THE RAID

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01350R000200340003-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 5, 2004
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: September 12, 1976
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2005/01/13: CIA-RDP ,0135OR 00 0 A,vt
11g4 YORK rIJ FS BOOT{ REV
12 sFPTF,MBFR 1.976
~A classic military snafu ,..
lied time and again to protect them with people who, to some of the raid-
? selves. After all, the Son Tay Raid was ers at least, did not look like North
Th~a y"'' d a dud in the same measure that the Vietnamese. For .,one thing, Y
they were wearing
and fitted Also, dark undershorts."
By Benjamin F. Schemmer.. .Israeli raid at Entebbe,' Uganda, was seemed
Illustrated. 320 pp. New York: a success.Y " To his credit, Schemmer never insists
`Harper &.Row. $10 "The Raid" hardly answers all the that the, defenders killed by Simans's y
questions about Son Tay-and indeed force -were Russians or Chinese. But
KEYi2r1 p,2IIKLEY it opens new controversies. But it is the other ;evidence he assembles to
still a valuable book. Benjamin F. back up that . possibility is about as
'the son Tay prison camp raid in Schemmer is editor of Armed Forces unconvincing as the details of phy-
Novernber 1970 was one of the most Journal-and quite' obviously a ' e sique and wardrobe. He might just as
controversial and difficult to report sourceful insider. in the military estab- .,
well have concluded they were basket -
episodes of theentire war in Indochz lishment -From a, great variety of ball players:
na. With all the intelligence resources sources- he has produced- an- engross-
that -were supposedly at hand, how 'l g, detailed and often hilarious autop Schemmer makes an interesting case
sy of a classic military snafu that .the living conditions of P.o.W.s.
was it possible that American raiders wimproved as a result of the raid.
could assault.- a -compound 23 miles The most sensational suggestion in - But were er the value of the book is less in
from - lianoi .: only to - find that. the the book is that the raiders inadvert- his debatable conclusions that it is in
P.O W.u they-were supposed to rescue (intl . gunned down- some 200 Russian the glimpses of the preoccupations it s of
had lone- since been moved elsewhere or Chinese- troops in,the 26 minutes ities
in the the persraoonn.alit a
The controversy deepened when it was they were on- the ground. In Schem- the who military glimpses
were involved and olve civilian
known that well before the raid took, mer's telling, one part of the assault life e Son Tay when. a
place. there had been highly persuasive ;. force landed by mistake 400 yards 'section. on a was occupiedf. he recounts the hrival
evidence available that the camp was. from the okijective at a compound of a new w ed, prisoner. recounts of hear fist
already empty. Answers, to- all sorts :'. which intelligence had said was a sec-
- of questions were hard to come by.;'-... ondary _ school. :The force was com- messages he tapped out in. Morse code
operation had be manded by Col. Arthur. D. Simons,. a to his fellows was that "a turbine-pow-
and entire oen planned
and carried out in the utmost secrecy Telly Savalas look.-alike and legendary ered car had led the Indianapolis 500
Beyond that, Administration officials "sp ial operations" veteran :who for 197- .laps." The C.I.A. built a
Kevin Buckley teaches at Boston - packs his own. bullets at home in his , $60,00 btable- sized model of th was so
'University and reported frorn.Vietnam ,.spare time. Simons send his men report. ( --- -j*
from 1968 to 1972 for Newsweek edit' found themselves in- a firefzght elaborate that it?presented the. camp:.
as it would be seen in quarter-or half-
'moon .'lightr by flares or in almost total
darkness. Needless to say, the planners
of the raid bad ;some.of the highest,
security .clearances-ever:: issued. Yet
ono' of them was::temporarily denied
access -to. meteorological. Information
at a en.icial ?time: because. he did ;not ,;
have the proper clearances to hear thee,
~- r
weather reports.
Then there was. 'case- of the baby-,
-
water buffalo that people=in. the White'-,
House and Henry Kissinger especially:
,
were sure the, raiders bad taken back"
from Son Tay?as:a mascot. Just where;
the story started is unclear according'
to,. Schemmer, abut "Henry Kissinger.
apparently got some.very strange in-.
telligence .briefings."'. The. raiders'
'denied having kidnapped. any animals
but the White House, fearful of new
embarrassments,-:ordered :the lzelicap==
ters to be examined. The investigators;:`:
..undoubtedly equipped with top secret'
security clearances, did find traces of
- .water buffalo :dung. Schemmer leaves'
:the episode as ..a mystery but the.anti,-
swer seems clear enough. Some *of the
Approved For Release 2005/01/13 CIA-RDP88-01350RQeW2{ Oi3b ly stepped in it-
quite as lite y . as t+he Pentagon and
White, '--House had figuratively an-
t m+nr}+insr te raid.