US Senator John McCain provoked
controversy Monday with comments on Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad's ambition to travel in space.
"So Ahmadinejad wants to be first Iranian in space - wasn't he
just there last week?" McCain tweeted on the internet social media
service Twitter, a clear reference to Iran's claim that it sent a
monkey into space.
Earlier Monday, Ahmadinejad said he was ready to become the first
Iranian to go to space, official news agency IRNA reported.
"For the sake of the country's scientific progress, I am ready to
even sacrifice my life and become the first Iranian astronaut to go
to space," IRNA quoted the president as saying.
McCain was pounded on Twitter for his remarks, which pushed him to
take a step back: "Re: Iran space tweet - lighten up folks, can't
everyone take a joke?" McCain flashed.
One of McCain's critics chided: ""Maybe you should wisen up & not
make racist jokes."
Iran said it sent a monkey into orbit and returned it safely back
to earth, and said it had ambitions to become the first Islamic
country to send an astronaut to space.
According to Ahmadinejad, Iran will send its first astronaut to
space within four or five years.
US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland resisted being
drawn into comment, but raised questions about whether the same
monkey sent into space had returned.
"I'm simply saying that the Iranians said they sent a monkey, but
the monkey that they showed later seemed to have different facial
features ... He was missing a little wart," she said, laughing.
Ahmadinejad denied Western charges that Iran's space programme had
a military dimension.
