Iranian missile expert killed in explosion
Iranian authorities say blast that killed Revolutionary Guard commander and 16 others was an accident
Associated Press
The Guardian, Monday 14 November 2011
Major General Hassan Moqaddam, one of the 17 Revolutionary Guards killed in the explosion on Saturday. Photograph: Fars News/AFP/Getty
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A commander of the Revolutionary Guard killed in an explosion at an ammunition depot west of Tehran was a key figure in Iran's missile programme, the elite military force said .
General Hasan Moghaddam was killed alongside 16 guard members on Saturday at a military site 25 miles south-west of Tehran. The Revolutionary Guard said the accident occurred while military personnel were transporting munitions.
It praised Moghaddam, saying it would not forget his "effective role in the development of the country's defence … and his efforts in launching and organising the Guard's artillery and missile units," according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
The Revolutionary Guard is a key Iranian military force closely tied to the country's powerful clerics.
Moghaddam headed a "self-sufficiency" unit of the armaments section.
Iranian officials did not explain why Moghaddam was at the site at the time of the explosion.
Saeed Qasemi, a Revolutionary Guard commander, said Iran owed its missile programme to Moghaddam. "A major part of [our] progress in the field of missile capability and artillery was due to round-the-clock efforts by martyr Moghaddam," Qasemi told the conservative news website rajanews.com.
Another commander described Moghaddam as the "founder of the Guard's surface-to-surface missile systems".
Parviz Soroori, an Iranian MP, was sure the blast was accidental.
"No sabotage was involved in this incident. It has nothing to do with politics," Soroori was quoted as saying by the parliament's website, icana.ir.
Qasemi said Moghaddam was one of a few Revolutionary Guard commanders favoured by Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "The exalted leader had a special interest in him," he said.
Iran's arsenal has missiles with a range of about 1,250 miles. The missile capability, along with Iran's nuclear programme, are among the reasons why Israel considers Iran its most dangerous enemy.
The Revolutionary Guard, Iran's most powerful military force, is in charge of Iran's missile programme.
Iranian authorities say blast that killed Revolutionary Guard commander and 16 others was an accident
Associated Press
The Guardian, Monday 14 November 2011
Major General Hassan Moqaddam, one of the 17 Revolutionary Guards killed in the explosion on Saturday. Photograph: Fars News/AFP/Getty
=================================================
A commander of the Revolutionary Guard killed in an explosion at an ammunition depot west of Tehran was a key figure in Iran's missile programme, the elite military force said .
General Hasan Moghaddam was killed alongside 16 guard members on Saturday at a military site 25 miles south-west of Tehran. The Revolutionary Guard said the accident occurred while military personnel were transporting munitions.
It praised Moghaddam, saying it would not forget his "effective role in the development of the country's defence … and his efforts in launching and organising the Guard's artillery and missile units," according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
The Revolutionary Guard is a key Iranian military force closely tied to the country's powerful clerics.
Moghaddam headed a "self-sufficiency" unit of the armaments section.
Iranian officials did not explain why Moghaddam was at the site at the time of the explosion.
Saeed Qasemi, a Revolutionary Guard commander, said Iran owed its missile programme to Moghaddam. "A major part of [our] progress in the field of missile capability and artillery was due to round-the-clock efforts by martyr Moghaddam," Qasemi told the conservative news website rajanews.com.
Another commander described Moghaddam as the "founder of the Guard's surface-to-surface missile systems".
Parviz Soroori, an Iranian MP, was sure the blast was accidental.
"No sabotage was involved in this incident. It has nothing to do with politics," Soroori was quoted as saying by the parliament's website, icana.ir.
Qasemi said Moghaddam was one of a few Revolutionary Guard commanders favoured by Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "The exalted leader had a special interest in him," he said.
Iran's arsenal has missiles with a range of about 1,250 miles. The missile capability, along with Iran's nuclear programme, are among the reasons why Israel considers Iran its most dangerous enemy.
The Revolutionary Guard, Iran's most powerful military force, is in charge of Iran's missile programme.
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guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/14/iran-explosion-missile-expert
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