(AP/Washington Times) Ali Akbar Dareini - Iran's space agency is trying to snap up technology from abroad as fast as possible for its satellite program, fearing the West will seek to impose restrictions like those put on the Iranian nuclear program. Iran has major ambitions in space, looking to monitor its neighborhood - where the U.S. has hundreds of thousands of troops - and establish itself as a regional superpower. Others - particularly Israel, whose existence is opposed by the hard-line Islamist regime in Iran - are concerned about the program's military applications. Iran's Shahab-3 missile, with a range of 1,240 miles, already can reach Israel as well as U.S. forces across the Middle East.
2005-12-01 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive