User:Storm05/Iran-Iraq UFO Sightings
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The Iran-Iraq UFO Sightings was a mass UFO Flap in Iran and Iraq. The sightings began in the spring of 2003.
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[edit] Sightings
[edit] 2003
The first sightings were reported to occur on March 19, 2003 when unexplained lights were observed near Kirkuk by civilians and paramilitary forces. Many witnesses claimed to have seen actual flying objects. Other witnesses claimed they could identify the objects as flaming debris from air strikes, airplanes, or lightning. As of March 19, 2003, any explanation of the strange lights remained unknown.[1]. However, March 19, 2003 is the date of the invasion of Iraq by United States and coalition forces, and the beginning of the Iraq War.
Another UFO was sighted in Kirkuk on March 23, 2003 when BBC News was making a report on the Iraq war situation when one of the reporters saw a triangular shaped UFO which was briefly filmed. The object flew by for a brief second before disappearing. There was no evidence that the UFO was a fighter jet or a cargo plane.[2] Four days later, another UFO was sighted by civilians and US troops, according to an internet source, someone allegedly took a photograph of the UFO. As of 2003, this claim is disputed however.[3] On April 3, 2003 a UFO was photographed flying over Baghdad, the craft was not seen by any of the civilians or solders (except the photographer) and its unclear of what the object really was.[4]
On April 6, 2003 five cylindrical shaped UFOs were sighted near the Tigris River and that the objects were filmed and televised live on Fox News although theres no evidence that Fox News actually filmed the objects. [3] In August 2003, two tourists saw a couple of yellow-white colored UFOs near the Capsian Sea in Iran.[5]
[edit] 2004
In April, of 2004, a mass UFO sighting (known as the 2004 Iran UFO sighting) occurred between April 12-21. The UFO's were sighted by thousands of people and one was allegally filmed by Iranian TV.[6] According to reports, some of the UFOs were seen hovering or flying over nuclear facilities which sparked media frenzy since the sighting occurred at the time when United States and other countries were critizing Irans nuclear program.[7] It is unclear if the objects sighted were UFOs or if they were spy planes or the planet Venus.
[edit] 2005
A tourist said that he seen a UFO hovering near the Tomb of Cyrus the Great in Iran. [3]
[edit] Theories and Explanations
Numerous theories aroused during the Iran Iraq UFO sightings. Some of the civilians believed that the UFOs were sent by God to protect holy and religious sites. [8] Others obously claim the craft was from outer space. However sceptics refute these claim, saying that the UFOs were ether UAVs or Unmanned Areal Vehicles, derbris from explosions , planets or hoaxes.
[edit] Rumors of an Iraq Base
Many UFO groups suggests Saddam Hussein has an Area 51-like base some where in Iraq.[9] According to these groups, they believe, the base housed a UFO that crashed ether during the Gulf War in 1991 or Operation Desert Fox in 1998.[10] However theres little evidence that such of a base exist or the UFO crash even happened.
[edit] Disputed Photos
Many photos of UFOs during the Iraq war and in Iran surfaced shortly during the UFO sighting. Many of the photos were deamed unknown by some UFO Groups but ridden off as ether hoaxes , conventional aircraft or as in the Iran UFO sighting, the planet Venus.[11] One of the disputed photo was the alleged photo of a UFO taken while one of the statues of Saddam Hussen was taken torn down. According to the source the, photo depicts a dark, rectangular shaped object. However, it is unclear if this is a UFO or a piece of derbis that fell off when the statue was torn down.
[edit] See also
- List of major UFO sightings
- Ufology
- UFO Casebook
