Post date: Jan 29, 2012 1:59:47 PM
An Iranian toymaker produces replicas of the U.S. spy drone, captured by the Islamic Republic. A pink model has been reserved for Obama, who requested that Tehran return the RQ-170 Sentinel aircraft.
TEHRAN, IRAN (JANUARY 28, 2012) (REUTERS) - Miniature versions of the bat-wing RQ-170 Sentinel -- which Iran's military displayed on TV after it was downed near the Afghan border -- will hit the shelves of toy stores throughout the Islamic Republic on February 1.
An Iranian toymaker, Aaye Art Group, told Reuters television it is honouring U.S. President Barack Obama's request that Tehran return the unmanned aircraft."We wanted for Mr. Obama himself to have these toys and know that Iranians don't leave anyone's requests unanswered. We made the 'RQ' in pink as it is Mr. Obama's favourite colour and we will send it to him via the Swiss embassy on Bahman 12 (February 1)," said the head of the cultural department, Seyyed Saeed Hassan-Pour.
Iran's Foreign Ministry in December called on the U.S. to apologise for sending the unmanned spy plane into Iranian territory rather than asking for it back after it was seized.
Iran also complained to the United Nations (U.N.) Security Council about the incursion, calling for action to "put an end to these dangerous and unlawful acts".
"We decided to show that we can deal with this issue in a very friendly and peaceful manner and put it in the playful hands of the children of Iran to pursue a 'soft war' with Mr. Obama and the U.S. This was the aim of producing this aircraft," said Hassan-Pour.
The 23 year-old said the toy model will compete with its U.S. counterparts after Iran's morality police cracked down on the sale of Barbie dolls in Iran to protect the public from what they see as "pernicious western culture eroding Islamic values."
As the West imposes the toughest ever sanctions on Iran and tensions rise over its nuclear programme, inside the country the Barbie ban is part of what the government calls a "soft war" against decadent cultural influences.
The mini drone -- measuring in at an 80th of the size of the original -- will be mass produced in a variety of colours and sold at 70,000 rials (4 U.S. dollars approximately).