Ambassador Jan Wojciech Piekarski went to Laos in the middle of the civil war. A revolution found him in Iran. During the conflict between the US and Iraq, he conducted spectacular negotiations aimed at the release of an American citizen from an Iraqi prison. Now it reveals the backstage of these events.
On February 28, the premiere of the book by Ambassador Jan Wojciech Piekarski "Polish Bridge of Spies" . Pre-order book available at Empik.com - you save over PLN 10! From February 28, look for books in Empik stores and good bookstores throughout Poland.
Excerpt from the book about the revolution in Iran:
September 8, 1978 is what is known as Black Friday. The military joins the protest and a real revolution breaks out in the Iranian capital. The situation is completely out of control…
A curfew is introduced. People all over Tehran are gradually turning off the lights. And in this darkness you only hear this unanimous chant: Marg bar check (Death to the Shah). Then comes: Allahu akbar, Khomeini rahbar (Allah is great, Khomeini is a great leader). And you hear this wave begin to get closer. We were on the fourth floor and we heard these shouts from different directions. We felt most at risk when the crowd shouted: Marg bar hareji (Death to a stranger). We heard sounds of shooting from time to time - the soldiers were shooting people on the balconies.
No wonder everyone is starting to evacuate Iran ...
We had several hundred Polish workers in Iran scattered all over the country. They reported, like the companies employing them, the need to evacuate due to the threat and the inability to continue doing business. For the evacuation, we used scheduled planes, as well as machines chartered from LOT Polish Airlines on the Warsaw-Tehran route. All contract staff and traders have left.
Ambassador Piekarski during the Iranian revolution was hiding with his family in the embassy building when the crowd outside chanted:"Death to the strangers!".
Our boss was in real trouble. He wanted to send back home at least the families of diplomats, but met with resistance. At the turn of 1978 and 1979, the ambassador's wife came to my wife and said:“Mrs. Grażyna, we must help my husband. Because the ladies resist and do not want to leave or send the children back. I, as the wife of the ambassador and you, as the wife of the deputy, must set an example for them. " They chatted, chatted and… went to the ambassador.
Mrs. Danuta, the ambassador, begins:“Henio, we came with Mrs. Grażyna to tell you that you made the right decision and we will also take the children and leave. But as ambassador's wives and deputies, we'll take the last flight out of here when everyone else has left the country. " The ambassador agreed. A large plane, I think an Il-60, was sent from Warsaw. He was to fly from Tehran to Baghdad, drop people there and then return to Tehran for more passengers. It was a short flight, perhaps an hour long. At the same time, a Swissair plane, which was also boarded by ministers of the Shah's last government with their families, was to depart from Tehran airport, so there was concern that this would be the last possibility of departure.
The first evacuees left around 9.00 or 10.00. Suddenly they were not heard from. An hour passes, two - nothing. Our radio operator, with whom we were in touch by telephone, was in touch with our office in Baghdad. The latter, in turn, was in touch with the pilot of the plane returning to Tehran. And suddenly we find out that the airspace over Iran has been closed after the departure of this Swiss.
Our plane was given the following orders:"Fly towards Tehran, operate along the Iranian border, but not cross it, and wait for permission to enter." Another two hours pass, during which we intervene at the local Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the local air traffic authorities. In addition, the ambassador intervenes in the imperial palace. It's 2pm, 3pm ... And like in winter - it's getting dark.
Ambassador Jan Wojciech Piekarski's book "Polish bridge of spies" you can pre-order on Empik.com.
And the wives and children are waiting…
And they eat the provisions we have prepared. Together with the trade attaché, we go to the ambassador and say:“Mr. Ambassador, you cannot take such a risk now, even if you are now allowed to fly. Because what if we here at the airport will find out about it, if the local military units do not know it? In addition, the flight would have to take place after dark, so the risk of being shot down is too great. ' The ambassador agrees with us, so we cancel this flight and pack ourselves back on the bus.
We're going back to Tehran. We pass the university, and there ... a shooting. The protesters, seeing white faces on the coach, start throwing them at him. It is true that we are escorted by the police, but the situation is still tense. We breathe relief only behind the embassy wall. In this way, the whole family stayed together and had to survive the entire revolution on the spot.
Authors: Łukasz Walewski, Jan Wojciech Piekarski
Release date: February 28, 2018
Cover price: 39.90 PLN
Number of pages: 288
Format: 150 x 215 mm
ISBN: 978-83-8129-025-8
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