Iran Forced Hungarian Plane To Land
Iran forced an aircraft carrying Hungarian military officials to land after it entered its airspace, Hungary's Defense Ministry said Tuesday. The plane was allowed to continue to Afghanistan after it was determined the entry was accidental.
The ministry said the airplane, carrying a four-member Hungarian military delegation, had strayed into Iran's airspace on Sept. 30 because of an "administrative error."
"After clearing up the problem, the airplane was able to continue its journey to Afghanistan," the ministry said in a statement released in Budapest.
The military personnel were part of a Hungarian team that took over direction of Kabul's international airport this month, it said, adding that they were flying in a civilian Hawker 800 plane rented from the private Hungarian firm JAS Cargoways.
Iran's semi-official Fars news agency had initially reported that the plane was American and was carrying five military officials and three civilians from Turkey to Afghanistan when it was forced by the Iranian air force to land at an airport for questioning.
The report prompted a denial from the U.S. military's Central Command, which said in a statement from its headquarters in Doha, Qatar, that no American plane was involved.
Later, Iran's official Arabic-language television station, Al-Alam, quoted an unidentified senior Iranian military official as saying the plane belonged either to a British or Hungarian relief agency.
Both Iranian news reports said Iranian officials questioned the passengers and determined that the entry had been accidental, and that the plane was allowed to continue to Afghanistan the following day.
© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The ministry said the airplane, carrying a four-member Hungarian military delegation, had strayed into Iran's airspace on Sept. 30 because of an "administrative error."
"After clearing up the problem, the airplane was able to continue its journey to Afghanistan," the ministry said in a statement released in Budapest.
The military personnel were part of a Hungarian team that took over direction of Kabul's international airport this month, it said, adding that they were flying in a civilian Hawker 800 plane rented from the private Hungarian firm JAS Cargoways.
Iran's semi-official Fars news agency had initially reported that the plane was American and was carrying five military officials and three civilians from Turkey to Afghanistan when it was forced by the Iranian air force to land at an airport for questioning.
The report prompted a denial from the U.S. military's Central Command, which said in a statement from its headquarters in Doha, Qatar, that no American plane was involved.
Later, Iran's official Arabic-language television station, Al-Alam, quoted an unidentified senior Iranian military official as saying the plane belonged either to a British or Hungarian relief agency.
Both Iranian news reports said Iranian officials questioned the passengers and determined that the entry had been accidental, and that the plane was allowed to continue to Afghanistan the following day.
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We''re all quite aware that Bush/Cheney/McSame would like to start a war with Iran.
And we''re all quite aware the CIA and others have used civilian aircraft for extraordinary rendition since about 2003.
Would it not be past them to test Iran''s reaction by sending an aircraft just like this to invade Iran''s airspace.
What might the US do if a similar aircraft invaded US airspace from, say, Cuba?
Posted by jamesm12341
Wow jwind11--you got a big reaction on that one huh? Guess you''d better change your name again---everyone ignores you now, again, still. LOL
As long as American''''''''s do not have to fight or pay anything I don''''''''t care what Israel does. Once Americans have to risk their lives and we as taxpayers have to foot the bill to ensure Israel keeps an upper hand i have a problem.
I am a non-jewish American, therefore the fate of Israel is insignifigant.
Posted by getoffmine1 at 12:08 PM : Oct 07, 2008
who cares israel !!! because of it everyone hate US
Posted by whatwhy001
I''m curious...how does Israel affect the price of our oil?
Why this criminal is still sitting in the White House is beyond me. He Cheney, Rumsfield, Rice and Rove should all be in the same 8X10 cell together, better yet, put them all in Abu Grabe.