Iranian airbus tragedy

US Department of State Bulletin, Sept, 1988

Given the overall tension of the sit uation, the history of attacks on U.S. flag vessels, and the immediate situation confronting the captain of the Vincennes, it is not difficult to imagine how this scenario developed. Nor is it reasonable to believe that there is a single focus of responsibility.

Those in this council who deal with the technology of aviation know that there have been great technological advances in this field. But we also know that technology has its limitations. Radar today can perform services only vaguely dreamed about a few short years ago. But often it cannot identify the size, type, or mission of an aircraft. It cannot divine the intentions of a pilot who does not identify himself and does not identify his purpose as he flies directly into a scene of hostilities.

In the end, the captain of a ship must make a judgment on the basis of the information available to him. It is his solemn responsibility to protect the men under his command. That is what happened in the case of Iran Air #655. It is important to understand the entire context of events during that 24-hour period on July 2 and 3. Everyone has the deepest regret for the tragic loss of the lives on board Iran Air #655. But fair-minded people must recognize the difficult options put before a captain who had to make this critical decision in a very short period and while under continuing attack by surface vessels.

At the same time, I think we must recognize that Iranian civil aviation authorities must have known there was conflict in the waters of the gulf If they did not, they should have known, and they should have taken steps to prevent the plane from flying into an area where fighting was in progress. Indeed, Iranian vessels were attacking U.S. naval vessels at the very moment that Iran Air #655 took off from Bandar-e Abbas. The plane headed straight for the scene of the conflict and failed to heed, or even answer, the repeated warnings and requests for identification. Some degree of responsibility must be taken by Iran for putting its aircraft in this vulnerable position. The innocent victims on Iran Air #655 are just the latest among the hundreds of thousands of casualties in a needless war which should have ended long ago.

Looking Ahead Nevertheless, the important question is where we go from here. We can and must agree to take all appropriate measures to ensure that such tragedies do not recur

First of all, we believe it would be useful for the council to ask the ICAO Secretary General to conduct a factfinding investigation on the incident of July 3, with the objective of identifying possible measures for the improvement of civil aviation in the gulf, and to report back to this council. The United States is prepared to cooperate in all appropriate respects with an ICAO investigation and is convinced that, as a result of the review by this council, the difficulty of the complex situation in the Persian Gulf will be understood better and appropriate procedures to promote civil aviation safety in that region can be implemented. Only a thorough investigation can help resolve the many questions and anomalies surrounding the incident on July 3.