By Christopher Miskimon
After American Embassy personnel in Tehran were taken hostage in 1979, the US military organized a rescue mission known as Operation Eagle Claw. This mission failed due to several factors, including planning errors and a lack of experience in joint operations. What is not widely understood is the part played by the US Army’s Special Forces detachment based in West Berlin. As this unit was essentially behind Soviet lines, over time it developed extensive covert operations and counter-terrorism skills, beyond those normally expected of a Special Forces unit. The Detachment sent four operatives into Iran, where they conducted reconnaissance of the sites where Americans were being held and prepared to assist the rescue mission when it arrived. More members of the unit were with the rescue force. When the mission failed, the team in Tehran had to escape the city without outside help.
This unknown tale of the Cold War is brought to light in this new book. The author served in the Berlin Detachment and writes with authority and clarity on the subject. The book is a quick and entertaining read, yet full of factual information on the operation from several points of view. It takes a complex story and makes it easy to follow. Two color photo inserts add materially to the text.
Mission Iran: Special Forces Berlin and Operation Eagle Claw JTF 1-79 (James Stejskal, Casemate Publishing, Haver- town PA, 2024, 153 pp., photographs, notes, bibliography, index, $24.95, softcover)
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