S8 Ep279: THE DESERT ONE TRAGEDY AND THE GEOPOLITICAL STAKES OF THE 1980 ELECTION Colleague Craig Unger. Author Craig Unger discusses the failed "Desert One" rescue mission on April 24, 1980, where me

THE DESERT ONE TRAGEDY AND THE GEOPOLITICAL STAKES OF THE 1980 ELECTION Colleague Craig Unger. Author Craig Unger discusses the failed "Desert One" rescue mission on April 24, 1980, where mechanical failures and a collision resulted in eight American deaths, ending any immediate hope of rescuing 52 hostages held in Iran. Unger explains that while the Shah of Iran had been a US puppet installed by a 1953 CIA coup, the 1979 revolution replaced him with a hostile Islamic Republic, turning a strategic ally into an enemy. The hostage crisis became the central issue of the 1980 campaign; a successful rescue would likely have secured Carter's reelection, while failure favored Ronald Reagan. Additionally, the segment highlights the strained relationship between Carter and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, noting that despite the Camp David Accords, Israel feared an Iraqi victory over Iran would create a dangerous regional superpower. NUMBER 1