Iran Shows Power To Bring US Plane Down : Analyst

Islamabad, Dec 13, IRNA – A Pakistani defense analyst on Tuesday said that Iran has shown its military power to bring down the American spy plane over air space violation. Talking to IRNA, Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema, a professor at National Defense University (NDU) said that Iran has taken a bold stand to teach a lesson to the aggressor. Expressing his views over the statement of Iranian Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi that Iran will take legal action with international organizations against the US over its stealth aircraft intrusion into Iranian airspace; he said that it is right of Iran to raise the issue at all possible international forums. “They have taken a bold decision,” he said. 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. Iqbal Cheema was of the opinion that US has tried to irritate Iran by taking its drone into Iranian airspace. The researcher added that bringing down of American plane also shows Iranian military advancement. “Credit goes to Iran,” he maintained. He reiterated that Pakistan is also capable of hitting the American drones, stressing that the nature of Pakistan-US relationship is slightly different from those of Iran-US. He said that the Pakistani air chief once had said that they are fully capable of bringing down the US spy planes. The Pakistani professor, who is also a scholar of international repute said the Pakistani government has been protesting against killings of civilians by American spy planes but this is not enough./end