A Western aircraft that crashed along the Iraqi-Iranian
border was said to have contained Israeli advisers.
The Iranian-based Mehr News Agency said a Falcon aircraft with up to
eight passengers left Azerbaijan and headed for Iraq's northern Kurdistan
province, Middle East Newsline reported. The agency said the airplane crashed on Feb. 17 and all of its
passengers were killed.
"No details on the crash, the plane's passengers and mission are
available," Mehr said. "Investigation into the incident indicated that 3-5
passengers on board were possibly of Israeli origin."
Western diplomatic sources said the plane left a military base in
Azerbaijan for Kurdistan. The sources said Kurdish authorities found the
remains of several of the passengers.
The assertion by Mehr that most of the passengers might have been
Israelis was not confirmed. But Western sources said Israeli military
advisers and businessmen have shuttled to Kurdistan to participate in
security and development projects.
Mehr, quoting Iraqi sources, said the U.S. military has restricted
access to information on the crash. The sources said the Kurdish government
was ordered not to provide details of the accident.
"A section of the Western media had earlier unofficially reported the
crash of a plane in northern Iraq with several German passengers aboard,"
Mehr said.
