Iran Hostage Crisis student demonstration, Washington, D.C. Title devised by Library staff. Contact sheet folder caption: Iran students demonstrate. MST. U.S. News & World Report Magazine Photograph Collection. Contact sheet available for reference purposes. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The U.S. deployed special forces to Syria earlier this year in an effort to rescue slain photojournalist James Foley and other Islamic State hostages, but couldn’t locate them, U.S. officials said Wednesday.

“The president authorized action at this time because it was the national security team’s assessment that these hostages were in danger with each passing day in ISIL custody,” assistant to the president for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Lisa Monaco said in a statement.

“The U.S. Government had what we believed was sufficient intelligence, and when the opportunity presented itself, the president authorized the Department of Defense to move aggressively to recover our citizens,” she continued. “Unfortunately, that mission was ultimately not successful because the hostages were not present.”

FLASHBACK:

Statement on the Iran Rescue Mission (April 25, 1980)

Jimmy Carter

Late yesterday, I cancelled a carefully planned operation which was underway in Iran to position our rescue team for later withdrawal of American hostages, who have been held captive there since November 4. Equipment failure in the rescue helicopters made it necessary to end the mission. 

As our team was withdrawing, after my order to do so, two of our American aircraft collided on the ground following a refueling operation in a remote desert location in Iran. Other information about this rescue mission will be made available to the American people when it is appropriate to do so.