The Latest from Iran (9 December): The Return of the Hidden Drone
Friday, December 9, 2011 at 14:22
1600 GMT: Drone Watch. Although nothing of significance has come out of Washington today on the crashed US drone, some notable details in this account in National Journal:
U.S officials tell National Journal that they lost contact with the drone on Nov. 29, U.S. time, and that it was not clear initially if Iran knew it had crashed. After the link was breached and unable to be restored, the Air Force unit that flies the Sentinels immediately sent a bulletin to the National Military Command Center --- a "pinnacle," designating an incident of potentially national significance.
President Obama was briefed Wednesday morning [30 November]. Other U.S. intelligence assets, possibly including an imaging satellite, were diverted to the search.
Initially, the U.S. considered infiltrating a small recovery element from the Joint Special Operations Command....The military also planned to destroy the downed plane by missile. But both missions were foiled when Iranian troops found the scene of the crash, which has not been disclosed.