The United States claims that Iran opened fire on a U.S. Predator drone in "international waters." Washington seems intent on casting Iran as belligerent. Examined a little more closely and this comes across as more of an act of provocation by the Americans.
Firstly, what drone? It was an American drone, one known to be commonly armed. And we can't overlook the fact that America has also been sending drones into Iranian airspace to spy on its nuclear installations. That led to the Iranian capture of a Lockheed RQ-170 stealth drone just before last Christmas (which also handed the Russians and Chinese with a bundle of Lockheed's stealth technology secrets).
Second, just where did this happen? The Americans contend it was in "international waters." Plainly, an aerial drone isn't in anybody's waters. It's in the air. But where in the air? By America's own account, barely 16-miles off Iran's coast.
What would America make of an Iranian drone, carrying an unknown payload, 16-miles distant from the Statue of Liberty or the Lincoln Memorial? Does anyone believe Washington wouldn't have that drone shot down into the sea PDQ?
Washington and Israel are constantly rattling their sabres, warning of a possible attack on Iran, and yet they take umbrage when they fly a potentially armed drone right up to Iran's doorstep, almost certainly to probe its defences, and the Iranians fire on it?
This is a scam, plain and simple, and it's about as transparent as the Bush/Cheney march to war with Iraq. Washington is poking Iran with a sharp stick. If the Americans run true to course, this won't be the last stunt to goad Iran into doing something they can exploit.
And here we have an unexpected limitation of the "heavy use of drones" policy: With no pilot, nobody gives a damn when the designated bad guys shoot down your provocation.
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Comrade Okie