IRAN BOASTS OF NEW APACHE-KILLER WEAPON AS TENSIONS RISE WITH U.S.

RIA Novosti
February 3, 2010
Moscow

Iran has developed a new weapon to shoot down U.S. Apache attack
helicopters, the Iranian Fars news agency has reported.

"Our enemies should not imagine that if their Apache choppers have
shown a mighty and desirable performance in Iraq and Afghanistan,
they can show the same might and power in any possible aggression
against Iran. We will certainly put an end to the power of their
Apaches through our measures," Fars quoted Col. Nasser Arab-Beigi of
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps.

The official did not specify the type of the weapon Iran is
manufacturing to shoot down Apache helicopters.

The United States and Israel have refused to rule out military action
against Iran if diplomacy fails to resolve the dispute over Tehran’s
nuclear program.

In a further rise in tensions, Iran hit out on Tuesday at U.S. plans
to boost Gulf defenses.

Parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani called the move to deploy ships
with missile-targeting abilities off Iran’s coast and anti-missile
systems in the Gulf states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United
Arab Emirates "a new political trick to pave the way for its presence
at others’ expense."

Iran launched a domestic arms development program after a U.S. weapons
embargo was imposed during its 1980-88 war with Iraq. Since 1992,
the Islamic Republic has reportedly produced its own Saeqeh and
Azarakhsh jet fighters, stealth-capable Ghadir submarine, missile
boats, torpedoes, tanks and armored carrier vehicles.

Iranian officials said last year that Tehran had achieved
self-sufficiency in manufacturing combat missiles of various
modifications.

Iran frequently holds military drills and shows off modern weaponry
in an effort to demonstrate its readiness to thwart any attack on
its territory.