Our Man in Tehran: 30th Anniversary of Iran Escape

I was at a Canadian Consulate event in New York this week to mark the 30th anniversary of the “Canadian Caper.” The guest of honour was Ken Taylor, the former Canadian ambassador to Iran who got six American diplomats to safety in the midst of the US embassy hostage situation.

Ken and his wife Pat have lived in New York for many years now. The city has been a base of operations for a successful private sector career that included international business and government consulting. But to this day he’s best remembered for helping the Americans in a time of crisis, and he’s the subject of some recent headlines thanks to the work of author Robert Wright.

Wright was also at the consulate event, along with copies of his just-published book about the Canadian Caper called “Our Man in Tehran.” Through conversations with Taylor and an exhaustive review of declassified government documents, Wright determined that the ambassador’s cooperation with the CIA was much greater than previously reported. Taylor cooperated with the book that labels him the “de facto CIA station chief” in Iran, but even 30 years later, it’s not an ideal revelation. (Read more about that and see a video interview with Taylor on the Globe and Mail website.)

Taylor’s told the stories about Tehran a thousand times, and he patiently told them again Monday night at the home of Dan Sullivan, Canada’s Consul General in New York. Taylor knows by now which elements of the story make for easy conversation. We had a laugh together as he explained the “cover story” they developed so the six Americans could leave Iran on bogus Canadian passports. The understated Canadians came up with a yarn about a group of crop researchers from the University of Guelph. The Americans suggested he develop a story about a film crew scouting locations. Of course, he says, they went with the “Hollywood” ending.

(Ken Taylor photo: March 1, 2010 by Jimmy Ryan)

Learn about “Our Man in Tehran” on Amazon.com

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