By Lateef Mungin, CNN
updated 5:42 AM EST, Thu February 7, 2013
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- The footage was released by Iranian state media and placed on YouTube
- Iran claims it downed the plane in 2011
- Obama in the past asked for the drone back
(CNN) -- Iran says it has decoded and released footage from a U.S. drone that it downed more than a year ago.
The black and white aerial footage, Iran claims was from a RQ-170 spy plane, was aired by Iranian news agencies and placed on YouTube.
A man, identified in Iranian media as Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, narrates parts of the footage.
Read more: Key U.S. official defends use of drones
"This aircraft has carried out many operations in the countries around Iran," the narrator says. "In the operations taken place in Pakistan, this aircraft guided many of the clashes ..."
The narrator also says that some of the footage shows the drone near Kandahar Airfield in southern Afghanistan.
CNN can not independently verify the authenticity of the video. Also CNN could not immediately reach Pentagon officials for comment.
Iran had said it downed the drone on December 4, 2011 near Kashmar in the country's northeast, some 225 kilometers (140 miles) from the border with Afghanistan.
Read more: A dangerous new world of drones
At the time, U.S. officials acknowledged that the drone was missing and President Barack Obama asked Iran to return it.
"We've asked for it back. We'll see how the Iranians respond," Obama said later that month.
At the time Iranian military officials vowed not to return the plane.
This claim from Tehran comes at the same time that the U.S. drone program is being heavily debated in Washington.
John Brennan, Obama's pick to head the CIA, has been one of the architects of the drone campaign against al Qaeda and its allies for the last four years.
Senators will get to grill on him Thursday at his confirmation hearing.
Also Thursday, the Senate Intelligence Committee will receive a classified drone policy document that seeks to justify the administration's policy of targeting Americans overseas via drone attacks, a topic that has stirred controversies recently.
CNN's Samson Desta, John Raedler, Yousuf Basil and Neda Farshbaf contributed to this report.
Part of complete coverage on
updated 10:26 AM EST, Wed February 6, 2013
Advocates say the exam includes unnecessarily invasive and irrelevant procedures -- like a so-called "two finger" test.
updated 7:09 PM EST, Tue February 5, 2013
Supplies of food, clothing and fuel are running short in Damascus and people are going hungry as the civil war drags on.
updated 1:01 PM EST, Wed February 6, 2013
Supporters of Richard III want a reconstruction of his head to bring a human aspect to a leader portrayed as a murderous villain.
updated 10:48 AM EST, Tue February 5, 2013
Robert Fowler spent 130 days held hostage by the same al Qaeda group that was behind the Algeria massacre. He shares his experience.
updated 12:07 AM EST, Wed February 6, 2013
As "We are the World" plays, a video shows what looks like a nuclear attack on the U.S. Jim Clancy reports on a bizarre video from North Korea.
The relationship is, once again, cold enough to make Obama's much-trumpeted "reset" in Russian-U.S. relations seem thoroughly off the rails.
Ten years on, what do you think the Iraq war has changed in you, and in your country? Send us your thoughts and experiences.
updated 7:15 AM EST, Tue February 5, 2013
Musician Daniela Mercury has sold more than 12 million albums worldwide over a career span of nearly 30 years.
Photojournalist Alison Wright travelled the world to capture its many faces in her latest book, "Face to Face: Portraits of the Human Spirit."
updated 7:06 PM EST, Tue February 5, 2013
Europol claims 380 soccer matches, including top level ones, were fixed - as the scandal widens, CNN's Dan Rivers looks at how it's done.
updated 7:37 AM EST, Wed February 6, 2013
That galaxy far, far away is apparently bigger than first thought. The "Star Wars" franchise will get two spinoff movies, Disney announced.
updated 4:32 AM EST, Wed February 6, 2013
It's an essential part of any trip, an activity we all take part in. Yet almost none of us are any good at it. Souvenir buying is too often an obligatory slog.
Iran says it has footage from downed U.S. drone
This article
Iran says it has footage from downed U.S. drone
can be opened in url
http://newsacinesia.blogspot.com/2013/02/iran-says-it-has-footage-from-downed-us.html
Iran says it has footage from downed U.S. drone
