US drone now Iran’s ‘property’: defence minister

TEHRAN: A US drone captured by Iran is now the “property” of the Islamic republic, Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi said on Tuesday, dismissing a request by US President Barack Obama for its return. “The American espionage drone is now Iran’s property, and our country will decide what steps to take regarding it,” Vahidi was quoted as saying by the ISNA news agency. “Instead of apologising to the Iranian nation, it (the United States) is brazenly asking for the drone back,” Vahidi also said, according to another news agency, Mehr. Iran “will not back down from defending the nation or its interests,” Vahidi declared. Obama on Monday acknowledged that Iran was holding the reconnaissance drone – a bat-winged RQ-170 Sentinel – by...

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US Army helicopters crash on base, four soldiers dead

RAINIER: Two US Army helicopters crashed at a sprawling military base on Monday night killing four soldiers, a military spokesman said. The two-seat reconnaissance choppers crashed in the southwest training area of the Joint Base Lewis-McChord, according to the Army. The victims were not immediately identified, pending notification of relatives. It was not immediately clear whether the aircraft collided or crashed separately. ”We don’t have details on what actually occurred,” base spokesman J.C. Mathews said. ”That will be part of the investigation.” The OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters were on a training mission, Mathews said. The Kiowa Warrior is a single-engine, four-bladed aircraft used for armed reconnaissance, Mathews...

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Afghan troops kill suicide bomber near Nato base

KABUL: Afghan troops have shot dead a would-be suicide bomber trying to approach the gate of a Nato base in the country’s northwest. Delbar Jan Arman, the governor of Badghis province, says Afghan security forces became suspicious of the man and killed him before he was able to detonate his explosives. Arman says the attacker’s explosives-packed vest detonated during the incident. He says no one else was harmed in the explosion. Tuesday’s incident occurred outside the base in Qalay-e-Naw, the capital of Badghis province, about 340 miles (550 kilometers) northwest of Kabul. A mix of military and international civilians work at the Spanish-run base to improve provincial governance, services and infrastructure in the...

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Pakistan crucial for US to win Afghan war: Leon Panetta

KARACHI: US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has stated that it was difficult to win the war in Afghanistan without Pakistan’s assistance, FTNews reported. Panetta further said he was confident that the rift between Pakistan and the US would soon be resolved. He said although relations between the two states were complicated but their importance could not be denied. The defence secretary also said that Pakistan had assisted the United States in the Afghan war to a great exten...

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Blackwater changes name for second time

McLEAN, Virginia: The security firm once known as Blackwater on Monday changed its name for the second time in less than three years as its owners continue to reshape the company they bought from its founder a year ago. The Arlington-based company announced it will no longer be known as Xe Services and is now called Academi. The name is inspired by Plato’s Academy in ancient Greece and is designed to connote elite, highly disciplined warriors who are thinkers as well as fighters. CEO Ted Wright said a new name was needed to reflect changes the company has undergone since a group of investors bought it in December 2010 from founder Erik Prince. “Simply stated, we are a new company. New ownership team. New board of directors,”...

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