MikePaterson
Please mister, can I have my spy-plane back?
Posted on: 12/12/2011 18:06
Wait fo news from Iran: I am very glad I don't live and a little worried that those who do are going to find the New Year altogethre unpleasant...
NEWS:
President Barack Obama said the US government has requested that Tehran return the surveillance drone captured by Iran's military earlier this month.
Mr Obama said he would not comment on classified intelligence matters, but confirmed: "We have asked for it back. We'll see how the Iranians respond."
Iranian TV broadcast pictures of the intact RQ-170 Sentinel last week.
Tehran said the aircraft was brought down using electronic warfare; Washington insisted it malfunctioned.
Earlier on Monday, Iranian state TV reported that military experts were in the final stages of recovering data from the drone.
A member of the Iranian parliament's national security committee, Parviz Sorouri, said the information they extracted would be used to "file a lawsuit against the United States over the invasion" by the aircraft.
'Provocations'
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton admitted that she did not think it likely that the drone would be returned.
"We are very clearly making known our concerns. We submitted a formal request for the return of our lost equipment, as we would in any situation. Given Iran's behaviour to date, we do not expect them to reply," she said.
She said that despite numerous "provocations" from Iran, the US would continue to pursue a "diplomatic approach".
The Revolutionary Guards, whose officers were filmed inspecting the drone on Thursday, said it crossed Iran's eastern border with Afghanistan and travelled 250km (155 miles) inside its airspace, before being brought down in a cyber attack.
However, US officials have said that intelligence assessments indicated that Iran neither shot down the aircraft nor used electronic warfare or cyber-technology to force it from the sky. They blamed a malfunction.
They
Search
Recently Active...
Comments
EasternOrthodox
Posted on: 12/12/2011 19:33
I think they have lost that one for good. Like the U-2 plane shot down over the Soviet Union back in, was it 1961 or so?
Saul_now_Paul
Posted on: 12/12/2011 19:38
I find it hard to believe that the Americans would let something like that get caught. You would think that it would have some kind of self destruct mechanism., or a GPS system that could guide in a smart bomb to destroy it.
Maybe it's a Trojan horse.
MikePaterson
Posted on: 12/12/2011 20:05
I can't believe they have the gall to ask for it back...
EasternOrthodox
Posted on: 12/12/2011 22:13
They would be better to just be quiet, it makes them look stupid.
Some funny tweets on the subject:
#WAR ETIQUETTE when asking the return of your downed drones from theocratic nuclear madmen, always include an RSVP.
#WarEtiquette if the theocratic nuclear madmen return you drones, don't forget to follow up with a thoughtful personal thank-you note.
#IOWAHAWK: Downed American drone requests return of downed American drone http://bit.ly/vPTvwh
#IOWAHAWK Breaking: President orders Navy SEALs to Hallmark store to locate perfect "Love to Have My Drone Back" card
Mely
Posted on: 12/13/2011 01:55
Those tweets are hilarious.
RitaTG
Posted on: 12/14/2011 10:53
...... did the aircraft at least have a label on it with an "if found" return shipping address and sufficient postage?
It would seem given the condition of the aircraft that it was intentionally landed.
That makes a malfunction very unlikely and the use of electronic methods to take over control of the plane most likely indeed.
I am no fan of Iran .... but in this case ..... good for them!
I just wonder how the good old USA would feel if a spy drone was flown into their airspace? Or.... correction .... if it wandered into their airspace unintentionally. Of course they would be polite and return it.
It would seem their trust in their superiour technology made the requirement for self destruct features uneccessary. After all ... how could a backward country actually detect let alone take over control of such a super advanced aircraft.
Technical arrogance has a price..... hmmmm ... and I wonder what the root of that arrogance might be.... I have been watching the GOP nominee race with horror.... Is that attitude systemic????
Just some thoughts....
Rita
alta
Posted on: 12/14/2011 21:45
Best thread title ever!
Good one, Mike