|
||||||||
  |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
U.S., Iran agree on plan for downed fliersU.S. officials: Tehran vows to aid, return crew members
From Barbara Starr
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. officials have held discussions with Iran to prepare for the chance that U.S. pilots and crews might have to bail out in Iranian territory after battle over neighboring Iraq, officials said. Officials told CNN the discussions took place during the past two months. The agreement is not believed to be formal, mainly because there are no direct government-to-government ties between Tehran and Washington. However, sources said the Iranians have agreed that if the United States were to lose pilots or air crew members over Iran -- either due to mechanical failure of an aircraft or hostile fire from Iraq -- the Iranian government would render medical assistance to the U.S. personnel and return them as quickly as possible. Any flyable aircraft would also be returned. However, sources said the situation could be complicated if aircraft were to crash in Iranian territory. According to officials familiar with the agreement, Iran would likely inspect any crash site and consequently could have access to some of the most sophisticated military technology in the U.S. arsenal. Officials said the agreement is similar to arrangements made with Iran when U.S. forces staged airstrikes against the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan. If there is a war with Iraq, U.S. pilots might fly closer to western Iran than they have during patrols of the "no-fly" zones in northern and southern Iraq. U.S. officials expressed concern that the Iranian government might not have full control over certain factions in the country. For example, if a U.S. flier were to crash in an area under fundamentalist control, it is not certain that Iran's central government could ensure his or her quick return. The officials said the Iranian government has indicated to the United States that it wants to stay on the sidelines during any war with Iraq, but there would be strategic issues that could influence the handling of a downed U.S. pilot or air crew member in Iran. The Tehran government is deeply interested in what type of regime would rule its neighbor in a post-Saddam Hussein scenario, and Iran could be backing fellow Shiites to play a role in any new government in Iraq.
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
