On April 21st, one of the world's most famous hostages, American journalist Terry Anderson, passed away at the age of 76. For nearly seven years, he was held captive, often blindfolded, and subjected to regular physical and psychological torture. After the ’treatments’, he was thrown back into his solitary cell. In these miserable conditions, he spent already his first night after being kidnapped by Hezbollah's Shiite militias (he had just returned from a tennis match in the Lebanese capital Beirut).
Hezbollah (read Iran...) was not fond of American influence in the Middle East. The direct cause of Anderson's kidnapping - march 16 1985 - was the United States' involvement in the then civil war in Lebanon. Ronald Reagan - the US president at the time - left no stone unturned to free Terry Anderson and 6 other American hostages. In this context, very questionable 'deals' were made, including the secret sale of American weapons to the Islamic Republic of Iran. This affair is known as the Iran-Contra Affair.
Although Iran was – and is…- an enemy of the USA (and vice versa...), weapons were nevertheless supplied to a country that did not recognize Israel (and still does not recognize it). A scandal of the highest order was born when the arms deals became known to the public.Even Israel played a role in this 'affair', the Israeli government at the time - under the leadership of Shimon Peres and later Yitzhak Shamir - was so 'kind' as to deliver the weapons to the Iranians. This despite the fact that the Iranian (spiritual) leader Ayatollah Khomeini had always claimed to want to apply the scorched earth tactic to Israel. It couldn't be more absurd!
Why, oh why, did the Reagan administration supply deadly weapons to - as Reagan himself put it - the 'axis of evil'? The idea was that this trade would lead moderate, politically influential Iranians to mediate the release of the 7 hostages. 'Would' indeed, until the scandal hit the news in 1986. Moreover a second scanal saw dayligt: the payments made by the Iranians for the arms purchases were partly illegally funneled to the contra rebels in Nicaragua. The US Congress had already decided NOT to approve support for the contra rebels, but Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North ignored these restrictions. As a member of the American Security Council (NSC), he was responsible for the transactions, and it is hard to imagine that he acted on his own... In Nicaragua, the Americans (secretly) supported the contras who stood up against the communist Daniel Ortega, who came to power in 1985. He was deposed in 1990 but returned as president in 2007. Ortega has since emerged as a brutal dictator who arrests, tortures and/or kills political opponents. Oh well, what's new in Latin America...
Due to the dramatic developments, the chances of Anderson and his companions being released quickly dwindled. Eventually, Anderson was the last of the group (of seven) to be released on December 4, 1991. Of course, a large ransom had to be paid, and perhaps we will one day find out how many dollars the US government had to shell out. Citizens around the world were moved to see images of a broadly smiling Anderson, together with his six-year-old daughter Sulome. Time Magazine devoted attention to the return of the American 'prodigal son', (see photo at the top of this article). The images of the first meeting between father Terry and his little daughter were broadcasted all over the world.
A US judge awarded Terry Anderson $46 million compensatiom, which was (rightfully) paid out of frozen Iranian assets. The Anderson family was unable to enjoy much of this fortune, daughter Sulome used it to buy a huge amount of drugs and alcohol (which she also consumed...) and gullible dad Terry invested his money in projects that did not yield any returns. In fact, all the millions disappeared like 'dust in the wind'. Anderson also came into conflict with his addicted daughter, who tried to commit suicide several times. In addition, Anderson's marriage - I would almost say logically - fell apart.
Eventually, father and daughter made peace with each other. Solume even followed in her father's footsteps, and to this day, she works as a journalist. After his release, Anderson wanted to quickly leave his hostage past behind, but, naturally, that didn't happen. After his release he almost immediately expressed that he had forgiven his kidnappers, but emotionally, he was not capable of doing so. Years later, he remarked on his inner struggle: 'I've struggled with this for two decades. I can no longer suppress my anger over that time. They took seven years of my life.'
Well, it couldn't be otherwise that Anderson would be exposed to severe post-traumatic stress. I can't imagine that anyone could pick up their life again without mental problems after such a seven-year nerve-wracking period. Somehow, Anderson managed it (partially), considering his reconciliation with his daughter and the activities he undertook after his release. He engaged in helping Vietnam veterans, lectured at schools/universities on journalism, and wrote several books (including the bestseller Den of Lions).
Terry Anderson was a big blues fan. It is likely that blues music regularly served as ’balm for his soul’.It is a miracle that he did not succumb mentally after his release. From 2002 to 2008, Anderson ran a blues bar in Ohio.What blues music was played there? Well, at least a lot of work by Muddy Waters and B.B. King, two of Anderson's favorite blues artists.Muddy Waters was a "hoochie coochie man." This expression stands for charisma, sexual power, and showmanship. Anderson certainly possessed charisma, which is how he kept himself under control. This is proven by his accompanying statement, in my opinion: ’hope was a dangerous emotion, because it always led to disappointment. You have to keep your emotions under control, otherwise you won't make it.’
Of course, the problem is that suppressed emotions eventually come to the surface. And this happened to Anderson regularly. Perhaps during his countless depressions he listened to blues music. For example, to Muddy Waters' famous ’Mannish Boy’, which can indeed serve as balm for the (blues) soul. But perhaps that applies even more to B.B. King's ’Ain't Nobody Home.’ After all, Anderson was ’everywhere but home’ for almost seven years.
See the attached link for Muddy Waters live. And B.B. King, live too!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QoBR-F3tp4&ab_channel=MUDDYWATERSVEVO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b59Zh7I-ZZ8&ab_channel=GravityLimited