Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Laws and Accords Prevent Former Hostages Redress

Aired December 14, 2001 - 08:19   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: More than 20 years ago, they were victims of international terrorism. Fifty-two Americans taken hostage by Iranian militants and held captive for 444 days. When they were finally released, they were hailed as American heroes. To free them, though, the U.S. made a deal that prevented the hostages from seeking retribution. Well now former hostages are defying that agreement, but their attempts to make Iran pay are being blocked by the U.S. government. Are the former Iranian hostages now victims of the current war on terror?

Former hostage David Raider joins us now from Washington. Welcome, delighted to have you with you us this morning.

DAVID RAIDER, FORMER IRAN HOSTAGE: Good morning Paula. Nice to see you ...

ZAHN: So David -- thank you. Before we talk about exactly what your challenge is right now with the U.S. and Iranian government, let's remind folks who didn't get to hear your testimony exactly what you were subjected to in Iran when you were held captive.

RAIDER: Well pretty much the normal terrorist type activity of beatings and trying to extract statements against my government, deprivation of both daily needs as far as hygiene are concerned, solitary confinement, and threats both to me and my colleagues, as well as in my case, threats to my family, particularly dismemberment of my handicapped child.

ZAHN: Oh my God. They made that specific threat to you ...

RAIDER: They did.

ZAHN: ... when you were in captivity?

RAIDER: Yes sir -- yes ma'am.

ZAHN: And in addition to that, is it true they staged mock executions?

RAIDER: Yes they did. It was fun and games for our captors and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) actually so that they could search our prison cells. Put up against the wall, aim -- ready-aim fire, in Farsi, people of course thinking that that's going to be their last moment on earth. And again, it was just -- it was just for their amusement, it appeared to me.

ZAHN: Was there a point at which you didn't think you'd get out of there alive?

RAIDER: No. As a matter of fact, I -- as I told you 20 years ago -- when you interviewed me the first time, it never occurred to me probably because of faith and my competitive personality that I was not someday going to get out of Iran.

ZAHN: So you came home to a hero's welcome. You were well aware of this deal the U.S. government cut with Iran. Walk us through what you're seeking now.

RAIDER: Well I was not aware, of course, upon release of the particulars of the actual agreement. The condition today is that the Algerian accord seems to be the document that the State Department and Justice Department believes still prevails -- even in the face of three different laws -- the 1996 Antiterrorism Act, the 2000 Trafficking and Violence Protection Act, and then the latest that President Bush signed on the 28th of November, which allows us to seek redress.

In spite of all of those three attempts on behalf of Congress, to protect the American people, not the big folks, but the little folks -- all Americans. We were never excluded from any of those laws. But still the Department of State clings to the Algerian accords as prevailing.

ZAHN: So does that mean you haven't gotten any compensation for the time that you suffered ...

RAIDER: Yes.

ZAHN: ... in captivity?

RAIDER: That is correct. We have been waiting patiently for 20 years trying to put behind us as best we can all of the events of that 444 days. They had to come to the surface again during our trial on the 15th of October and on that very day, Paula, that we went into our trial in U.S. District Court, I keep it in my pocket, I'd like just very briefly to tell you what the supreme leader of Iran said about the United States.

He said U.S. -- he accused the U.S. of having war mongrel , tyranny, injustice, arrogance, drunkenness with power, and unwise behavior. And then just a week later, he said again, our national interest lies in antagonizing the great Satan. Our foreign policy, constitution, religion, people reject any compromise with the oppressor America, and this is the country that our State Department and our Justice Department are defending against the former hostages and their families and it was the families, of course, that are the real heroes -- not us.

ZAHN: So you're basically saying the U.S. government is completely siding with Iran on this one. RAIDER: Yes and it's being done, as you can see, against this background of the war on terrorism. It's very hard to understand how one goes with the other. We would think that the Congress has had a fine, fine movement, not only in '96, but in 2000 and again just recently where they have said that no American -- no American is ever going to be a victim of international terrorism without the state sponsor of terrorism paying the price.

That's -- that -- it doesn't say any except the Iranian hostages. It says any American. And this is -- this is a great thing and we think that our situation fits in perfectly with the war on terrorism and we simply do not understand why they want to cling to a relic of 22 years ago, an agreement that was literally made with a gun at President Carter's head with a bunch of thugs. If the ABM treaty is a relic of history, what about this treaty, and it's not even a treaty. It's just -- it's an international agreement ranking below a treaty and certainly below the three laws that have been passed.

ZAHN: I'll tell you one thing, this case certainly is getting a lot of attention and we will continue to follow the progress of your case. I vividly remember interviewing you 20 years ago and just what you told us at the top about what you were subjected to is ...

(CROSSTALK)

RAIDER: I remember at that time that ...

ZAHN: ... horrible.

RAIDER: ... you had just had a young -- a new baby and the last thing I would like to say is that I'd like all the American people to think very seriously about what's happening here. Maybe this could be our national referendum, but it is -- it is -- we're not going just for ourselves. We're going for our families; for 444 days the American people suffered; they prayed; they wore bracelets; they put yellow ribbons on; and so we're really in court, you know, in a way to try to pay back and to say thank you and to find some sort of justice, not only for ourselves ...

ZAHN: All right.

RAIDER: ... but for the whole country, and I appreciate the opportunity to be with you this morning.

ZAHN: David Raider , thank you so much for your time as well. We will follow your case closely.

RAIDER: Thank you very much.

ZAHN: Our pleasure.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com