Irdc: US failure in Tabas on 24 April 1980, was a big shock to US political prestige, they were not only humiliated Internationally but also faced "national abjection crisis".
The failure was so huge that the most famous US authorities confessed that they were humiliated in front of Iran.
The reaction of the authorities of the White House to US humiliation in Tabas
Hamilton Jordan, the White House chief of staff, narrates the moment they got the news of the failure of US forces in Tabas: "Carter picked up the phone and said: What's up David (Jones)? We could not hear Jones. But the look on Carter's face showed that he was recieving bad news. He closed his eyes for a moment and hardly asked: Is anyone dead?
We were all staring at his lips. After some secends he said: I see, I see. And he hung up. None of us asked and he said after a while: There's a new trouble. One of the helicopters had crushed into a C-130 aircraft and is on fire. And there are probably some casualties."
Hamilton Jordan continues: "The image of some dead men who were volunteers to rescue the hostages was a nightmare to me. I came out to walk in the southern part of the house and clear my thoughts. But the humid airless day made me feel worse."
Brzezinski also says: "When Carter heard about the failure, he was mumbling "damn...damn...". It was like he was stabbed. Pain and affliction could be seen on his face. He looked at me with a sad face and said: The operation is cancelled. The he held his head in his hands for about 5 seconds, staring at the table. I felt really sorry for him and for America..."
The commander of the failed operation Eagle Claw, narrates the failure in his diaries: "All the way back to Masirah, I was feeling dejected and empty. I was frustrated and I burst into tears. This was the time when I sat down and spoke from my heart: Oh Jesus Christ, you know what a mess has been made. We really embarressed our great country. I felt so humiliated. I didn't want to talk, or do anything. I just felt like I was totally discgraced."
Failure in Tabas was so humiliating that Brzezinski, Carter's national security advisor also admitted it and said: "This incident in Iran was of the three main causes of Carter's failure and led to the national disappointment". He also called this incident the most tragic failure for himself during his time in the White House.
Richard Nickson claimed that US had lost its credit because of the failure in Tabas.
US national humiliation, the immediate consequence of US failure in Tabas
Most American Senators considered the failure as the beginning of national abjection for the United States. "We, American people, are doleful because of failing in the operation, United States need a victory to survive this malestrom". said Senator Nunn in a meeting with the armed forces committee of the Senate and heads the joint chiefs of staff.
People in United States believed that Carter had discredited US.
The derogation of international position of United States was one of the other humilating consequences of the failure in Tabas. Barry Rubin, West Asia issues expert, considers the incident a weakening factor for US.
Steven R. Wiseman also has written: "Americans faced their own helplessness in Iran more than anything else. The nation who was eagerly going to get its confidence back after Vietnam and The Watergate, was stuck in a battle with and old religous culture. This was another stroke to their pride and confidence".
Time weekly magazine published an article in May 1980, with the title "failure in desert", mentioning both Vietnam and Tabas failures as the sign of the abjection of US military, claiming that the failure was military, diplomatic and political. They once failed in Vietnam and again, at a time when nobody was even suppposed to know they were there, despite four months of training, they even were not able to stop two planes from crashing.
New York Times reporter wrote: "The failure won't let Americans go for a long time, especially because this was another stroke to those who have faith in technology. When three helicopters crashed in sand winds of the desert, they were hurt badly".
