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Iran space program irks Pentagon

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:42:09 GMT

General James Cartwright says the US has to worry about Iran's recent orbital launch.
A top Pentagon official expresses concerns about a satellite launch by Iranian technology, while dismissing it as a "rudimentary" display.

General James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the launch of the Omid (Hope) satellite was of concern because the technologies involved were "compatible with, commensurate with, an intercontinental ballistic missile-type capability," AFP reported.

On Feb. 3, Iran fired the satellite into orbit by a homemade carrier coinciding with celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.

The orbital launch raised concerns in the US, France, Israel and Britain about the potential ability Tehran has in launching long-range missiles halfway around the globe.

"That's not an automatic," Gen. Cartwright cautioned. "It doesn't happen in a day or two. And the work that they have done thus far is, at best, rudimentary, very low orbit, very minimal energy to get up there."

"This is not a long-range missile but it is the path toward that, so we have to worry about that," he told reporters.

Iran, meanwhile, says its scientific achievements serve no military purpose, saying they will enable the country to track natural disasters and improve its telecommunications infrastructure.

Iran became the 9th country to put a homemade satellite into orbit since the former Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957.



Original Article: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=85371§ionid=3510203