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Question:

What do you know about the American "U2" spy plane shot down over USSR in 1960?

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Posted by highschool on Tuesday October 21, 2008 at 6:17 AM and tagged with gary powers, history, u2.


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  1. ms-mcgregor Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    This was an embarrassing incident for the United States. The government has previously said we had no spy planes over the USSR and, of course, this incident proved the U.S. government had been lying, The Kremlin used the incident for full propaganda value, bringing out the pilot, Francis Gary Powers, and showing his picture to the entire world. Much of the world had been skeptical of the United States' denial that it was spying on Russia, and of course, this incident really hurt the credibility of the Unites States not only in Russia but throughout the world. Powers was eventually exchanged for other Russian spies and became a helicopter traffic reporter until his helicopter crashed and he was killed.

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    Posted by ms-mcgregor on Tuesday October 21, 2008 at 10:03 AM