FARS Reports US Warplane Forced to Land in Iran: Hoax!

Hoax!
Iran Claims U.S. Warplane Forced to Land in Iran



By Bob McCarty (former Air Force public affairs officer)
BobMcCarty.com

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The Iranian News Agency (FARS) is reporting this morning that they forced a U.S. warplane to land after it violated Iranian airspace, according ot a Fox News Channel Breaking News Alert moments ago.




A quick glance at the lead story on the FARS web site shows several things wrong with the story that prove it's a hoax:

• First, the photo accompanying the story is that of an F-4 Phantom, though the story claims that it forced down a U.S. Falcon. The closest thing to a Falcon is the F-16 "Fighting Falcon," an aircraft that is impossible to confuse with the F-4.

• Second, the vast majority — if not all — of the F-4s in the U.S. Air Force inventory were retired more than 15 years ago when I was still wearing the uniform.

• Third, the FARS article claims that "the flying crew and passengers, including five US militaries and three civilians, were released after daylong interrogations revealed that they had violated Iranian airspace unintentionally as they were en route to Afghanistan." So we're supposed to believe an F-4 can carry eight people? That's laughable.

• Finally, the FARS article claims that the US Falcon and all those aboard left Iran for Afghanistan after receiving takeoff permission from Iranian authorities. That, my friends, confirms that the story is a hoax. If Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was able to get his hands on eight Americans and an aircraft, he would not let them go so soon without first fully exploiting them for propaganda purposes.

WANT more Bob McCarty, The Ultimate Blogging Machine? Try these recent posts: * Berg: ‘Country Headed to Constitutional Crisis’ * Obama Lies, Repeated Often, Become Media Truth * Memo Exposes Obama Health Care Plan Lies

by Bob McCarty
image: dbkp file; Bob McCarty
Source: Hoax: Iran Claims U.S. Warplane Forced to Land in Iran

Unsafe Products: China Fights Back; Chinese Complain about Mice on a Plane

Problem solved

What to do when seemingly all your exports contain one poisonous substance or another?

If you're the Chinese, look for a silver lining.

Or a mouse in the lining of a pillow.

Or something.

Anything.

China has found a defective product it can sink its teeth into--so to speak. The Chinese claim they found a few mice on a plane and is turning the story into it's own version of Mouse-gate.

The Chinese state media reported that the U.S. exported a batch of potentially harmful goods to Beijing in the form of some mice on a flight from Washington.

Chinese inspectors found eight mice, dead and alive, on a United Airlines flight to Beijing after the airline reported the stowaways to local quarantine officials upon landing on Sunday afternoon, Xinhua news agency said.

The report prompted an "emergency team" to rush to the aircraft, Xinhua said, to "put rat poison and mouse traps at every possible corner on the aircraft, including the cockpit."

"Eight mice, dead and (alive), were found at last ... hidden in pillows," the agency said.

The surviving mice were sent to labs for testing, it said.

"Experts" of 57 different varieties have scurried to weigh in on the mouse problem. Everything from warnings of fatal viruses--by the dozens!--that the mice could spread to the risk of aerial accidents from the mice chewing through the plane's wiring and circuits appeared.

"We are taking this matter seriously and have begun a full investigation with the authorities to determine how this happened and ensure it is resolved," United Airlines said in a statement.

"It would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this stage as the investigation is currently under way."

"Made in China" is becoming a warning label unto itself these days.

Chinese food, toys, drugs have all been touched by scandal in recent months.

China's answer?

To repeat the accusation that the foreign media is guilty of biased reporting. They have also made a point of naming foreign companies that it claims have substandard products.

Of course, we're hardly one to slam someone for complaining of a biased media: we see it everyday in the political arena.

Most of the Chinese claims ring hollow, though.

However, it might be wise if United Airlines would put in a call for help.

Someone, like Sylvester?



[This is not the first time mice on a plane have been reported. The above image is from a story about American Airlines and mice in July 2006.
Mice on a Plane]

Samuel L. Jackson couldn't be reached for comment.

by RidesAPaleHorse & Mondoreb
[image: RidesAPaleHorse;blatherreview]
Source: China Scurries to Contain Mice on U.S. Flight





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