 Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, has pledged an investigation into the crash of a decrepit military plane in central Tehran, while thanking the 108 dead for their martyrdom. His comments came after Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, the defence minister, was the target of an impeachment motion filed by a group of parliament deputies angered over reports that the aged C-130 was ordered to fly despite warnings from its pilot. Ahmadinejad said on Sunday of last Tuesday's crash: "The government will hold a serious investigation." Speaking of those killed on board, he said: "But what is important is that they have shown the way to martyrdom which we must follow."
| Normally, martyrdom isn't what people have in mind when they get on a plane. I think Point A to Point B is the more usual intent. |
The C-130 workhorse - bought from the United States before the 1979 Islamic revolution and starved of crucial spares by US-imposed sanctions - crashed into the foot of a high-rise housing block after suffering engine failure. |