Page 10-Saturday, May 31 1980-The Michigan Daily
Pentagon report
cites miscues
in Iran hostage
rescue attempt
4
WASHINGTON (UPI) - A Pentagon
report has blamed the failure of the
Iran hostage rescue mission on
inadequate helicopter maintenance and
pilot training and a faulty weather
report, it was reported yesterday.
The Scripps-Howard News Service
reported the conclusions were drawn in
a Pentagon critique based on inter-
views with more than two dozen mem-
bers of the aborted mission to rescue
the American hostages held in Iran sin-
ce Nov. 4. '
THE CRITIQUE ALSO disclosed an
unpredicted fog bank of dust - not a
sandstorm as earlier reported - had a
direct impact on the mission, Scripps-
Howard said in its dispatch from
Washington based on information from
Pentagonsources.
The Pentagon, however, denied
existence of the critique.
OLD MASTERS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)-A selec-
tion of 90 "Old Master" prints from a
distinguished collection of graphic
works will be on display at the Nelson
Gallery of Art through June 15.
Among the works shown are 27 et-
chings by Canaletto, the Italian master,
and three engravings by Albrecht
Durer. Also included are works by Alt-
dorfer, Van Dyck, Ribera and
Schongauer.
The selection is from the collection of
Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Weil, Jr., of Mon-
tgomery, Ala.
"No such document exists," a
spokesman said. "The after-action
inquiry has not been completed and no
critique of the rescue mission has been
drawn up. The Scripps-Howard story is
a mishmash of erroneous rumors and
speculations that have previously been
knocked down by the facts."
DAN THOMASSON, editor of Scrip-
ps-Howard News Service, stood by the
story. "We have seen the critique," he
said.
Three helicopters broke down and
eight U.S. servicemen died on a remote
Iranian desert before the April 24
mission was ordered aborted by
President Carter.
The top-secret critique said crews for
the helicopters used in the mission
never did any practice flying during
bad weather such as sandstorms when
theywere training in an American
desert.
IT SAID the crews assumed if they
encountered bad weather, the mission
would be canceled, Scripps-Howard
said.
It also said the Air Force weather
service, which predicted a clear night
for flying, could not explain how it
failed to note such a large fogbank.
And the critique questions why more
spare parts, particularly a critical
component like a hydraulic pump, were
not carried on the mission.
It notes thattthe last helicopter to fail
could have been repaired at the desert
refueling site if a hydraulic pump had
been available, Scripps-Howard said.
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Not impressed AP Photo
Four-year-old Ann Oakar, niece of U.S. Congresswoman Mary Rose Oakar
(D-Ohio), is apparently not too enthused about being held by President Jimmy
Carter at a private reception Thursday. Carter campaigned in Columbus and
Cleveland. Ohio in preparation for the state's June primary.
Good prison facilities
for elderly in-mates
m ay save tax m~oney
By BONNIE JURAN THE IONIA FACILITY, which was.
opened in the beginning of 1978, was
Providing elderly prison inmates originally designed for the criminally
with safe, sanitary facilities and insane, the researcher said. Elderly
upgraded health care may actually inmates were transferred to this
save taxpayers money, according to a facility when it became apparent the
University assistant professor of ar- other state prisons were overcrowded,
chitecture who- last year completed according to Gail Light, public
research on geriatric inmates, relations director for the Michigan
Prof. Ernest Moore, who interviewed Department of Corrections.
52 "low-risk" prisoners between the Light noted that the only con-
ages of 50 and 80, said inmates who are sideration previously given to elderly
generally more satisfied with their en- inmates specifically was housing them
vironment tend to break prison rules on the first floor so they did not have to
less. frequently. Therefore, he con- climb steps.
tinued, the need to employ security Moore said he initiated his research
guards is reduced. I- in the spring of 1978 because he was in-
MOORE ALSO SAID prisoners who terested in studying a group of people
are content with their surroundings about whom virtually nothing was
have decreased stress levels and thus known. He said his completed report
require less medical attention. was referred to the Department of
The prisoners whom Moore inter- Corrections and the Institute of Geron-
viewed were transferred from the State tology.
Prison of Southern Michigan at Jackson THE RESEARCHER noted that
to a smaller, more specialized facility because of his work, the Department of
at Ionia. The Ionia prison, which houses Corrections has made it easier for cer-
approximately 600 people, is the first of tain inmates to receive specific sundry
its kind in Michigan, according to items for which they previously needed
Moore. The researcher said it is a a prescription.
"medically oriented facility" which Moore said that in the future he would
provides private rooms, special diets, like to do research on the "plight of
and conveniently located health care women prisoners."According to public
facilities to its inmates. relations director Light, there is only
The elderly prisoners at Ionia are one women's prison facility in Michigan
"less anxious about being assaulted and it houses approximately 270 in-
and having things stolen from them," mates.
according to Moore. "They feel a cer- Light added there is a possibility a
rain comraderie becauseof their age," "new women's facility will be built in
he added. -tLansing in the next few years.
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