U.S. Jet Shoots Down Iranian Drone Over Iraq

[kpete]

Source: Wired

U.S. Jet Shoots Down Iranian Drone Over Iraq (Updated)
By Noah Shachtman EmailMarch 12, 2009 | 8:27:00 AMCategories: Drones, Iraq's Insanity, Mullah Menace

An American fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone as it was flying over Iraq, U.S. military sources in Baghdad tell Danger Room.

Details of the previously-unreported shoot-down, which occurred last month, are still sketchy. But we do know that American commanders have long accused Tehran of supplying weapons and training to all sorts of Iraqi militant groups. Shi'ite militias fired Iranian rockets at U.S. troops in Iraq, according to the American military; Sunni militias allegedly used Iranian armor-piercing bombs to reduce U.S. vehicles to ribbons.

In early 2008, however, the torrent of Iranian weapons into Iraq slowed to a trickle, the U.S. said. And now, the new Obama administration is looking for ways to reach out to the Tehran regime -- dangling invitations to international conferences, and offering promises of renewed relations.

Which means the drone incident comes at a particularly sensitive time.

............................

UPDATE: So I finally got a hold of a spokesman for Multi-National Corps - Iraq. His response "I believe MNF-I is taking the lead on this incident." So then I reach out to MNF-I. A spokesman there wouldn't confirm the shoot-down. Nor would he deny it. "We've got nothing for you, Noah," the spokesman said.

Read more: http://blog.wired.com/defense/2009/03/us-jet-shoots-d.h...

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Prove it.

[tom_paine]

2. Sounds like more Bushiganda to me. But how can we tell the difference anymore?

n/t

[Chulanowa]

3. How many US drones are flitting around Iran and Pakistan?

"Which means the drone incident comes at a particularly sensitive time."

How much dirt does one have to pile before the molehill becomes a mountain, I wonder.

[tekisui]

4. oh shit.

Waiting for more info on this. I didn't know Iran had drones.

[Posteritatis]

7. I'd assume they're pretty much ubiquitous by now

At least among the fairly developed states, of which Iran is one.

[DissedByBush]

14. A basic drone isn't much

A radio controlled airplane with a camera qualifies.

[EFerrari]

5. I've yet to see hard evidence of BushCo's Iran weapons claims.

[Career Prole]

10. It was never produced.

I say we build a DU drone. I always thought it would be a pricy project but now we know all you need is some smoke and mirrors and up that sumbitch goes!

[EFerrari]

11. LOL! With "Danger, Jim Robinson!" painted on the side!

[Career Prole]

12. And a loudspeaker blaring the robot's voice!

His crowd is no doubt now completely convinced the Iranians stole the plans for that Acme Stealth Ocean-Crossing Remote-Controlled Anthrax Cropduster from Wile E. "Saddam" Hussein.

"See?! I tole ya Dubya wouldn't-a said it if it warn't the truth!"

[downindixie]

6. They probably shot down

one our own!

[Ex Lurker]

8. This on top of the American spy ship provoking the Chinese n/t

[lynnertic]

9. it was a buzz-kill

I understand they can be more annoying than leaf blowers.

[The abyss]

13. This is news from the US “government”

NOT the government we elect or are allowed to think we elect. Democrats or Republicans, crime verses gun control, abortion verses choice, health care verses socialism…. Ad nauseam

Those are issues “We The People” are allowed to think we control; they are in fact shell games.

There is an agenda for the Middle East; it is still being pursued. There is a plan “B” for the South American continent. Those agendas are still on the front burner.

If anyone thought that Obama could correct the course of the “government” they are sadly mistaken. If he had been serious the “government” would never have allowed him to get within spitting distance of the presidency.

[David__77]

15. I'm sure that's possible.

There are airspace violations like that all the time, and the biggest offender is the US.

[bdab1973]

17. We don't intentionally violate Iran's airspace...

But Iran has purposefully done so on many occasions.

[truebrit71]

18. Oh bullshit!

..sorry, I've got a case of the sniffles..it gets exacerbated by bullshit like yours...

[EFerrari]

19. My granny. n/t

[bdab1973]

16. This information is still sensitive...

I wonder who was telling this blog about it? I wish I could talk more about this subject, but I can't on a public forum.