IRAN DISMISSES DOWNED DRONE'S RETURN official

STORY: IRAN DISMISSES DOWNED DRONE'S RETURNDATELINE: Dec. 13, 2011LENGTH: 0:00:57LOCATION: TehranVOIran has dismissed a request by U.S. President Barack Obama for the return of a reconnaissance drone downed within the Iranian airspace.Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said on Tuesday the downed drone is now Iran's property and the Islamic Republic has the right to deal with it.An Iranian lawmaker says Iran's military intends to carry out reverse-engineering on the drone and replicate it in the near future.The RQ-170 stealth aircraft went missing early this month during a secretive mission.Iranian media reports said the Iranian military shot down the drone after it transgressed the country's eastern border.But U.S. officials insisted it crashed due to mechanical problems.On Monday, Obama acknowledged the reconnaissance drone is in Iran's control and said the government had asked for its return.In the meantime, Iran's foreign ministry said Iran's airspace was violat
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