Operation Eagle Claw Essay Example

did not go as smoothly as Carter would have hoped, according to http://www. specwarnet. net/miscinfo/eagleclaw. htm. Due to a flying height limitation, the helicopters could not fly over an approaching sandstorm. The fleet attempted to fly through it, but at the end of the ordeal three helicopters malfunctioned, rendering them unusable.

Because a total of six helicopters were needed to complete the ission, Operation Eagle Claw was aborted. To make matters worse, one of the helicopters drifted into another parked aircraft, resulting in both bursting into flames and killing eight military personnel. Though it may be hard to imagine, things go even worse. The website http:// www. helis. com/featured/eagle_claw. php explains that because of the mess, orders were sent out to blow up the remaining aircrafts and evacuate the country. However, in the confusion, the aircraft was never blow up which led to various top secret plans getting into the hands of Iranian soldiers the next day.

Despite these setbacks, the hostages were still eventually released. On January 20, 1981 only moments after President Carter left the office, the hostages left Tehran after 444 days of captivity. The website http://www. aljazeera. com/focus/2010/04/20104258191144983. html, provides a different attitude of Operation Eagle Claw. Even if all eight helicopters were able to deploy, numerous other dangers could have led to an even bigger catastrophe. For example, what would have happened if members of the recovery team were captured and the mission compromised?

Furthermore, what if the mission went astray and resulted in the injury or death of the hostages themselves? Though the operation had many risks, Carter was under very high political pressure when the Iranian Hostage Crisis took place. To

refrain from acting simply was not a choice. Much can be said in regards to the calamitous Operation Eagle Claw. Though the loss of the eight military personal is a tragedy, it should not be taken for granted that the hostages were released unharmed. Despite the low total number of casualties, this occasion has further tarnished relations between the US and Iran.