US
boosts number of spy drone flights over Iran
Heightened
concerns over Iran’s potential development of a nuclear weapon have
prompted the United States to increase its surveillance efforts
overseas in the past two months, a
new report claims
3
December, 2012
The
Wall Street Journal alleges this week that the US has ramped-up its
number of spy drone missions over the Bushehr nuclear reactor ever
since fuel rods were unexpectedly discharged from the facility in
October, just two months after the facility became fully operational.
The
US has long voiced concern over the possible procurement of a nuclear
warhead by Iranians, but surveillance has increased significantly in
the weeks following the recent discovery of spent fuel rods, US
officials confirm on condition of anonymity.
According
to unnamed sources speaking with the paper, the Iranian government
was caught moving fuel rods from the Bushehr reactor to a cooling
pond during the week beginning October 22. By November 7, an
independent report completed by inspectors with the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed the discovery.
During
the weeks prior, the Journal reports, the US increased its number of
surveillance missions using state-of-the-art unmanned aerial vehicles
capable of capturing multiple forms of media from thousands of feet
from the ground. In a November 19 letter sent from Tehran and made
available to the Journal, Iranian leaders appealed to the United
Nations to complain about the skyrocketing surveillance. Amid the
rumored increase in US spying, though, an American drone caught
flying near Bushehr was tailed by a fleet of Iranian fighter jets who
attempted to take down the crafts.
Only
eleven months earlier, a spy drone operated by the US was allegedly
intercepted by Iran in mid-air and grounded, only for engineers there
to allegedly dismantle and reverse engineer the UAV. Upon initial
reports of the downed drone, a CIA official speaking anonymously to
the Los Angeles Times said the aircraft can conduct photographic and
video surveillance from the air, monitor cell phone conversations and
can sniff out chemicals, all while remaining undetected in the air.
"It's
bad — they'll have everything,” one official speaking on
condition of anonymity told the Times.
On
Friday, the US Senate passed an amendment to next year’s defense
spending bill that will introduce a third round of harsh sanctions
against Iran in hopes of dismantling any nuke procurement plans.
According to a separate report published in the Journal, that measure
will make it harder for Iran to receive precious metals, graphite,
aluminum and steel, metallugrical coal and software for integrating
industrial processes.
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