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crucial hostages abducted by Shiite Muslim extremists During this time, Buckley’s rescue was a top priority
during the hostage crisis in Lebanon. The arms-for- for both the CIA and the Reagan administration. In
hostages deal struck between Iran and the Reagan admin- August 1985, the first delivery of arms—100 antitank
istration was orchestrated largely to secure Buckley’s missiles provided by Israel—was sent to Iran. The fol-
release. lowing month, 408 more arrived. Father Weir was
Buckley had been employed by the CIA from 1955 released on September 18, 1985, the first hostage to
to 1957, and again from 1965 until his kidnapping in be set free under the arms-for-hostages agreement.
1984. Buckley’s role in as station chief in Beirut was The CIA had requested Buckley, not knowing he had
significant. Not only was he to rebuild the intelligence already died.
network in the area, which had been shattered by the Four months after his death, on October 4, 1985,
April 1983 embassy bombing, but, since the United Islamic Jihad announced Buckley’s execution, claim-
States then lacked embassies in both Iraq and Iran, ing to have killed him in retaliation for Israel’s raid
Buckley was to head the entire CIA operations for on the PLO’s headquarters in Tunisia. The United
the northern Persian Gulf area. In an era when simply States continued to barter arms-for-hostages, now
being an American in the Middle East was reason requesting Buckley’s remains along with the remain-
enough to be kidnapped, Buckley was a prime target. ing Americans.
On the morning of March 16, 1984, kidnappers On December 28, 1991, Buckley’s remains were
seized Buckley just steps from the front door of his returned to the United States, and buried in Arlington
apartment and stuffed him into the trunk of a white Cemetery, with full military honors. The CIA honored
Renault. The CIA believes that Buckley was betrayed him with a star carved in the marble memorial wall of
by a female Shiite CIA agent named Zeynoub, whom CIA’s main building in Langley, Virginia.
Buckley had trained. Unbeknownst to him, Zeynoub
See also TERRY ANDERSON; ISLAMIC JIHAD;IMAD FAYEZ
was also an “official” of Hezbollah, the umbrella
MUGHNIYAH; THOMAS SUTHERLAND
organization that encompasses Islamic Jihad, which
had already taken three other American hostages in
exchange for 17 prisoners in Kuwait. Zeynoub and Further Reading
Buckley began an affair. Three weeks before he was Anderson, Terry A. Den of Lions: Memoirs of Seven Years.
taken, Buckley confided in a friend that he suspected New York: Crown, 1993.
he might be kidnapped. By that time, however, Martin, David C., and John Walcott. Best Laid Plans:
Zeynoub already had access to his apartment. The The Inside Story of America’s War Against Terrorism.
decision to take Buckley came on March 15, 1984; he New York: Harper & Row, 1988.
was abducted the following morning. The CIA believe
that Buckley was carrying a document listing CIA
assets in Lebanon that morning, because so many BUREAU OF ALCOHOL,
Lebanese informants vanished or were killed immedi- TOBACCO AND FIREARMS
ately following his abduction.
Though there are no conclusive reports, it is
believed that Buckley was tortured repeatedly over the Since its inception in late 1790s, the Bureau of
next 10 months, and that the intensity and length of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) has undergone
these interrogations destroyed his health. By the more changes in titles and responsibilities than any
spring of 1985, other hostages, such as Father Martin other federal agency. It was established in its current
Lawrence Jenco and Reverend Benjamin Weir, capacity within the Department of the Treasury in
became aware of Buckley’s presence in another cell in 1972 when it was separated from the Internal Revenue
the room where they were all held. On February 14, Service (IRS). The ATF has tax collecting, law enforce-
1985, Jeremy Levin, the bureau chief for CNN, ment, and regulatory authority in the alcohol, tobacco,
escaped from captivity and reported that Buckley was firearms, and explosives industries.
seriously ill, racked by coughs and vomiting and Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the ATF
delirious with fever. Fellow hostages listened closely employs a staff of 5,000, including special agents,
on the night of June 3, 1985, when the coughing finally inspectors, auditors, laboratory, and support person-
stopped. Buckley had died in captivity. nel. Despite the bad publicity resulting from a 51-day