Iran refutes Obama's request for return of downed drone
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Xinhua, December 14, 2011
Iran refuted on Tuesday U.S. President Barack Obama's request for the return of the downed U.S. drone and said that the aircraft is "Iran's property."
Iran's stance was in response to Obama's demand on Monday for the return of the drone which, according to Iranian media, was shot down by the Iran's military in eastern Iran over a week ago after it had transgressed the Iranian border.
"Some media reports say that Mr. Obama has requested for the return of the spy drone. It seems that he has forgotten that Iran's airspace was violated, spying operations were carried out (and) international laws were violated," Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said in his weekly press briefing.
Mehmanparast criticized the United States for still making such a request "instead of an official apology and admitting their crime."
The U.S. deed can put international peace and security in danger, Mehmanparast said, adding that the United States should face the consequences of their measure and they must be held accountable for the issue.
Asked whether any country has asked Iran to work on the drone, he said that "Iran has received no demand from any country on the use of the spy drone."
Also on Tuesday, Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi was quoted by local Fars news agency as saying that the downed U.S. drone is the property of the Islamic Republic.
Asked whether there have been talks with Russia or China about the use of the downed U.S. drone by those countries, Vahidi said "the U.S. spy drone is the property of the Islamic Republic and our country decides what to do in this regards."
Earlier, U.S. officials denied the drone was brought down by Iran, insisting the RQ-170 drone, an unmanned aircraft used for reconnaissance and surveillance by the United States in Afghanistan, crashed due to mechanical problems.
U.S. President Barack Obama said on Monday that his country has asked Iran to return a downed U.S. reconnaissance drone.
"As has already been indicated, we have asked for it back," the U.S. president told reporters at the White House, acknowledging for the first time that the drone is in Iran's control.
"We'll see how the Iranians respond," he said at a joint press conference with visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki after bilateral talks.
185 Iranian lawmakers in a statement on Tuesday lauded the success of the Iranian military in shooting down the U.S. spy drone, calling on the international community to take transparent stand on the U.S. incursion, the official IRNA news agency reported.
The statement said that the Iranian armed forces has managed to make a mockery of U.S. technological might and this is regarded as a significant success for the Iranian forces.
The U.S. should know that if they wish to take any actions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, they will be given a crushing response, the statement was quoted as saying.
On Tuesday, Mehmanparast said the trip of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Saeed Jalili to Moscow has nothing to do with the U.S. spy drone, denying media report that Jalili was to meet Russian officials over the drone disputes.
"Mr. Jalili's trip to Moscow aims at exchanging views between great countries of Iran and Russia on mutual topics and has nothing to do with the U.S. spy drone," said Mehmanparast.
Iranian media reported last week that the Iranian military downed the RQ-170 stealth aircraft in the eastern part of the country after finding it transgressing the eastern border. The country's state TV later showed the footage of the drone.
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