Iran to Hold War Games, Protect Nukes  11/21 09:58

   Iran will begin large-scale air defense war games Sunday aimed at protecting 
its nuclear facilities from possible attack, a senior military commander said 
Saturday.

   TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran will begin large-scale air defense war games 
Sunday aimed at protecting its nuclear facilities from possible attack, a 
senior military commander said Saturday.

   The five-day drill will involve Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard and the 
regular army and will cover 230,000 square miles --- or about 600,000 square 
kilometers --- of central, western and southern Iran, said air force Gen. Ahmad 
Mighani.

   As Iran has pressed forward with its nuclear program, Israel has repeatedly 
threatened military action to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons. 
The U.S. also has not ruled out military action should diplomacy fail to 
resolve the dispute over Iran's nuclear activities.

   Washington and its European allies suspect Iran aims to use a civilian 
nuclear program as cover to produce weapons, and Iran has effectively rejected 
a new U.N. proposal aimed at easing those concerns. Tehran denies any intention 
to make nuclear weapons and says it only wants to generate power.

   The defense drill will involve an attack by airplanes representing a 
hypothetical enemy.

   "Reconnaissance enemy planes will violate our air space and try to disrupt 
electronic and radar systems, identify sensitive facilities, take photos and 
... attack air defense sites," Mighani said, according to a state TV report. 
"And our air defense system will confront the intruding planes."

   A planned key component of Iran's air defenses, an anti-aircraft missile 
system from Russia, has yet to be delivered.

   Mighani criticized Russia, saying the delay in the S-300 missiles was 
apparently the result of Israeli pressure, not technical issues, as Moscow 
claims.

   Israel and the United States have opposed the missile deal out of fear Iran 
could use the system to significantly boost defenses at its nuclear sites --- 
including its main uranium enrichment plant at Natanz.

   Mighani said the missiles were supposed to have been delivered several 
months ago.

   Iran restructured its military this year in an effort to improve its air 
defenses. The changes were seen as part of a broader focus on bolstering the 
military by Tehran, which has been concerned about the U.S. military's presence 
in neighboring Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the Israeli threats to target 
its nuclear facilities.

   Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered a new branch to be 
split off from the air force this year to deal specifically with threats to the 
country's air space. Mighani was appointed to head the unit. The order 
rearranged the regular military into four branches --- the ground force, the 
navy, the air force and the new air defense force.

   Mighani now oversees radar, military intelligence gathering equipment and 
anti-aircraft missile units.


(KA)