Gary Sick

Gary Gordon Sick (born April 4, 1935) is an American academic and analyst of Middle East affairs, with special expertise on Iran, who served on the U.S. National Security Council under Presidents Ford, Carter, and for a couple weeks under Reagan as well. He has authored three books, and is perhaps best known to the wider public for voicing support for elements of the 1980 October Surprise theory regarding the Iran hostage crisis and that year's presidential election. He also alleged that Iraq may have had a role in the September 11 attacks.

Biographical profile Sick is a retired captain in the U.S. Navy. He received a BA from University of Kansas in 1957, a Master of Science degree at George Washington University in 1970, followed by a PhD in political science at Columbia University in 1973.

October Surprise allegations

On April 15, 1991, The New York Times published an opinion piece by Sick that stated "individuals associated with the Reagan-Bush campaign of 1980 met secretly with Iranian officials to delay the release of the American hostages until after the Presidential election. For this favor, Iran was rewarded with a substantial supply of arms from Israel." While the "October Surprise" allegations had been promoted by others as early as 1980, the Times article immediately elevated the story to national prominence. Sick later detailed the allegations in his book October Surprise: America's Hostages in Iran and the Election of Ronald Reagan. The United States Senate's November 1992 report concluded that "by any standard, the credible evidence now known falls far short of supporting the allegation of an agreement between the Reagan campaign and Iran to delay the release of the hostages." The House October Surprise Task Force's January 1993 report concluded "there is no credible evidence supporting any attempt by the Reagan presidential campaign—or persons associated with the campaign—to delay the release of the American hostages in Iran".

Writings Books All Fall Down: America's Tragic Encounter with Iran (Random House, 1985) October Surprise: America's Hostages in Iran and the Election of Ronald Reagan (Random House/Times Books, 1991) The Persian Gulf at the Millennium: Essays in Politics, Economy, Security, and Religion (St. Martin's Press, 1997)

Articles Suzanne DiMaggio and Gary Sick, "If Trump shreds the Iran deal, it'll be a huge geopolitical mistake". New York Daily News, May 2, 2018.