(2 of 7)
These developments occurred just as the Iranians finally began to consider letting outsiders see the hostages. Two NBC reporters were allowed to interview a captive Marine corporal, William Gallegos, 21, of Pueblo, Colo., touching off complaints from Administration officials and others about "TV diplomacy" (see PRESS). Despite Gallegos' assurances that "nobody's been mistreated," the interview heightened concern for the hostages.
Khomeini meanwhile in structed Foreign Minister Sadegh Ghotbzadeh to allow a group of foreign observers to visit the hostages. Said a senior Western diplomat in Tehran: "The Iranians have finally recognized that an international inspection of the hostages will go far toward defusing the tension."
An equally plausible explanation was that Khomeini may want to end the hostage crisis so he can tackle Iran's domestic problems. Chief among them: the revolt by the Azerbaijanis in northwestern Iran that has exacerbated unrest among Iran's other minorities, including the Kurds in the west, the seminomadic Qashqais in the south and the Baluchis in the southeast. All of Azerbaijan now appears to be virtually under the control of forces loyal to Ayatullah Seyed Kazem Sharietmadari, Khomeini's chief rival (see following story). Late in the week, local air force and army units joined in a huge demonstration in favor of Sharietmadari in Tabriz (pop. 500,000), capital of East Azerbaijan province. In addition, Iraqi forces firing heavy artillery attacked an Iranian border post; Tehran Radio said several people were killed before the Iraqis withdrew.
In Washington, the Administration was guarded in welcoming Khomeini's statement that there would be visits. But the announcement contributed to a feeling that the crisis might be solved through diplomacy after all. The President's spirits seemed greatly improved. Confidants noted that he had more color in his cheeks, a lift in his step and smiled more often. One reason, no doubt, was the swelling American support for him: a Gallup poll showed that because of his handling of the Iranian crisis, he was leading Ted Kennedy among Democrats for the first time, by 48% to 40%. But Carter also had a new sense that the diplomatic pressure on Tehran was beginning to pay off. To tighten the screws on Iran, the State Department ordered all but 35 of the 218 Iranian diplomats accredited to the U.S. to leave the country in less than a week. This will reduce Iran's embassy in Washington and its consulates in New York City, San Francisco, Chicago and Houston to skeleton staffs.
Summed up a close associate of the President's: "He feels a little cautious optimism that was not there four or five days ago—very, very cautious, almost imperceptible. The pincers are moving in as he had hoped, and there has not been any really bad news."