Iran Says it Forced U.S. Fighter Down
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<font size="5"><center>
Iran report says U.S. plane
violated its territory</font size></center>
Reuters
Tuesday October 7, 2008 6:53pm IST
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.
http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-35841120081007
Iran report says U.S. plane
violated its territory</font size></center>
Reuters
Tuesday October 7, 2008 6:53pm IST
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.
http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-35841120081007
<font size="5"><center>
U.S. says business jet forced down in Iran</font size></center>
A Falcon business jet is shown in an undated
file photo.
CNN
October 7, 2008
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. military coalition in Iraq confirmed Tuesday that a business jet -- not a U.S. military aircraft -- was recently forced down in Iran due to an airspace violation.
"The airplane is now being confirmed as a light transport plane with no Americans onboard," Multi-National Forces-Iraq said in a statement issued Tuesday. "From what we have been seeing, it was a Falcon business jet. We have accounted for all our aircraft and none are missing."
The U.S. coalition in Iraq had no information on who owned the aircraft, stressing that it was not a registered American plane.
Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency initially reported that five American military officials were on board, but other Iranian media reports -- quoting Iranian officials -- said the aircraft was Hungarian and no Americans were on the plane.
Fars reported that the "Falcon fighter" -- which it said was also carrying three civilians -- entered Iranian airspace on Monday at a low altitude from Turkey to avoid radar detection, despite repeated warnings by the Islamic Republic Air Force.
U.S. National Security Council Spokesman Gordon Johndroe said there is no indication that the reports are accurate.
"We're looking into the various and conflicting reports coming from the Iranian 'news' agencies, but do not have any information at this time that would lead us to believe they are correct," he said.
Fars said the aircraft, which was en route to Afghanistan, was forced to land at an Iranian airport that it did not name. Fars reported that the eight people aboard were released "after daylong interrogations" which revealed that the aircraft had "unintentionally" violated Iran's airspace.
Fars said the aircraft was allowed to continue on to Afghanistan on Tuesday.
Two top U.S. military officials told CNN's Barbara Starr that no U.S. military aircraft has been forced down. The U.S. military has an F-16 Fighting Falcon, but it is a one-seater jet fighter aircraft.
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/10/07/iran.jet/
U.S. says business jet forced down in Iran</font size></center>
A Falcon business jet is shown in an undated
file photo.
CNN
October 7, 2008
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. military coalition in Iraq confirmed Tuesday that a business jet -- not a U.S. military aircraft -- was recently forced down in Iran due to an airspace violation.
"The airplane is now being confirmed as a light transport plane with no Americans onboard," Multi-National Forces-Iraq said in a statement issued Tuesday. "From what we have been seeing, it was a Falcon business jet. We have accounted for all our aircraft and none are missing."
The U.S. coalition in Iraq had no information on who owned the aircraft, stressing that it was not a registered American plane.
Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency initially reported that five American military officials were on board, but other Iranian media reports -- quoting Iranian officials -- said the aircraft was Hungarian and no Americans were on the plane.
Fars reported that the "Falcon fighter" -- which it said was also carrying three civilians -- entered Iranian airspace on Monday at a low altitude from Turkey to avoid radar detection, despite repeated warnings by the Islamic Republic Air Force.
U.S. National Security Council Spokesman Gordon Johndroe said there is no indication that the reports are accurate.
"We're looking into the various and conflicting reports coming from the Iranian 'news' agencies, but do not have any information at this time that would lead us to believe they are correct," he said.
Fars said the aircraft, which was en route to Afghanistan, was forced to land at an Iranian airport that it did not name. Fars reported that the eight people aboard were released "after daylong interrogations" which revealed that the aircraft had "unintentionally" violated Iran's airspace.
Fars said the aircraft was allowed to continue on to Afghanistan on Tuesday.
Two top U.S. military officials told CNN's Barbara Starr that no U.S. military aircraft has been forced down. The U.S. military has an F-16 Fighting Falcon, but it is a one-seater jet fighter aircraft.
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/10/07/iran.jet/
<font size="6"><center>Iran Withdraws Claim
on U.S. Plane</font size></center>
The New York Times
By ALAN COWELL
Published: October 7, 2008
PARIS — An Iranian news agency said Tuesday that a United States warplane had been forced to land in Iran, but the Pentagon said there was no evidence to support the claim, and Tehran moved quickly to play down the claim.
Within moments of the first report on the semi-official Fars news agency, an Iranian state television channel, Al Alam, said on its Web site that the plane “was not a military plane and did not belong to the United States.”
The television station’s Web site said the plane was forced down on Sunday and allowed to fly on to Afghanistan on Monday. It did not say where the incident took place.
The channel quoted an unidentified official saying “a few U.S. military soldiers were on the plane.” However, in a subsequent report, the television station quoted an unidentified military source as saying the plane was Hungarian and carried no United States military personnel. Hungary is listed on NATO’s Web site as having a small military contingent in Afghanistan, which shares a border with Iran, where United States and NATO forces are fighting resurgent Taliban militants.
The initial report on Fars said that a U.S. Falcon jet had entered Iranian airspace from Turkey “despite repeated warnings” from Iran.
“The U.S. jet was flying at low altitude in a bid to remain unnoticed by Iranian radars, but it was made to touch down at an Iranian airport escorted by Air Force fighter jets,” the Fars report said.
It said the crew and passengers, identified as five members of the military and three civilians, were released “after daylong interrogations revealed that they had violated Iranian airspace unintentionally as they were en route to Afghanistan.”
The United States Air Force said the initial Iranian claim appeared to be erroneous and no American aircraft were reported missing. But the Air Force said it was investigating the reports to make sure no American warplanes had landed in Iran.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/08/world/middleeast/08iran.html?ref=world
on U.S. Plane</font size></center>
The New York Times
By ALAN COWELL
Published: October 7, 2008
PARIS — An Iranian news agency said Tuesday that a United States warplane had been forced to land in Iran, but the Pentagon said there was no evidence to support the claim, and Tehran moved quickly to play down the claim.
Within moments of the first report on the semi-official Fars news agency, an Iranian state television channel, Al Alam, said on its Web site that the plane “was not a military plane and did not belong to the United States.”
The television station’s Web site said the plane was forced down on Sunday and allowed to fly on to Afghanistan on Monday. It did not say where the incident took place.
The channel quoted an unidentified official saying “a few U.S. military soldiers were on the plane.” However, in a subsequent report, the television station quoted an unidentified military source as saying the plane was Hungarian and carried no United States military personnel. Hungary is listed on NATO’s Web site as having a small military contingent in Afghanistan, which shares a border with Iran, where United States and NATO forces are fighting resurgent Taliban militants.
The initial report on Fars said that a U.S. Falcon jet had entered Iranian airspace from Turkey “despite repeated warnings” from Iran.
“The U.S. jet was flying at low altitude in a bid to remain unnoticed by Iranian radars, but it was made to touch down at an Iranian airport escorted by Air Force fighter jets,” the Fars report said.
It said the crew and passengers, identified as five members of the military and three civilians, were released “after daylong interrogations revealed that they had violated Iranian airspace unintentionally as they were en route to Afghanistan.”
The United States Air Force said the initial Iranian claim appeared to be erroneous and no American aircraft were reported missing. But the Air Force said it was investigating the reports to make sure no American warplanes had landed in Iran.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/08/world/middleeast/08iran.html?ref=world