CNN 20: TWA Hostages Freed, June 30, 1985
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: A look back at one of the many stories CNN has covered over the past 20 years, the TWA hostage stand off in Lebanon 15 years ago today.</s>BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, JUNE 30, 1985) JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The horror of the last 2 1/2 weeks is over for 53-year-old Visente Garza (ph), the Texas businessman was traveling with his family when hijackers seized the TWA jet.</s>CLANCY: Covering it, it was very difficult because of all of your access was controlled by the hostage takers themselves. Some people were given access. Other people were not given access. I was in there, inside, I was sitting in with all of the hostages as the news came on the radio. The voice of the announcer said, "The hostages are free and on their way to Damascus." Well, we will sitting there with all the hostages, and of course, everyone knew they weren't free. They weren't on their way to Damascus, and just a loud grown passed over the crowd. Because, as it dragged on and on, hour after hour, people just wanted to go home. And the tensions, even among the people being held, were very, very high. People blaming one another for whatever situation they might be in. Saying you might have made it worse. All of that aside, the moment that they were able to get into the Red Cross vehicles, and head toward Damascus. It was an exhilarating moment. (</s>BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, JUNE 30, 1985) RONALD REAGAN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Good afternoon. The 39 Americans held hostage for 17 days by terrorists in Lebanon are free, safe, and, at this moment, on their way to Frankfurt, Germany.