. . . or click on the link here for Audio Player – United Nations Security Council Session – Dec. 2, 1979 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection
With the U.S. Embassy takeover in Tehran and some 50 Embassy employees held hostage for some 28 days, it was time to get the UN involved in trying to offer some solution to an increasing nerve-racking problem.
So for the first time since the crisis began, an emergency session of the UN Security Council was held, and it was cause for bulletins, preemptions of programming and all-eyes-and-ears-of-the-world glued to the goings-on at the building in Manhattan.
Numerous speeches and positions being taken, but in the end the hostage-taking act was universally condemned by the voting body. Trouble was, there were no representatives from Iran to either argue their point or to appreciate the vote.
Iran was dead-set on the only condition for the hostages release; and that was our release and deportation of The Shah back to face trial in Tehran. And since one wasn’t going to happen, the other one wasn’t either – and the game of tug-rope continued.
And the frustration and anger were beginning to be felt in cities all around the country – with anti-Iranian demonstrations being held and turning violent as protestors and counter-protestors gathered for face-offs and rock throwing.
Meanwhile, everyone patiently watched and waited and hoped things would settle down sometime soon.
Here is that initial meeting of the UN Security Council, held on December 2nd 1979. A little over an hour and with technical glitches coming from the UN. News as it happened.
