The attempt by President Carter to remove USA citizens from Iran when they were held as hostages.
It wasn't bad enough the Iranian situation took the USA by surprise, but, to have hostages in our own embassy was astounding. I don't know what happened to the intelligence, except to say The West was confident in the leadership of the Shah. At the time, the Middle East was mostly settled and it was before al Qaeda was a problem. But, that said, when President Carter attempted a rescue and it failed it cost him dearly politically.
