Lebanon Hostage Crisis

It was the systematic abductions of of 104 foreign nationalist in Lebanon  by the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah between 1982 and 1992.

At least eight hostages died in captivity, as a result of inadequate medical care, torture, or execution.

Some victims spent years in captivity, while others, including CIA Station Chief William Buckley, were tortured and killed.

Giandomenico Picco was a United Nations negotiator.

He went to Beirut to try to free Western hostages. 

To talk to the kidnappers face to face, he had to allow himself to be abducted. 

His negotiations led to the release of 11 people, including John McCarthy and Terry Waite.

Some believe that all of this led directly to the Iran-Contra scandal, in which Reagan approved secret arms sales to Iran in hope of winning the release of the remaining hostages.

That deal, was begun partly at Jerusalem's instigation.