How the CIA used a fake flick to rescue Americans from Iran

Wired Magazine has quite an amazing story on how the CIA extracted a couple of Americans from Tehran back in the 80’s. Although this blog will be more about modern ways of storytelling, this one should not go unmentioned.

It all began in 1979 when the US embassy in Iran was lossed. A plan was conceived to get 6 Americans out of there by using techniques that remind of ARG material. Normally, people would have been given false identities so they could just walk out of the country, but since they were actual targets over there, a more complex plan was needed. The plan that did work was about a production firm shooting a movie. A fake movie called Argo.

That’s right: the company was fake, the movie aswell. But they did set up everything right. They did start a firm and even got a script for the flick. Everything was just perfect: fake ID’s, business cards, offices, ad’s in Variety and the Hollywood reporter (who on their turn called in to get more news about the upcoming film),… Mendez, the CIA mastermind behind the plan, went to Iran himself to get to the people who were in hiding in the Canadian embassy who were already provided with the script, makeup and costumes to fit their fake profiles. They made it out, but do read the whole story. Absolutely brilliant. Stuff for movies, that is.

UPDATE: Bryan also posted about this.