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Thanks for posting all those links.

Here's the version from Chicken Noodle News -- has more detail. Rumsfeld argues here that we lost contact with the unmanned plane and that does not necessarily mean it was shot down.

http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/central/09/23/ret.afghan.plane/

Sources: Downed drone spied for CIA
September 23, 2001 Posted: 12:36 PM EDT (1636 GMT)
From Jamie McIntyre, CNN Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. government sources indicate to CNN that the unmanned spy plane downed by the Taliban on Saturday was providing intelligence for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.

Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia claims its forces shot down an unmanned spy plane in Samangan and a helicopter in areas where opposition fighters had launched an attack. The Taliban said the plane contained computerized equipment and the wreckage will be brought to Kandahar.

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld admitted that the Pentagon has lost contact with an unmanned drone, but said, "That happens from time to time."

"There's no reason to think it was shot down, as the press is reporting," he said.

The Taliban ambassador to Pakistan said Taliban forces used captured Soviet anti-aircraft guns to bring down the plane.

Two U.S. unmanned aerial vehicles have been lost over Iraq this year, while on surveillance missions. Iraq claims to have shot down the UAVs in late August and most recently on September 11.

The most common type of UAV or "drone" is the Predator aircraft, which flies at lower altitudes, making it more vulnerable to anti-aircraft attack. The small, $3.2 million pilotless plane normally operates at 10,000 to 15,000 feet and is capable of flying a maximum of 24 to 30 hours.

Contact Lost with Unmanned U.S. Spy Plane, Rumsfeld

September 23, 2001 11:59 am EST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld confirmed Sunday the U.S. military had lost contact with an unmanned spy plane deployed as part of a massive effort to retaliate for attacks on the United States. But he told reporters the United States had no reason to believe the reconnaissance aircraft had been shot down, and he gave no details on the exact location of the plane.

"The United States has, in fact, lost -- lost contact, I should say, with an unmanned aerial vehicle. That happens from time to time, in terms of the controls," Rumsfeld told reporters after appearing on CBS "Face the Nation" program.

"We have no reason to believe it was shot down, as the press has reported," he added.

Afghanistan's ruling Taliban said their forces had shot down an unmanned spy plane and a helicopter in areas where opposition forces reported sweeping advances.

U.S. defense officials said Saturday that about a dozen more aircraft, including refueling planes, would move soon to the Gulf and the Indian Ocean, within range of Afghanistan, to join nearly 350 warplanes at land bases and on two aircraft carriers.

Rumsfeld's comments were the first from a U.S. official after claims from the Taliban ruling government of Afghanistan that it had shot down the unmanned spy plane near Kabul.

President Bush has accused the Taliban of harboring Osama bin Laden, a primary suspect in devastating Sept. 11 hijacked plane attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon that left more than 6,800 people dead or missing.

The Taliban's ambassador in Islamabad, Mullah Abdul Saleem Zaeef, said the spy plane, which had no pilot or passenger seats, was shot down while taking pictures over northern Afghanistan. He said it made two or three rounds over the area before being downed. The people who shot it down were not aviation experts, he said, and could not say if it had any distinctive markings.

Iraq has recently claimed to have shot down two unmanned U.S. Predator spy planes, which can be remotely operated and remain aloft for nearly 24 hours at a time to relay information on targets and ground movements.

The $3.2 million Air Force RQ-1B Predator aircraft is part of a reconnaissance and targeting system.

With a wingspan of 48.7 feet, the Predator air vehicle weighs 950 pounds empty and 2,250 pounds when fully equipped for reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition. It cruises at up to 25,000 feet at speeds up to 140 miles an hour, which makes it vulnerable not only to missiles but anti-aircraft gunfire.