Iran says shot down two spy planes in Gulf--Fars

[Joanne98]

Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - Iran has shot down two unmanned western reconnaissance drone aircraft in the Gulf, a senior Revolutionary Guards commander told the semi-official Fars news agency on Sunday.

"Many spy planes and advanced planes of our enemies have been shot down (by our forces) ... We have also shot down two spy planes in the Persian Gulf," said commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh. "But it is the first time we are announcing it."

He did not say when the hostile aircraft had been shot down, but described them as "western drone reconnaissance" aircraft.

Iran is at odds with major powers over its nuclear activities, which the United States and its allies suspect are intended to enable Iran to produce nuclear bombs. Iran denies the allegations and says it wants only to generate electricity.



Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE7010IM20110102

[cowcommander]

1. They have every reason to fear UAVs, considering how Obama's used them over the past two years

[Robb]

2. Iran's claimed to have shot down a bunch of shiny stuff.

January 2007: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-01/17/content_5615540.htm

TEHRAN, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Iranian troops have shot down a U.S. pilotless spy plane recently, an Iranian lawmaker announced on Tuesday as the Islamic Republic was facing increasing military pressure from its arch rival -- the United States.

The aircraft was brought down when it was trying to cross the borders "during the last few days," Seyed Nezam Mola Hoveizeh, a member of the parliament, was quoted by the local Fars News Agency as saying.

The lawmaker gave no exact date of the shooting-down or any other details about the incident, but he said that "the United States sent such spy drones to the region every now and then."

September 2009: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/106809.html

"Glowing objects were sighted over the Persian Gulf. IRGC air defense targeted one of the objects successfully, forcing it to plummet and sink in the seas off Boushehr (Province)," said top regional commander, Brigadier Ali Razmjou.

"The three bright objects were detected by our radars when flying over the Persian Gulf Islands of Khark and Khargou," he added, according to a Monday report posted on IRNA.

Brig. Razmjou explained that when the radars indicated that they were not Iranian aircrafts, the IRGC fired at the three objects. He also added that the fallen objects' remains have not been found yet....

[Kolesar]

3. Dictatorships need their enemies to keep the public distracted

In Iran's case, the arch rival is the US.

[SpiralHawk]

4. In the US case, it is Iran and Iraq

and of course, we have always been at war with Terrarists...

[PacerLJ35]

17. Yes, that horrible US dictatorship...

Not trying to defend everything the US does or everyone in the US government, but really?

[Dokkie]

6. just change

Iran with the US and US with terrorists (not that u really need to) and you will see the problem

[Posteritatis]

11. My personal favorite was when they claimed to have captured an F-15 and its seven crew. (nt)

[PacerLJ35]

12. I wish when other countries claim to down a US aircraft they could get those simple facts straight..

I remember during the Kosovo thing, the Serbs claimed to have shot down a UH-60 Black Hawk and killed the 40 passengers on it. You couldn't fit 40 people on that thing unless you stacked everybody like wood. And even then, you'd never get airborne because you'd be too heavy.

[Posteritatis]

13. I'm okay with people being wildly incompetent when they lie about stuff

I get that they probably just don't care about the facts since they're assuming the populace wouldn't know any better anyway, but if I were a questionably-democratic leader of a paranoid garrison state I'd at least want the people tossing my propaganda about to be good enough to not cause the rest of the world to laugh at my statements.

[AlphaCentauri]

16. At one time China claimed to shot down a plane with 24 people n/t

[Thor_MN]

5. Damn, Iran is shooting down UFOs now.

Hope our interstellar neighbors aren't offended...

[spin]

9. Nah, just weather ballons...

that use alien technology.

[IScreamSundays]

7. Iran 'shoots down Western spy drones' in Gulf

Source: BBC

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have shot down two "Western spy drones" in the Gulf, a senior Iranian commander has been quoted as saying.

"Many" other drones have been shot down over an unspecified period of time, the Fars news agency quoted him as saying.

The head of the Revolutionary Guards' air force wing, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, produced no evidence to support the report.

He said this was the first time news of the incidents had been reported.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12105225

[maddezmom]

8. duplicate topic

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4680079

[PacerLJ35]

10. OK...

So they claim to have shot down UAVs in the Gulf over open waters...and we've shot down some of their UAVs over Iraq. Hmmm.

[snot]

14. Sh*t--when so many in the US are spoiling for war with Iran.

[sarcasmo]

15. self delete

[GeorgeGist]

18. Semi-official ...

is code for BULLSHIT.