Customer Reviews

October Surprise: America's Hostages in Iran and the Election of Ronald Reagan

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The wealth of information from well-documented sources revealed in this book is overwhelming, and I believe that I would do great injustice to its potential impact if I were to summarize it here. Having just finished the book moments ago, I feel compelled to implore that all those who truly believe in democracy and responsible government read it as well. It will open your eyes to the way things really are, or at least make you question many of the assumed truths regarding our recent history.

What makes the author's allegations even more convincing is the fact that he is not merely a conspiracy-theory nut trying to discredit the right-wing at all costs. Rather, he himself has played a central role in various administrations' dealings with the Middle East and can personally testify to many of the events that took place preceding the manipulation of the hostage crisis by Reagan's powerful and influential campaign team.

I couldn't stop shaking my head as I read further and further into the book. The hypocrisy of the Reagan administration was simply appalling. You would have to be a die-hard Republican (unwilling to accept nor even hear of any hints of wrongdoing by Reagan) not to at least acknowledge that the allegations contained in this book warrant a thorough investigation.

If you have already read the many nostalgic books on the Reagan administration, or bought videos about our supposed "one of the greatest Presidents", let me dare you to read this book with an open mind. You'll see that it's not only the "liberals" that commit all types of scandals, they just happen to not be as good as the Republicans at covering it up at the highest levels.

This book is a description of the ascertain that the Reagan-Bush campaign made a secret deal with Iran to delay the release of the American hostages until after the 1980 election in return for arms. This claim gained real credence when the hostages were actually released about 2 hours after the swearing in of Regan but gained further credibility with the on again off again weapon sales made to Iran in the preceding years. Someone that was involved in both the Carter and Regan administrations so you I tended to give him some credibility right from the start writes the book.

I found the book very well documented, well laid out and readable. One chapter lists the fates of those involved in the deal. Overall it will hold your attention no matter what side of the political side you are on. For an interesting different view of this situation I would suggest reading the book "Crisis" by Hamilton Jordan. It covers the topic of the hostages from a different perspective.

I haven't heard the audio book for "October Surprise," but I did read the hardbound book when it was first published. Perhaps the negative review from "M.P.T." of AudioFile can be explained by the book author's inability to reference virtually every sentence with footnoted sources as he did in the full, paper version. Failing that excuse, the blurb and referenced to a fault, and he used no information from his investigation that he did not have at least two or three unrelated sources for. Though Sick doesn't draw the conclusion in the book, he leaves enough clues for the reader to figure oseems typical of the disinformation reviews written by the small army of media-spinners who enjoy two paychecks--one from their unsuspecting publisher or TV/radio station, and one from a certain U.S. Government agency who wants to discourage the public from knowing about self-serving black bag operations. The fact is that Gary Sick's story is meticulously detailed ut that it was not Ronald Reagan, but likely another still-living former president who was behind the treasonous actions recorded here--someone who still has powerful friends to help quash the truth any time it tries to raise its head. Read or listen to this book, and then buy "Plausible Denial" written by Mark Lane to see what other high-profile shenanigans this same group has been up to. It will also explain just how much control these folks exert over the media to steer the public away from the truth. I very highly recommend both books.

Gary Sick, a former US Navy intelligence analyst who served on the National Security Council under Presidents Ford, Carter and Reagan, has written an incisive account of the double-dealing American-Iranian-Israeli weapons/petroleum co-dependency that has undermined democracy in the US and abroad for many decades. The right-wing and corporate media have responded to these allegations with the usual mix of denial, doubletalk and attempted character assassinations of those who dare to investigate and promulgate the facts. This conspiracy, whitewashed by a Senate investigation in 1992, highlights the necessity for American and global democracy to achieve a reasonable degree of regional self-reliance (eg: renewable energy, genuine arms control) rather than remaining addicted to multinational corporate welfare, Machiavellian pretenses of "free trade" and money-manipulated, superficial democracy.

Gary Sick, a former US Navy intelligence analyst who served on the National Security Council under Presidents Ford, Carter and Reagan, has written an incisive account of the double-dealing American-Iranian-Israeli weapons/petroleum co-dependency that has undermined democracy in the US and abroad for many decades. The right-wing and corporate media have responded to these allegations with the usual mix of denial, doubletalk and attempted character assassinations of those who dare to investigate and promulgate the facts. This conspiracy, whitewashed by a Senate investigation in 1992, highlights the necessity for American and global democracy to achieve a reasonable degree of regional self-reliance (eg: renewable energy, genuine arms control) rather than remaining addicted to multinational corporate welfare, Machiavellian pretenses of "free trade" and money-manipulated, superficial democracy.

The author served on the National Security Council staff under Presidents Ford, Carter, and Reagan during his 24-year career in the Navy. He has a doctorate in political science. This book tells how the 1980 Reagan-Bush campaign helped to delay the release of 52 American hostages in Iran until after the election, and made illegal arms shipments. It tells how the national security complex of the government kept William Casey informed of highly classified military movements, diplomatic initiatives, and policy decisions. It tells of the connection to the Iran-Contra Affair.

Page 109 tells of the investigation into the December 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103; there were many suspicious characters on that single transatlantic flight, apparently quite by chance. There was a hidden layer below the surface of events that is still unknown, due to the many dubious or dangerous passengers!

The fundamental question is: did William Casey travel to Paris during October 15-20 1980 and meet with Iranian representatives to arrange a delayed release of the American hostages in return for promises of military equipment? The answer is yes! The Carter administration's negotiations with Iran collapsed, even though the Iranians had shown great interest in obtaining military equipment from the US (pp.155-7). It was not due to Khomeinin's unremitting hatred of Jimmy Carter, but to a better offer. A group of private citizens entered into diplomatic negotiations with a hostile foreign power to undercut their own government in a ruthless quest for political power (p.175).

Why was the Reagan-Bush campaign afraid of an early release for the hostages held in Iran (p.168)? Perhaps they did background polling and learned this would increase Carter's votes. The October polls showed the candidates in "a dead heat". If the hostages were released, Carter would get a 10% boost (p.170). President Carter's briefing book, with his answers to questions, was stolen and handed to the Reagan-Bush campaign; this allowed them to prepare their responses. The Republican disinformation campaign also predicted an imminent hostage release (p.173) just before the election. This would create a disappointment.

Page 214 discusses the policy on "contract employees". They recruit those who have the needed skills, and a propensity for exaggeration. After a couple of assignments, the contractor is arrested. This, with his boasting, ensures his record will discredit his testimony.

Barbara Honegger's book was published first and is longer. I found it to be more readable and better organized. One chapter lists the fates of those involved in the deal.

It is easy to tell who has read this book, and who was sent by a certain talk-radio host to try to discredit it with 1-star criticisms -- without ever having opened the book.

Those who say the book claims George H.W. Bush flew to Paris on an SR-71 have fallen for the Big Lie. It emphatically does not. That claim actually comes from a similarly-titled book by Barbara Honegger.)

What Gary Sick *does* say, on page 223, is this: "In the absence of convincing corroboration, however, I have reserved judgment. For example, several reports have surfaced claiming that vice-presidential candidate George Bush was present at least briefly in Paris during the course of negotiations in October. I have always been uncomfortable about this allegation. [...] I was also aware that the allegation about Bush might have been deliberately floated in order to discredit the story."

And what is this "story" that so needed discrediting? What negotiations were taking place in Paris during October of 1980?

If you extract the false claim that Bush attended (and the even falser claim that this book claims he did), what this book actually presents is a sober, convincing and very carefully-documented case that members of Ronald Reagan's transition team -- led by William Casey, Reagan's campaign manager and future head of the CIA -- met on October 19, 1980 with representatives of the Iranian government and various intermediaries and arms dealers. Their purpose? To trade arms and frozen assets for a promise that the regime of Ayatollah Khomeini would continue to hold the American hostages, seized in a raid on the American Embassy almost a year earlier, until AFTER the US presidential elections in November.

As it turned out, the hostages were released just minutes after Reagan was inaugurated January 20, 1981. The imprisonment of these 52 American hostages was lengthened by at least FOUR MONTHS for the purpose of ensuring Ronald Reagan's victory in the elections.

The Reagan Administration, of course, was later revealed (1986, the "Iran-Contra Affair") to have traded arms to the Iranians, in direct contravention of the arms embargo, in order to fund the Nicaraguan Contras, in direct contravention of the Congressional ban on such funding (The Boland Amendment).

These are the facts. They are not in dispute.

The Paris negotiations are particularly important because Ronald Reagan was not president at the time. The Carter Administration had laid down a rule that there would be no negotiating with hostage-takers. That was the official US policy.

However, by late September 1980 the Iranians were publicly signaling their willingness to release the hostages, because on the 22nd of that month they'd been attacked by Iraq and they were desperate to resume delivery of parts and materiel already ordered and paid for under the Shah's regime.

Enter the Republicans. They promised to resume arms sales (through Israel), to unfreeze the Shah's assets, to support Iran in their fight against Iraq -- all if Khomeini would deny Carter the public relations benefit of a hostage release just before the election. All if Khomeini would continue to imprison his hostages for another four months.

This was strictly against official US foreign policy, of course.

And that makes it treason.

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I know this book is twenty years old now, and the story of Republican "dirty tricks" in 1980 (and in 1984, 2000, and 2004) is old news by now. But recently somebody complained that President Obama "is turning into Jimmy Carter before our eyes" and I wanted to remind myself that Carter's legacy was formed not so much by his own actions, but by those who apparently risked hanging by sabotaging him.

The only surprise to this book is that it was no surprise. In fact, the idea that Messers. Reagan and Bush, assisted by a cabal of shadow dwellers, would manipulate a democractic vote is now common. The whole affair, meticulously documented in this important book, is put in sharper relief by the recent revelation that Richard Nixon sent Henry Kissinger to Paris to pull a similar stunt, for an identical purpose, in the fall of 1968. Disgraceful. This book should be read in every classroom in America.

An intriguing look at teachery and treason by the Republican Party. I have never understood the interest that Republicans have in running for elected office; they have little or no knowledge or understanding about how a modern government should work and less interest in the subject. Their dependence upon misogyny, free ranging corporations, inflated dollars, social slavery, outright corruption and pagan material idolatry stymies me. They would regulate the poor and warehouse the rich in gated communities and are loathe to remember that both heaven and hell are gated communities. Never has there been a political party with such base intentions and such great appeal among the nouveau riche.

This story is probably true but now unindictable like the crimes of 9-11; it typifies the arrogance and modus operandi of the GOP. To have negotiated and extended the hostages' captivity in Tehran for any reason whatsoever is the height of immorality and inhumanity but standard political expedience for jumpy political losers like the GOP. They are cut from the same cloth as the kidnappers themselves and thus their nascent ability to negotiate with them. But this is the same party that two decades later suspended our civil liberties, tortured prisoners and took us to war for no credible reason. At this point (2007) if you are catching up on your political research, this book is a great sequel to anything written about Watergate or Richard NIxon's plumbers and an ominous prophecy to the political horrors that follow.

If this work were fiction it would be an exceptional read, unfortunately, it is just HORRIFYING!!!

Casey is the ominous voice & Bush is the corrupt clown behind the curtain, strategizing & manipulating his way to the White House.

Liberals will love it, Conservatives will repel its Republican blasphemy, and everyone else will appreciate the sliver of light exposing this political cancer.

Gary Sick writes a fabulous tale of factual American political corruption, deceipt & manipuation...painfully it carries the burden of being a history book...and for its contents, I am ashamed.