Ken Taylor - Canadian Ambassador to Iran - RIP
Many of you may remember Ken Taylor, the Canadian Ambassador to Iran, who helped spirit 6 American embassy workers out of Tehran after the U.S. embassy was overrun by radical Iranian students. He passed away today in New York - he was 81 - may he rest in peace.
I remember when the American's came home, and the mission was revealed, myself and some friends were over in Buffalo for a get together with some old friends, and when the American's in the bar found out we were Canadian, we ate and drank for free the entire night, was a great time with our great neighbours to the south.
About The Iranian Hostage Crisis:
The operation itself was initiated at great personal risk by the Canadian ambassador to Iran, Ken Taylor, and Canadian immigration officer John Sheardown who provided sanctuary in their own private residences for the six endangered American diplomats. Two "friendly-country" embassy officials assisted as well, and an unoccupied diplomatic residence was used for several weeks. Ambassador Taylor contacted then Canadian Secretary of State for External Affairs Flora MacDonald and Canadian Prime Minister Joe Clark for assistance, who expressed support for the effort. They decided to smuggle the six Americans out of Iran on an international flight using Canadian passports. To do so, an Order in Council was made for the issuance of Canadian passports to the American diplomats in Canadian sanctuary. The granted passports contained a set of forged Iranian visas prepared by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency that would be used to attempt an escape from Iran.
Before the escape, the six Americans spent several weeks hiding in the homes of Taylor and another Canadian diplomat, John Sheardown.
Taylor would play a crucial role in providing intelligence on the hostage crisis to Canadian and American intelligence agencies. Reportedly, he helped scout out landing sites for the abortive Delta Force rescue attempt, Operation Eagle Claw. Taylor did not confirm that the CIA organized the rescue of the diplomats who were hiding in the Canadian embassy, a statement which echoes what former US President Jimmy Carter said about the operation in 1986, however Canada's historical reticence at admitting collaboration with US foreign intelligence agencies make it difficult to gauge the extent of Canadian intelligence involvement and whether Taylor acted on his own initiative or was following a planned last-resort alternative. Taylor's actions marked the beginning of a change in attitude towards a more proactive involvement in sensitive foreign affairs after decades of non-intervention policy beyond meeting strict minimal obligations required by its membership in NATO and NORAD.
In 1980, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada along with his wife Pat and other Canadian personnel involved in the escape, and was also awarded the United States Congressional Gold Medal that same year.
Ken Taylor - a hero of both the United States of America and Canada, and a symbol of our friendship together - may he rest in peace.
