CIA reveals name of second officer involved in 'Argo' rescue mission of 1980 in Iran

The CIA has unveiled the name of the second officer who played a significant role in the 1980 rescue mission of six American diplomats from Iran that inspired the 2012 Oscar-winning film 'Argo'.

Ed Johnson, who is also unofficially known as the 'Canadian Caper,' helped smuggle the diplomats out of Iran disguised as a Canadian film crew.

With his help, two CIA officers and the six diplomats were able to board their flight to Zurich.

His name was revealed on Thursday (September 14), in an episode of the intelligence agency's podcast, The Langley Files.

Even though the CIA always acknowledged that a second officer was extremely important for the operation, his identity was hidden as Johnson did not want to seek public recognition for his role, according to the New York Times.

"He was someone who spent his whole life doing things quietly and in the shadows, without any expectation of praise or public recognition," Walter Trosin, a CIA spokesman and co-host of the agency's podcast, told the Times.

"And he was very much happy to keep it that way. But it was his family that encouraged him, later in life, to tell his side of the story because they felt there would be value to the world in hearing it."

As per reports, Johnson, who is now 80 years old, is suffering from medical issues that prevented him from appearing on the podcast.

The daring rescue mission

Canada and the United States joined hands to make the brazen rescue operation a success. Both countries devised a plan to smuggle the diplomats out of the Iranian capital, Tehran on authentic-looking Canadian passports with fabricated Iranian visas demonstrating that they had been in Iran for just a few days.

The diplomats pretended to be a Hollywood crew who had been looking for perfect locations to shoot their science fiction film 'Argo'. They were successful in walking freely through Iranian customs and boarded their plane to Switzerland in January 1980.

The story of this mission was retold in the movie 'Argo' which was released in the year 2012, featuring actor Ben Affleck who played the role of CIA operative Mendez.

(With inputs from agencies)

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