The U.S. military and Iraqi officials have come out and confirmed that American warplanes shot down a drone (UAV) some 60 miles northeast of Baghdad back in February. Apparently, we're STILL waiting for some sort of response from President Obama (good luck with that). Here's some of the details from The Washington Post:
My only complaint about the Petraeus-led U.S. operation in Iraq over the past few years (before he moved up to his new role) was that we did not push for more spotlight exposure of the Iranian operations in Iraq during the Iraq War. In fact, I think there was overwhelming evidence at several points of the Iraq War that warranted operations by U.S. troops across the border into Iran.
And this incident just goes to show that the Iranians, as always, will push the envelope until they are persecuted for it - they don't give a shit about getting caught, they only stop their activities when you hurt them.
American warplanes shot down an unmanned Iranian aircraft last month as it flew over Iraqi territory, U.S. and Iraqi officials said Monday.
The U.S. military said it had tracked the drone for about an hour and 10 minutes before shooting it down Feb. 25 about 60 miles northeast of the capital, Baghdad.
"This was not an accident on the part of the Iranians," the military said.
U.S. military officials in Washington, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject, said they could not recall the United States ever before publicly acknowledging the downing of an unmanned Iranian aircraft.
My only complaint about the Petraeus-led U.S. operation in Iraq over the past few years (before he moved up to his new role) was that we did not push for more spotlight exposure of the Iranian operations in Iraq during the Iraq War. In fact, I think there was overwhelming evidence at several points of the Iraq War that warranted operations by U.S. troops across the border into Iran.
And this incident just goes to show that the Iranians, as always, will push the envelope until they are persecuted for it - they don't give a shit about getting caught, they only stop their activities when you hurt them.
U.S. Downed Iranian Drone Over Iraq
BAGHDAD, March 16 -- American warplanes shot down an unmanned Iranian aircraft last month as it flew over Iraqi territory, U.S. and Iraqi officials said Monday.
The U.S. military said it had tracked the drone for about an hour and 10 minutes before shooting it down Feb. 25 about 60 miles northeast of the capital, Baghdad.
"This was not an accident on the part of the Iranians," the military said.
U.S. military officials in Washington, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject, said they could not recall the United States ever before publicly acknowledging the downing of an unmanned Iranian aircraft.
The incident comes at a delicate time in Iranian-U.S. relations, which have grown strained at times over allegations that Iran has supported groups fighting American troops here. In a departure from Bush administration policy, President Obama has said he would be open to engaging Iran, which borders both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Officials at Iraq's Defense and Interior ministries confirmed the U.S. military report. An official at the Interior Ministry, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the drone was downed about 12 miles inside Iraqi territory near the town of Balad Ruz in Diyala province. He said the U.S. military had suggested to Iraqi officials that the drone was trying to scout routes to smuggle Iranian weapons into the country.
7 comments:
I don't know what they could be thinking here - they have to be jealous of the fact that we accomplished in 3 months what they copuld not do in 20 years - Saddam Hussien dead - check, Shia majority in charge - check. An emboldened Iran is one of the many unintended consequences of this mess. Sorry ass dictator had to lie about WMDs to bluff Iran. This whole war is tragic, based entirely on a lie. If you won't use "weapons of mass destruction" to repel an invasion then you don't have any. Biggest foriegn policy disaster ever.
Esquerita,
Do you really think the mullahs in Iran were happy about the fact that the Iraqis put in place a democracy right next door?
:Holger Danske
Sure - as long as the Shia majority run the place. Iran is the most democratic country in the Middle East outside of Israel and now Iraq - which ain't sayin' much considering the neighborhood but still. Sure - Iraq is not an "Islamic Republic" but many of the Shiite parties that hold the majority are damn close to Iran. Iran will have plenty of influence in a democratic Iraq. I don't have to tell you that. I don't know what the drone is about, I'd guess they have no problem smuggling whatever into Iraq as it is.
Democracy works - I really believe that, but I also see Iraq splintering into 3 countries - Turkey and Iran will have to learn to live with a free Kurdistan.
OK - now that I think about it Lebanon and Turkey are probably as democratic as Iran. Lebanon has all kinds of rules to prevent sectarian conflict - like the speaker of parliament MUST be Sunni or whatever - and Turkey is only as democratic is its military allows - soon as the voters cross the army there is a coup.
"Lebanon has all kinds of rules to prevent sectarian conflict" As if "rules" can stop that kind of shit.
I don't think rules stop it either - which is why that type of "affirmative action", where the president MUST be Maronite Christian undermines true democracy. If the voters want a candidate who does not fit the sectarian criteria they should get it.
It may be so that their constitution states that power must be shared by the three, but then they just gave hezbolla the power of veto. So it may not mean much anymore.
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