302 Iranian Soldiers Die in Plane Crash

AP-Yahoo! ^ | 18 Feb 2003 | ALI AKBAR DAREINI

[a_Turk]

Norm "fixed" the article. The real article reads: Iran's military.

[razbinn]

those exploding sneakers sure are a c***sucker:)

[misanthrope]

If we'd beaten them in a justified battle, a "who-hooo" might be appropriate. The death of over 300 people who never did a damn thing to me , is to me, a tragedy.

[IowaHawk]

Here's a profile of these noble "warriors" from CNS:

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), or "Pasdaran," was officially designated as the guardian of the Islamic Revolution after the overthrow of the Shah in 1979, and it remains today under the control of Iran's militant Islamic clerics.

Believed by Western researchers to be about 120,000 strong, the unit maintains close working relations with terrorist groups like Hizballah in Lebanon.

The most recent State Department annual report on global terrorism says the IRGC in 2001 continued to be involved in the planning and support of terrorism, and it backed a variety of terrorist groups, especially those using violence against Israel.

In that report, Iran remained the top terrorism sponsor of the seven countries Washington designates as such. The others are Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Syria, Cuba and North Korea.

In a new report, terrorism researcher Yael Shahar of the Israel-based International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism says that Iran has not been very discriminating in its support for terrorist organizations, funding Shi'ite and Sunni, fundamentalist and secular Mideast groups alike.

Shahar's report deals extensively with ties between Iran's security services and elements of Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network.

According to Globalsecurity.org, the IRGC is also believed to be in charge of Iran's weapons of mass destruction programs and missile forces.

Excuse me if I don't find their deaths particularly "tragic."

[Bobby777]

DO WE GET TO DANCE IN THE STREETS? THAT'S WHAT THE STINKING ISLAMIC WORLD DID ON 9/11?

we could ... but we won't ... that's why America is different ...

[Rockitz]

........and the down side of this would be????

[eno_]

There is a good chance this was a mass assasination. Maybe implemented by the CIA.

If this kind of op eliminates the need for war in Iran, would it make you feel better?

[sarasmom]

"They were simply men in uniform serving their nation."

On their way to kill my men in uniform.

Are you French?

[PISANO]

I don't think their were 21,000 (over 18) girls who, at the time of their death were virgins. Allah must be making them out of HOLE cloth.

[jabotinsky]

only 302, well next time, g-d willing let it be 3000.

burn in hell you bastards.

jabo, iranian born Jew. (these mofo's werent no ordinary soldiers..they are no diff than hiltler's ss..f them all)

Iraq now
Iran next
France Later.

[NormsRevenge]

Thanks to All! I'm bacl!!

Wow!! Banned for an hour for posting an article that AP screwed up initially.

Thanks, seamole for seeing the original AP article.

No, a_turk, I didn't "fix" the article. But thanks for thinking so little of me. Obviously, you don't know anything about me. Thanks for your write-up on your profile tho.

[Sub-Driver]

AP Update:
http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAJ6SYXDCD.html

Feb 19, 2003

Plane Carrying 302 Elite Iranian Soldiers Crashes in Iran, Killing All Aboard
By Ali Akbar Dareini
Associated Press Writer

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - An Iranian military plane carrying 302 members of the elite Revolutionary Guards crashed in the mountains of southeastern Iran on Wednesday, killing all on board in the country's worst plane crash ever, state-run media reported.
The plane was en route from Zahedan, on the Pakistan border, to Kerman, about 500 miles southeast of Tehran, state-run Tehran television reported. It crashed in a mountainous area about 20 miles from its destination.

The Russian-made Antonov airliner operated by the Iranian military lost contact with the control tower at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to the reports.

The official Islamic Republic News Agency said rescuers had reached the crash site and that all 302 people on board had been killed, making the crash the deadliest in Iran's history. The death toll surpassed the 290 killed on July 3, 1988, when an Iran Air A300 Airbus was shot down over the Persian Gulf by the USS Vincennes.

The agency said the plane's passengers and crew were all members of the Revolutionary Guards. Earlier reports said 270 were aboard, but the latest media updates didn't explain the increase.

State television and radio did not offer reasons for the crash and did not address the possibility of terrorism. There was heavy snowfall in many parts of Iran on Wednesday, including in Zahedan, which hadn't seen snow in three years.

Associated Press efforts to reach provincial officials were unsuccessful early Thursday.

Tehran television quoted an anonymous official as saying the forces had visited the impoverished Sistan-Baluchestan province, of which Zahedan is the capital, for an "important mission."

The Revolutionary Guards, under the direct control of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are seen as the defenders of Iran's Islamic regime. The guards protect Iran's borders and defend ruling hard-liners in this ultra-conservative society.

The government issued a statement offering condolences to the families of the victims, television and radio reports said.

Iranians were preparing for an Islamic holiday on Thursday, the feast of Velayat, when Shiites believe Islam's prophet Mohammad appointed his son-in-law, Ali, as his successor.

Wednesday's crash was the latest in a string of air disasters in Iran mostly involving Russian-built aircraft.

A Ukrainian An-140 aircraft flew into a mountainside Dec. 23, 2002, while preparing to land at an airport near the central city of Isfahan, killing all the estimated 46 scientists aboard.

In February 2002, a Russian-made Tupolev Tu-154 airliner, carrying 119 people, smashed into snow-covered mountains not far from its destination of Khorramabad, 230 miles southwest of Tehran.

AP-ES-02-19-03 1848EST

[M Kehoe]

Comment #76 Removed by Moderator.

5.56mm

[M Kehoe]

OK 77

Sheesh.

5.56mm

[a_Turk]

Sorry.. Wouldn't put it past AP.

No, I don't know anything about you. I figured it was a practical joke to suit the moment. I did not mean for you to get yanked.

[Dr Warmoose]

Do these folks rate as martyrs? If so . . . that's how many virgins? 302 X 70 = 21,140. Them's a lotta virgins. Can you imagine how ugly that 21,140th one is? Yowsah!

Of course there are many questions that need to be answered.

Are virgins issued on a first come first served basis?

Do all 72 virgins come together as a package or are they issued per need?

Or, like the lottery, can one request 54 virgins up front or take the 72 virgins periodically over a period of time?

Does Allah manufacture virgins that never come to earth, but are there for the martyrs, or will the next suicide bomber have to wait awhile until the inventory of virgins builds up?