http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE4964ZV20081007
TEHRAN (Reuters) - An Iranian news agency said on Tuesday that a U.S. military aircraft had violated Iranian territory unintentionally and had been forced to land in Iran.
The semi-official Fars News Agency did not say when the incident happened.
It said five senior U.S. military officials had been interrogated at an Iranian airport and released a day later after it became clear the U.S. plane had not entered intentionally.
(Reporting by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Moderators: richierich, ua900, PanAm_DC10, hOMSaR
-
- MadameConcorde
- Posts: 9265
- Joined:
RE: Iran Says U.S. Plane Violated Its Territory
Yes, just saw this on BBC News online.
US plane 'forced to land in Iran'
A US plane has been forced to land in Iran after violating Iranian territory, the Iranian semi-official Fars news agency has reported.
It said the Falcon aircraft entered Iranian airspace from Turkey, flying at low altitude to avoid radar.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7657066.stm
I highly doubt - if it is a Falcon - that this is a military jet.
US plane 'forced to land in Iran'
A US plane has been forced to land in Iran after violating Iranian territory, the Iranian semi-official Fars news agency has reported.
It said the Falcon aircraft entered Iranian airspace from Turkey, flying at low altitude to avoid radar.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7657066.stm
I highly doubt - if it is a Falcon - that this is a military jet.
RE: Iran Says U.S. Plane Violated Its Territory
The Reuters report makes no sense. First, I'm sure if the Iranians detained five senior officials it would be all over TV by now. And the Iranians would not have just let them go onto Afghanistan. Second, they say "Falcon" in the Reuters report and "Falcon fighter" in the CNN. Five officials are not going to fit in an F-16. A Falcon jet yes but I don't think the US government has Falcon jets in it's inventory.
< http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/ >
< http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/ >
RE: Iran Says U.S. Plane Violated Its Territory
According to Iranian TV, the aircraft is Hungarian and has no Americans on board.
RE: Iran Says U.S. Plane Violated Its Territory
Ah, how the Iranian spin doctors amuse me so. So this went from 'American Warplane' to 'Hungarian jet'... lawl.
-
- scottieprecord
- Posts: 1208
- Joined:
RE: Iran Says U.S. Plane Violated Its Territory
| Quoting LMP737 (Reply 2): A Falcon jet yes but I don't think the US government has Falcon jets in it's inventory. |
The US Coast Guard has some:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/hu-25.htm
RE: Iran Says U.S. Plane Violated Its Territory
Looks like the actual story is starting to emerge.
< http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/10/07/iran.jet/index.html >
< http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/10/07/iran.jet/index.html >
RE: Iran Says U.S. Plane Violated Its Territory
So.... That's where Baghdad Bob ended up!
I'm suprised there wasn't a statement by either Hungary or the Humanitarian aid agency that was involved.
Wonder why the jet was reported to be "flying low to avoid radar". More FARS accuracy?
I'm suprised there wasn't a statement by either Hungary or the Humanitarian aid agency that was involved.
Wonder why the jet was reported to be "flying low to avoid radar". More FARS accuracy?
RE: Iran Says U.S. Plane Violated Its Territory
Perhaps the Iranians want to drive up the spot price of crude? 
RE: Iran Says U.S. Plane Violated Its Territory
It seems the Iranians were in two minds about this..
First , they tried to turn this episode into some kind of a major " diplomatic incident ", by trying to present it as a US intrusion into their airspace, similar in a way to what they did in the not too distant past with the incident of the British Royal Marines when their boat allegedly strayed into Iranian waters.
Then, for reasons so far not entirely clear, they seem to have changed their mind, and decided to call it a day, forget about it all, and all of a sudden find out that the plane was not American after all, but a Hungarian private jet with completely innocent intentions.
The only logical explanation , in my opinion, is that this is yet another example of different camps within the Iranian security and political establishment trying to score different points with different agendas.
Obviously, someone in Tehran thought that this incident might provide them with a golden opportunity to create a "crisis situation " with the US at an extremely unsuitable time, and then exploit it politically to the maximum.
In contrast, somebody else, high up, decided to the contrary, that this is probably not the right time to enter into a dispute with the US at this particular moment, hence the whole episode was put to rest.
It will be an extremely interesting example of how the Iranians will be dealing with various situations as they come by in the future.
First , they tried to turn this episode into some kind of a major " diplomatic incident ", by trying to present it as a US intrusion into their airspace, similar in a way to what they did in the not too distant past with the incident of the British Royal Marines when their boat allegedly strayed into Iranian waters.
Then, for reasons so far not entirely clear, they seem to have changed their mind, and decided to call it a day, forget about it all, and all of a sudden find out that the plane was not American after all, but a Hungarian private jet with completely innocent intentions.
The only logical explanation , in my opinion, is that this is yet another example of different camps within the Iranian security and political establishment trying to score different points with different agendas.
Obviously, someone in Tehran thought that this incident might provide them with a golden opportunity to create a "crisis situation " with the US at an extremely unsuitable time, and then exploit it politically to the maximum.
In contrast, somebody else, high up, decided to the contrary, that this is probably not the right time to enter into a dispute with the US at this particular moment, hence the whole episode was put to rest.
It will be an extremely interesting example of how the Iranians will be dealing with various situations as they come by in the future.
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 12 guests