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A counterterrorism expert warned that a large Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) presence in the region of the F-15E fighter jet crash could complicate search and rescue efforts for the missing U.S. crew member.
Jim Hanson, a chief strategist at the Middle East Forum who served in the U.S. Army Special Forces, joined “Fox & Friends Weekend” to explain what the mission may look like.
Khuzestan Province, where the fighter jet crashed, is home to Arab tribes who oppose the central Iranian government. While that could help the stranded airman, it also means the IRGC is present to suppress opposition.
“The IRGC and Basij have a larger-than-normal presence there to go ahead and tamp [local tribes] down when they do protest,” Hanson said.
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“The regime also has as many of their people in play as possible, and we need to hope that the people who dislike the regime are helping, not hurting,” he added.
Hanson said he believes the downed airman will likely try to get out of the flatlands and find cover in terrain that is more difficult for the IRGC to access. He noted that while the strategy makes it more difficult for the U.S. to locate the missing crew member, it provides safety benefits.
“You don’t want a bunch of Basij or other regime troops riding around in pickup trucks, able to easily get to him,” Hanson said.
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He described the mission as a “balancing act,” saying that military officials are weighing how many additional troops to deploy to the area to find the downed airman without those forces becoming targets themselves.
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Retired Air Force Brigadier General John Teichert, a former F-15E combat pilot, said that while the environment is dangerous, the silence from the ground may be a good sign.
“While there is a little bit of concern about the duration of time since they got shot down, I actually think it’s net favorable because they’re falling back on their training,” Teichert said.
“They’ve found a good place that clearly has indicated they haven’t been captured by the adversary. And now the forces are just trying to find the right time and the right way based on the terrain and disposition of enemy forces to rescue our downed crew member,” he added.
Two airmen were involved in the F-15E crash, one of whom was rescued Friday. The IRGC and Iranian state media have claimed responsibility for downing the jet.
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