Capture of US drone, great achievement by Iran

The former Pakistani information minister on Wednesday said that Iran has taken a right decision to bring down the American spy plane on violation of its airspace. Talking to IRNA the prominent Pakistani politician and chief of Awami Muslim League Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said that Iran is an independent country and can take any decision to ensure its sovereignty and integrity. “Iran has always followed an independent policy keeping in view their national interest,” he said. He went on to say the capture of drone shows that Iran is advancing in technological sector and it is a great achievement by Iran. Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi has said that the US spy drone downed earlier this week by the Iranian Armed Forces is Iran’s property. He said the US unmanned aircraft weighs about 3,500 to 3,600 kilograms and its mission is reconnaissance. He further said the US RQ-170 Sentinel drone is among the most sophsiticated unmanned aircraft made by in the United States. “Instead of apologising to the Iranian nation, it (the United States) is brazenly asking for the drone back,” Vahidi also said. Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said that Americans do not want Iran to copy their technology that is why they are asking for the return of the drone. President Barack Obama has acknowledged a US drone was in Iranian hands for the first time and said the United States has asked Tehran to return the sophisticated spycraft. Iran has lodged a complaint with the United Nations against the US over operating stealth reconnaissance aircraft in Iranian airspace and will also report Washington's hostile action to the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation, the Non-Aligned Movement and other international organizations with jurisdiction to examine violation of national sovereignty of nations.