‘Bad luck’ foiled rescue attempt

Press, 25 August 1980, Page 6

‘Bad luck’ foiled rescue attempt

NZPA-Reuter Washington A senior United States military committee said in a report made public .at the week-end that the Iranian hostage rescue mission last April failed because of inadequate planning and bad luck.

The panel said that the operation, while risky, was feasible and the decision to proceed was justified. It also said its review “encountered not a shred of evidence of culpable neglect or incompetence.” The commando-type mission ended on April 24 after three of the eight helicopters suffered mechanical breakdowns, leaving one less than the six judged necessary to rescue the 53 Americans who had been held hostage in Iran since last November 4.

Eight American servicemen were killed accidentally in the rush to evacuate the isolated desert landing site in Iran after the decision to abort.

The review group of six admirals and generals with experience in clandestine operations, headed by a former chief of naval operations, Admiral James Holloway, concluded that the mission “was risky and we knew it, but it had a good chance of success and America had the courage to try.” . ’ The group concluded in its report to the Joint Chiefs Staff that two factors. bad led directly to the decision to abort —an unexpectedly high helicopter failure rate and low-visibility weather .en route to the desert landing site. ■