ArgobyAntonioMendezandMattBaglio-thedeclassifiedCIAstorybehindtheOscar-winningfilm
WINNEROF’BESTPICTURE’ATTHEACADEMYAWARDS,THEBAFTASANDTHEGOLDENGLOBES
Tehran,November1979.MilitantstudentsstormedtheAmericanembassyandheldsixtyAmericanscaptiveforagruelling444days.ButuntilnowtheCIAhasneverrevealedthetwisttotheIranHostageCrisis:sixAmericansescaped.
TheescapeplotwasrunbyAntonioMendez,headoftheCIA’sextractionteamandamasterofdisguise.MendezcameupwithanideasodaringandpotentiallyfoolishthatitseemeddestinedforHollywood...andindeeditwas.Heinventedafakesci-fifilmcalled’Argo’(fromtheactualnameoftheCIAmission,areferencetoJasonandtheArgonauts).Afterannouncingtheproductiontothemovieindustry,Mendezputtogetherateamofreal1970sHollywoodactors,directorsandproducers-alongwithcovertCIAofficers.TheywouldtraveltorevolutionaryIranunderaforeignfilmvisa,andwhile’scoutinglocations’throughoutthecountrytheywouldtrackdownthesixAmericanswhowerehidingout.Aftergivingthemfalseidentitiesaspartofthefilmcrew,theywouldspiritthembackacrosstheborder.
Onepart’Ocean’s11’andanotherpart’BlackHawkDown’,Mendez’smind-bogglinglycomplicatedandriskygamblepaidoff:eachescapeewasextractedwithoutashotbeingfired.MendezisconsideredoneofthegreatestofficersinCIAhistory.Thestoryofthis,hisgreatestmission,hasneverbeentold.
NowanacclaimedfilmdirectedbyandstarringBenAffleck,withBryanCranston,AlanArkinandJohnGoodman’
AntonioMendezwascitedbyRichardClarkeasoneofthetoptwoorthreeCIAagentsinhistory.HisHereceivedtheIntelligenceStarforhisrescueofsixAmericansfromrevolutionaryIran,andhasreceivedtheCIA’sIntelligenceMedalofMeritandtheTrailblazerMedallion.HecontinuestoconsultfortheCIA.Heandhiswife,alsoafamedagent,weretechnicalconsultantsonthetelevisionseries’TheAgency’andfoundingboardmembersoftheInternationalSpyMuseuminWashington.
MattBaglioistheauthoroftheNewYorkTimesbestsellerTheRite:TheMakingofaModernExorcist.HiswritingappearsregularlyintheDailyMailandtheAssociatedPress.
