Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

I rescued Argo hostages in my orange Austin Maxi with a GB sticker on the back...
The Daily Mail ^ | 3-3-13 | Martin Williams

Posted on 03/03/2013 5:49:21 AM PST by afraidfortherepublic

Martin Williams was a First Secretary at the British Embassy in Iran when militants invaded the US Embassy in November 1979, taking 52 hostages and sparking an international crisis that lasted 14 months.

In his Oscar-winning film Argo, director and star Ben Affleck tells how six American diplomats hid in the Canadian Ambassador’s house in Tehran until the CIA arranged an ingenious escape plan – after they had been callously turned away when they sought shelter at the British Embassy.

Here Mr Williams, 71, who later was High Commissioner to Zimbabwe and New Zealand, says this is a gross misrepresentation of the part he and other British representatives played in rescuing five members of the group from anti-Western mobs roaming the streets .  .  .

IT WAS on a cold evening in January that my wife Sue and I set off from our home in Kent to watch Argo at the Odeon in Earls Court, West London. We had arranged to meet several colleagues who had also served in Tehran and were, naturally, looking forward to seeing how the film would depict what had been a significant and dramatic time in our lives.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Australia/New Zealand; Canada; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: argo; benafflack; benaffleck; canada; diplomacy; greatbritain; hollywood; iran; iranhostagecrisis; jimmycarter; martinwilliams; newzealand; unitedkingdom; zimbabwe
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-36 last
To: afraidfortherepublic

The Daily Mail feigns outrage over a gross misrepresentation?

Oh, the irony!


21 posted on 03/03/2013 10:22:07 AM PST by Moltke ("I am Dr. Sonderborg," he said, "and I don't want any nonsense.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: afraidfortherepublic

Austin Maxi:

http://davefarmersblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/800px-austin_maxi_1980.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Maxi


22 posted on 03/03/2013 2:32:19 PM PST by the scotsman (i)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: heylady
I had the good fortune, many years ago, to see the movie Mrs. Miniver, and learned that the Brits were also involved in WWII.

Maybe Clooney and Affleck are dissing the Brits because they won't let the Argentinians have the Malvinas, or is it the Maldives, back. After all, they are Hispanics so we are supposed to consider them the good guys.

23 posted on 03/03/2013 2:32:48 PM PST by Verginius Rufus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: the scotsman

That’s hard to miss, isn’t it?


24 posted on 03/03/2013 7:19:37 PM PST by afraidfortherepublic
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: mtnwmn
No kidding, it was terrible.

*** PLOT SPOILERS ***

Highlight the following text between the lines below to read my comments.


The movie built up the whole idea that the hostages would be questioned later on their fake identities, yet, nothing later in the movie of them having been questioned at all.

Since when do vehicles travel at take off speed of a 747, which is around 170mph? That chase scene was just plain dumb.

The entire movie production studio had but one scene later of any significance when they simply answered the phone. All that work up in the movie for the movie production office just for that? Weak, just plain weak.

Really, it was a terrible movie. No real character development or plot development to speak of.
25 posted on 03/03/2013 8:09:26 PM PST by CodeToad (Liberals are bloodsucking ticks. We need to light the matchstick to burn them off.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: afraidfortherepublic

My uncle had one. Ugly car.


26 posted on 03/04/2013 2:47:52 AM PST by the scotsman (i)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: Verginius Rufus; heylady

If it took film and TV to make you aware that Britain fought in two world wars, and the immense sacrifice and contribution we made, one has to ask:

‘god almighty, whats in the history you are taught?’.


27 posted on 03/04/2013 3:01:50 AM PST by the scotsman (i)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: the scotsman

god almighty, whats in the history you are taught?’.

WWII was the last section in our History books but we never seemed to have time in the school year to cover it. There is little difference between the reporting in WWII and our current conflicts in the Middle East. If you don’t pay very, very close attention you would think that it was only Americans fighting over there.


28 posted on 03/04/2013 4:14:52 AM PST by heylady (“Sometimes I wish I could be a Democrat and then I remember I have a soul.”( Deb))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: heylady

What year did you graduate High School?

I only ask because we had some employees who graduated in the late 90’s who had no clue who Stalin or Mao were.


29 posted on 03/04/2013 4:30:26 AM PST by Rebelbase (1929-1950's, 20+years for full recovery. How long this time?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: Rebelbase

1966


30 posted on 03/04/2013 4:35:55 AM PST by heylady (“Sometimes I wish I could be a Democrat and then I remember I have a soul.”( Deb))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: the scotsman
As an example, from the brief period I spent in public (govt) schools, I would have thought the Founding Fathers were George Washington Carver, Harriet Tubman, and Cesar Chavez.

And that was 40 years ago.

31 posted on 03/04/2013 5:14:31 AM PST by Trailerpark Badass (So?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: the scotsman
Good grief. I didn't think I needed to insert a sarcasm tag.

I don't know when I first became aware of the British role in WWII, but I was reading history on my own at least by second grade, long before I had it as a subject in school in fourth grade. My high school history course only got as far as the 1930s and I don't think any of my college history courses got as far as the 20th century. My mother had a large dictionary which included maps--one showed Europe as of shortly after the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 which they had tried to bring up-to-date. I'm sure I had heard of Munich, Hitler, Churchill, Dunkirk, etc., when I was still in grade school.

My father was a WWII veteran but fought in the Pacific Theater (Guam, Okinawa), not in Europe.

32 posted on 03/04/2013 6:50:27 AM PST by Verginius Rufus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: heylady

My sarcasm meter has been off lately. I didn’t realize you were being factious about not knowing Britain was our ally in WWII until recently.


33 posted on 03/04/2013 9:11:24 AM PST by Rebelbase (1929-1950's, 20+years for full recovery. How long this time?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: Verginius Rufus

On this site, and sadly dealing with people Stateside, I cant assume anything, sorry.

Your Dad was/is a hero. If he still alive, thank him for me.


34 posted on 03/04/2013 11:04:01 AM PST by the scotsman (i)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: afraidfortherepublic

not bothering with that stupid Argo movie which is about Hollywood’s favorite subject. Itself, and how clever and fantastic they are


35 posted on 03/04/2013 11:10:25 AM PST by dennisw (too much of a good thing is a bad thing --- Joe Pine)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: afraidfortherepublic

Since when has Hollywood ever portrayed Britain in a positive light? Britain and the British have been their favourite resource pool for drawing baddies from since day one. If they aren’t out and out villains, they’re supercilious idiots and fools who ignore the advice of the quick-witted American hero and get themselves and others killed as a result...


36 posted on 03/08/2013 9:44:26 AM PST by sinsofsolarempirefan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-36 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson