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(U) InSIDer's View of History : Desert One - The Iranian Hostage
Rescue Mission
FROM:
Unknown
Run Date: 05/21/2004
FROM:
Unknown
(TS//SI) I remember the night quite distinctly. It's one of those
occasions that will be indelibly marked in your memory, and in
some ways defines your perception of world events. It was April
24, 1980 and I was working the swing shift in the old Runway
Operations Center (ROC), located on the 2nd floor of the old Ops
building next to the old NSOC. Starting about three months prior to
that night, we would occasionally move off our assigned targets
(the former Soviet Union) and copy Iranian troposcatter emitters.
We called them "ducks" because they had a distinctive tone in the
maintenance channel, which sounded exactly like a quacking duck.
(TS//SI) We stayed on the emitters even though they weren't
loaded, i.e., they had absolutely no traffic on them. We did that on
three different nights during the previous three months, but we
didn't know why. Later we found out that the hostage rescue team
had made 3 penetrations into Iranian airspace in preparation for
the attempted rescue.
(TS//SI) That night I remember coming in about 1500. I was told
by the outgoing watch officer that the deputy division chief was
coming down to brief us about an ongoing mission. At about 1600
Deputy Chief A14, arrived in the ROC and called the
outgoing watch officer,
and me over to the side of the
room. was a tall man, and he leaned over to speak softly to us
so that no one else could hear. "The Director (Vice Admiral Bobby
Inman) holds everyone who receives this briefing personally
responsible for the lives of the hostages and the rescue team.
Operation Ricebowl is underway." We just stared at him with a
stunned look on our faces. He must have sensed that we didn't
know what he was talking about, because just as he started to turn
around to leave he quickly turned back. "The Iranian Air Defense
troposcatters that you've been copying for months - it was in
preparation for a rescue mission of the hostages in Iran. It's a go."
(TS//SI) The entire night we looked for indications that the Iranian
Air Defense system had detected the rescue team as they entered
Iranian airspace and landed at the Desert One site. (We knew the
parameters of the Iranian Air Defense system because it was U.S.
equipment and installed by U.S. contractors while the Shah of Iran
was still in power. We knew exactly where the gaps in coverage
were and we exploited it during the rescue attempt.) We heard
absolutely nothing the entire night, and I went home at midnight
without knowing anything about the results of the mission.
(U) The next morning I got up about 0900 and went downstairs for
breakfast. The kids were already at school and my wife started the
coffee and turned on the TV as I sat down at the table. There was a
special newscast on and some reporter at the Pentagon was talking
about a developing story. My wife came out of the kitchen as the
SERIES:
(U) InSIDer's View of
History '04
1. InSIDer's View of
History ... A Lesson
in Personal
Accountability
2. InSIDer's View of
History : How a Four
Star General Once
Waited for a Lowly
Captain to Finish
Eating Lunch
3. InSIDer's View of
History : In SHAPE,
In France
4. InSIDer's View of
History : 'Soviet
Rocket' Strikes
Chicksands
5. InSIDer's View of
History: Onboard Air
Force Two Bound for
Moscow
6. InSIDer's View of
History : Testifying
Before Congress...
Who Turned Out the
Lights?
7. InSIDer's View of
History : Resourceful
NCOs at Goodfellow
8. InSIDer's View of
History : Desert One
- The Iranian
Hostage Rescue
Mission
9. InSIDer's View of
History : SIGINT
Appearing in the
Press
10. InSIDer's View of
History : Meeting
President Reagan
11. InSIDer's View of
History : 'Local
Support' as Stress
Management
reporter was relaying the news about the disaster at the Desert
One landing site. I watched in horror as they showed pictures of
the charred remains of the aircraft. Without thinking I just blurted
out, "Oh my God. They didn't make it!" My wife looked at me and
said, "You knew?" I hung my head down and remembered the
words from the night before: "The Director holds everyone who
receives this briefing personally responsible for the lives of the
hostages and the rescue team. Operation Ricebowl is underway."
12. In SID er's View of
History : Quite a
Welcome!
13. In SID er's View of
History : The
Adventure Continues
-- Evacuation from
Belgrade
(U//FOUO) See other editions of InSIDer's View of History :
A Lesson in Personal Accountability
How a Four Star General Once Waited for a Lowly Captain to
Finish Eating Lunch
In SHAPE, In France
"Soviet Rocket" Strikes Chicksands
Onboard Air Force 2 Bound for Moscow
Testifying Before Congress... Who Turned Out the Lights?
Resourceful NCOs at Goodfellow
(U//FOUO) Do YOU have a story to tell? We want to hear it! Please
see the kickoff article for details.
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)."
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DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108