Iranian state television aired footage of what newscasters said was a U.S. drone brought down in Iran last week.
Iranian state television used its main newscast to unveil the drone. The drone was shown in a video on an undisclosed location where two men in military fatigues could be seen walking around it. The belly of the plane was covered with posters saying, “We’ll trample America underfoot.”
Speaking to reporters at the White House, President Obama said Thursday that Iran is more isolated now than ever, and he called on Iranian leaders to forswear nuclear weapons if they want to end their isolation. He made the remarks in response to a question about Iran, but he was not asked specifically about the downing of the U.S. drone.
The Associated Press reports that a former U.S. official confirmed to the news agency that the drone seen in the video was the U.S. drone lost over Iran and reported missing by American military in Afghanistan.
As shown on Iranian television, the left wing of the aircraft seemed broken and mended, and the drone had a beige color, different from the ones shown in stock footage. It also seemed smaller.
“They wanted to spy on Iran, but it has turned against them,” said a news presenter. “Iran’s wisdom is keeping the Americans awake at night.”
According to the semiofficial Fars News Agency, Iranian Revolutionary Guards Aerospace Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh recently announced that his forces had obtained information that spy planes were active over Iran.
“After entering the country’s eastern space, the plane was caught in an electronic ambush by the armed forces, and it was brought down on the land with the minimum damage,” Hajizadeh was quoted as saying.
He added the length of the wings of this plane is about 26 meters, the length of its body is 4.5 meters, its height is 1.84 meters, and it is equipped with advanced systems for gathering electronic, visual and telecommunication information and possesses various radar systems.
“This action has boosted Iranian national morale,” said Saadullah Zareie, a political analyst writing for Iran’s most conservative paper, Kayhan. After the assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists in 2010 and the U.S. disclosure in October of an alleged Iranian plot to kill the Saudi ambassador to Washington, the capture of a U.S. spy plane was a great success, he said.
“Now the West will realize that confronting Iran is not so easy,” Zareie said. “And those who advise Obama to attack Iran clearly do not know what they are talking about.”
The drone is said to be an RQ-170, one of the more sensitive surveillance platforms in the CIA’s fleet. RQ-170 drones have been used in stealth missions into other nations’ airspace, including the months of surveillance of the compound in Pakistan where Osama bin Laden was hiding when he was killed in a U.S. raid in May.
In his remarks on Iran at the White House on Thursday, Obama reiterated that all options are on the table in dealing with Iran, but he declined to specify them. “No options off the table means I’m considering all options,” he said.
He said his administration came into office with the world divided on Iran and since then has “systematically imposed” tough sanctions on the country. “Today Iran is isolated, and the world is unified in applying the toughest sanctions that Iran has ever experienced,” he said, adding that the sanctions are “having an impact” inside Iran.
“Iran understands that they have a choice,” Obama said. “They can break that isolation by acting responsibly and forswearing the development of nuclear weapons . . . or they can continue to operate in a fashion that isolates them from the entire world.” If Iran is pursuing nuclear arms, Obama said, “that is contrary to the national security interests of the United States” and of American allies including Israel. “And we are going to work with the world community to prevent that.”
On Monday, U.S. officials said an unmanned surveillance plane had been lost in Iran and was being used for secret missions by the CIA.
21 comments:
It is sad that there is never any complete peace in this world. Iran is more aware of covert U.S. missions and that certainly makes Americans and U.S. allies uncomfortable. But, soon Iran will have no choice than to end the development of nuclear weapons. I just hope that this decision will happen before any drastic measures have to be taken to protect the safety of everyone.
The U.S. drone found on Iran's ground shows how, you could say, paranoid Americans are about Iran's nuclear activity that it was spying on. The U.S. violates Iranian airspace with a military reconnaissance drone. U.S. government officials would not feel the same way Iranian officials did if China flew a military reconnaissance drone over San Diego, CA or Norfolk, VA. They would most likely throw a fit and start a war. It is an act of war and a violation of international law to invade another country's airspace.
The U.S. drone found on Iran's ground shows how, you could say, paranoid Americans are about Iran's nuclear activity that it was spying on. The U.S. violates Iranian airspace with a military reconnaissance drone. U.S. government officials would not feel the same way Iranian officials did if China flew a military reconnaissance drone over San Diego, CA or Norfolk, VA. They would most likely throw a fit and start a war. It is an act of war and a violation of international law to invade another country's airspace.
Iran feels as if the united states think they can take advantage of Iran and Iran wants to make it loud and clear that they are capable of protecting themselves at all measures. I think the united states are reacting well to the situation of having all options on the table wih Iran and this kind of situation I think that's the best way to go about. We can not under estimate Iran at all cost and I think Obama realizes that.
The thought of a Iran possessing our equipment and now having access to our technology should make us feel threatened. I do not believe that we should attack them however. It would not be wise for the United States to take military action because the results may not be in our favor. However, we definitely do not need to sit back and watch them use our own technology against us.
"As shown on Iranian television, the left wing of the aircraft seemed broken and mended, and the drone had a beige color, different from the ones shown in stock footage. It also seemed smaller." this quote makes me feel as if iran didnt really find it, but it also makes me feel like its a government ploy to make the country feel safer. also i would like to know what sanctions are being placed on iran and if they did lose the drone, why would they not have gone and gotten it? they can obviously tell where it lost control and estimate a radius where it would have landed.
The U.S. drone found on Iran's ground shows how, you could say, paranoid Americans are about Iran's nuclear activity that it was spying on. The U.S. violates Iranian airspace with a military reconnaissance drone. U.S. government officials would not feel the same way Iranian officials did if China flew a military reconnaissance drone over San Diego, CA or Norfolk, VA. They would most likely throw a fit and start a war. It is an act of war and a violation of international law to invade another country's airspace.
After shooting the plane down it seems inevitable that the Iranians will have trouble with operating the plane to begin with; but it is very possible that they'll get it up and running again. The main thing I see is an attempt by Iran to threaten off whatever of the US sanctions they can and Obama shouldn't even be mentioning the lifting of isolation. It may cost, but a single drone can be detected and shot down with the technology we have. We're better armed and have more at our disposal. This would have happen sooner or later but if the Air Force does there job and recover the plane, this shouldn't be a problem.
Ultimately Iranis placing fault with the US due to increased international tensions between the two countries this is easily shown by Irans hostility to Americans a few years ago.
Well if it is our jet then I dont think anyone should be suprised. Of course we have survallence on them, we arent just going to completely leave them isolated after we spent so much time and money trying to fix them. Maybe its not our but i know that we have other items with cameras over there.
Sure that's the way to handle a country that has access to nuclear power. Make them sit in time out until they agree with us. Or they could just turn the Nuclear weapons on us and not have to agree and stop being isolated, it's just a thought. I don't know how we handle countries like Iran but its definite we have to do something before it's to late but how we do it is a tough call. But Isolating them into frustration and anger while making them suspect spies and drones doesn't seem like the best idea.
I understand why the Iranians are always on the defensive front. Because of Iran's past they take extreme measures to make sure that they win which is why they have isolated themselves so much. Also, I think that Obama telling them to give up the development of nuclear weapons is most likely not going to work. Even if, by some miracle, they agree to stop their terrorist actions there's NO WAY they will forswear the development of nuclear weapons because of the instilled paranoia that engulfs them. The CIA NEEDS to improve the way it spies on nations. This is the second time that I'm hearing about something going wrong with their spying techniques. First, it was the spies that they had planted in Afghanistan (I think) that got captured/found out and now this drone situation. They have to be extremely careful when organizing spy work! Not only is their reputation at stake but the lives of their informants as well.
I agree with President Obama when he says that Iran is isolating themselves from the rest of the world and that they know they have a choice. I agree because the choice is really clear and I believe that if they want to become stronger they are going to need to stop fighting against everyone else in this world and just join them.
Why would they show that off just to boost 'national morale'? The US would just be even stricter about spying at them going about their businesses. This was quite a pointless catch, though it was quite pointless from the United States' point of view as well to spy on them. In a way, I can see why they would (just in case they pull any tricks with the nuclear stuff, as mentioned) but at least if they wanted to be busybodies, they could've done it more efficiently.
I understand that the drone that was "allegedly" downed was a U.S. Drone lost over Iran and it was a drone reported missing by the American military, but I don't understand why the U.S. expects to get sympathy from the rest of the world even though the U.S. violated another country's privacy. This event will probably become one of the main causes of issues and chaos between the U.S. and Iran due to the U.S.'s inability to respect Iran's privacy.
It seems as though the situation is getting worse in Iran. Let's hope that the sanction against Iran will convince them to forswear the development of nuclear weapons before it comes to a breaking point.
This is definitely a black eye for the US. I do not think the US should be invading Iranian air space. Image how angry Americans would be if we captured an Iranian drone spying on us. It is obvious this will increase tension between Iran and the US and conflict or war may be eminent.
It seems highly unlikey that a third world country would be able to shoot down a self controlling airplane. The Iranian government is trying to make themselves seem stronger than they really are.
The U.S. and Obama should obviously be more careful with their strategy of spying on Iran. They cannot underestimate their people, they aren't stupid. They are aware that other countries are trying to gather information about the nuclear weapons they have or are creating. Iran caught the U.S. redhanded, and are very proud of that. They proved the U.S. wrong and are showing that they aware of other countries trying to spy. But also if Iran does surrender their weapons, they will also benefit greatly.
I think if they continue to work to make nuclear bombs they should be isolate. Also I think the government should come up with a plan to go in and retrieved the drone or to destroyed it. They shouldn't get the chance to observe the drone and learn to make one.
The US government talks about overthrowing the iranian government. Its up to Iran to declare that it is an act of war, so far they haven't and chances are they are not prepared to engage us in war. “Iran’s wisdom is keeping the Americans awake at night.”
Post a Comment