Hostages and terrorists in a deadly conflict

The Siege by Ben Macintyre is a riveting account of the 1980 Iranian Embassy siege in London and the storming of the Embassy by the SAS. This is actually an event that I remember but until I read this book I had absolutely no idea what the hostage takers wanted or even where they came from. This account, which I listened to on audio and which was read by the author, has been illuminating as well as very interesting.

The author weaves together multiple viewpoints, from the hostages and terrorists to the police negotiators and the SAS soldiers, so that we see the event and its causes from all sides. He places this event in the context of the time so that we understand why individuals acted as they did. It is obvious that there was never any chance of the siege achieving its stated aims but that the hostage-takers had been manipulated by Iraqi government agents and then abandoned. When the terrorists realised that there was no way out they became very dangerous.

We spend a lot of time within the Embassy sharing the ordeal of the hostages and the book is filled with details about what decisions they made and the bonds which arose between them and their captors. They were, and felt, vulnerable to the mood swings of their captors but they were also at the mercy of the Prime Minister’s avowed position that she would not negotiate with terrorists. There are many who feel that a different attitude and a more conciliatory approach might have saved lives.

The book tells the story of the storming of the Embassy stage by stage and it is gripping. The author is also clear where accounts differ and where some of the actions of the SAS during the assault were questionable. It’s a story of bravery, difficult decisions and idealism. I thought it was excellent.