IranianstateTVreleasedimageslateThursdayofwhatitsaidwasanunmannedU.S.dronedownedrecentlyjustinsideIran'seasternborder.Theimagesappeartobethehigh-techRQ-170Sentineldrone,broughtdownsomehowwithminimumdamage.U.S.officialsrefusetoconfirmwhetherthisisaU.S.spyaircraft,butPentagonspokesmanGeorgeLittleacknowledgesthefearoflosingitstechnology.?"Technologyfallingintothewronghands?Separateandapartfromthisspecificinstance-I'mnotconfirminganything-whenU.S.technologyfallsintothewronghands,it'salwaysaconcern,"saidLittle.Earlierthisyear,theUnitedStatesabandonedastealthhelicopterthatmalfunctionedduringtheraidtargetingal-QaidaleaderOsamabinLadeninPakistan.Ifthisisthedroneknownasthe"BeastofKandahar,"then,likethehelicopter,itsbasicshape,evenitsskin,issecret.ButtheCATOInstitute'sChrisPreblesaidlosingthistypeoftechnologytotheIraniansisnotthatbigofathreat.HesaidtheU.S.hasuseddronesforatleastthepastdecadeasoneofmanysurveillanceanddefensetechniques."Thequestioniswhetherornotwe,theUnitedStates,andtheotherWesternpowersthatarewatchingtheIranianswillchangethemixofassetsusedtomonitorthem,"saidPreble.Lastmonth,theInternationalAtomicEnergyAgencyreleasedareportcitingintelligenceaboutIranianeffortstodevelopthetechnologyneededtobuildnuclearweapons.WesternpowerssuspectIranistryingtodevelopsuchweapons,althoughTehraninsistsitsnuclearprogramispeaceful.
