1981. The crisis is considered a pivotal episode in the history of Iran–United States relations. Photo Credit: Britannica

Antonio Joseph Mendez (November 15, 1940 – January 19, 2019) was an American technical operations officer for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), who specialized in support of clandestine and covert CIA operations. He wrote four memoirs about his CIA experiences. Mendez was decorated, and is now widely known, for his on-the-scene management of the "Canadian Caper" during the Iran hostage crisis. He exfiltrated six American diplomats from Iran in January 1980 by arranging to have them pose as a Canadian film crew. As part of their cover, the diplomats carried passports issued by the Canadian government to document them as Canadian citizens. After declassification of records, the full details of the operation were reported in a 2007 article by Joshuah Bearman in Wired magazine. This was loosely adapted for the screenplay and development of the 2012 Academy Award-winning film Argo, directed by Ben Affleck, who also starred as Mendez. Mendez attended the 70th Golden Globe Awards to give a speech about the film, where it was nominated for (and later won) Best Motion Picture – Drama. Photo Credit: Google Images

The Early Career and Expertise of Tony Mendez

Fareed Zakaria delved into Mendez’s early career, tracing his path from a talented artist to a CIA operative. Mendez’s artistic skills, particularly his talent for creating convincing disguises, were highlighted as pivotal to his work within the intelligence agency. The interview explored how Mendez‘s unique abilities led to his involvement in covert operations.

The Inception of the Canadian Caper

Mendez shared the genesis of the “Canadian Caper“ and the circumstances that led to its conception. He detailed the precarious situation of the six American diplomats who had escaped the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and found refuge with the Canadian Embassy. Mendez explained how the urgency of their situation and the escalating crisis in Iran drove the CIA to develop a daring and unconventional plan to rescue them.

**Creating the Cover Story: *Argo***

A significant portion of the interview focused on the creation of the cover story for the rescue mission—the fake sci-fi film Argo. Mendez, with the assistance of Hollywood makeup artist John Chambers, played by John Goodman in the real 2012 film Argo, provided insight into how they developed the fictional movie production, complete with a script, posters, and advertisements. Mendez‘s collaboration with Chambers and others in the film industry underscored the film’s dual nature, bridging the worlds of espionage and entertainment.

John Chambers (September 12, 1922 – August 25, 2001) was an American make-up artist and prosthetic makeup expert in both television and film. He received an Academy Honorary Award from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1968. He is best known for creating the pointed ears of Spock in the television series Star Trek (1966), and for his groundbreaking prosthetic make-up work on the Planet of the Apes film franchise. Chambers was awarded CIA's Intelligence Medal of Merit for his involvement in the Canadian Caper, in which six American hostages escaped during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. The incident was the basis of the film Argo, which won the 2012 Academy Award for Best Picture, and in which Chambers was played by John Goodman. Photo Credit: Wikipedia Commons

John Goodman as John Chambers in "Argo" (2012) Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Movie poster created by the CIA as part of the cover story for the "Canadian Caper" and the ad that was placed in the Hollywood trade magazine, "Variety" Photo Credit: Wikipeida Commons

Forging Canadian Identities and the Role of Canada

Mendez discussed the pivotal role played by the Canadian government, particularly Ambassador Ken Taylor, played by Victor Garber in the 2012 film, in sheltering the American diplomats and facilitating their escape. He highlighted the importance of the Canadian government’s support in providing genuine Canadian passports and coaching the diplomats on their new identities.

The government of Canada (French: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown assumes distinct roles: the executive, as the Crown-in-Council; the legislative, as the Crown-in-Parliament; and the judicial, as the Crown-on-the-Bench. Three institutions—the Privy Council (conventionally, the Cabinet), the Parliament, and the judiciary, respectively—exercise the powers of the Crown. Photo Credit: Google Images

Ken Taylor: Former ambassador irons out irritants. Photo Credit: Keith Beaty/Toronto Star via Getty Images

Victor Garber as Ken Taylor in "Argo" (2012) Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

The Canadian Six at the Harry S Truman building. (L to R) Rob Anders, Kathy Stafford, Joe Stafford, Lee Schatz, Cora Lijek, and Mark Lijek. Photo Credit: Canadian Museum of History

Clea DuVall in a scene from "Argo" (2012) Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

(L to R) Ben Affleck, Victor Garber, Page Leong, Tate Donovan, Kerry Bishé, Scoot McNairy, Clea DuVall, Christopher Denham, and Rory Cochrane in "Argo" (2012) Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

The Tension-Filled Escape

Fareed Zakaria and Tony Mendez revisited the suspenseful moments leading up to the diplomats’ escape from Tehran. Mendez vividly recounted the nail-biting experience at Mehrabad International Airport, where the Americans had to navigate a series of checkpoints and interactions with Iranian officials while maintaining their cover as members of a film crew. The interview conveyed the gravity of the situation and the risks involved.

Mehrabad International Airport (Persian: فرودگاه بین المللی مهرآباد, Foroudgâh-e Beyn Almelali-ye Mehrâbâd) (IATA: THR, ICAO: OIII), is an airport serving Tehran, the capital city of Iran. Prior to the construction of the larger Imam Khomeini International Airport in 2007, Mehrabad was Tehran's primary airport in both international and domestic traffic, but now serves only domestic flights. Despite this, in 2016 Mehrabad Airport was the busiest airport in Iran in terms of passengers, handling 16,678,351 passengers in total. The airport is also used by the Government of Iran and is one of the bases of the Iranian Air Force. Photo Credit: Google Images

(L to R) Tate Donovan, Clea DuVall, Christopher Denham, Kerry Bishé, Scoot McNairy, Ben Affleck, and Rory Cochrane in "Argo" (2012) Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

A scene in "Argo" (2012) Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

The Aftermath and Legacy

Mendez shared his thoughts on the enduring legacy of the “Canadian Caper“ and its impact on diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Canada. He also discussed the emotional toll of espionage work and the satisfaction of knowing that the mission was a success.

Vector of USA and Canada flag with grunge texture background. This illustration is an EPS 10 file with contains transparency effects. Photo Credit: Getty Images

**Reflection and Connection to Argo Film**

Throughout the interview, Fareed Zakaria drew parallels between the real-life events and the cinematic adaptation in Argo. Mendez provided insights into the accuracy of the film, acknowledging the creative liberties taken for dramatic effect while also affirming the film’s core fidelity to the mission’s essence.

Conclusion and Takeaways

In conclusion, the CNN’s Fareed Zakaria: GPS interview titled Inside Argo: Fareed Zakaria talks with Tony Mendez offered viewers a rare and captivating glimpse into the life and experiences of a true American hero. Tony Mendez’s personal account of the “Canadian Caper“, coupled with his reflections on the film Argo, provided a comprehensive and engaging narrative that shed light on the audacious rescue mission that defied the odds during a critical moment in history. The interview not only honored the heroes behind the “Canadian Caper“ but also served as a testament to the power of creativity, ingenuity, and international cooperation in the world of espionage.