9781422277133

forces, decided to scrap the operation. That was disappointing enough, but then things got even worse. A blinding desert dust storm hit, and in the chaos a helicopter crashed into a plane carrying fuel and soldiers, causing an ex- plosion. Both aircraft were destroyed, and eight soldiers were killed. Operation Eagle Claw was a setback for Delta Force, but it was not an ending. Instead, the military fine-tuned the program, establishing addi- tional teams for missions that required special support by air or water. In

American helicopters in ruins after a disaster during an ill-fated hostage rescue attempt in Iran.

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