Blaming Men, Not Machines

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As the accounts of the Fogarty investigation were circulating, a congressional committee led by Wisconsin Democrat Les Aspin held hearings on the Administration's proposal to pay compensation to the relatives of the Airbus casualties. Few Congressmen seemed sympathetic to the idea. "People ask why should we pay the victims of this tragedy," noted Aspin, "when Iran still holds ((U.S.)) hostages and has never paid any of the victims of its policies." State Department Legal Adviser Abraham Sofaer reminded the committee that Ronald Reagan had endorsed the decision to fire on Iran Air 655 as "justifiable defensive actions." But after the succession of mistakes reported on the Vincennes, that justification seemed considerably shakier.