Israel Matzav

Iran admits to espionage at nuke facilities

In what's being called a 'stunning admission,' Iran has acknowledged problems with espionage at its nuclear facilities.

Iran acknowledged Saturday that some personnel at the country's nuclear facilities were lured by promises of money to pass secrets to the West but insisted increased security and worker privileges have put a stop to the spying.

The stunning admission by Vice President Ali Akbar Salehi provides the clearest government confirmation that Iran has been fighting espionage at its nuclear facilities.

In recent weeks, Iran has announced the arrest of several nuclear spies and battled a computer worm that it says is part of a covert Western plot to derail its nuclear program. And in July, a nuclear scientist who Iran says was kidnapped by U.S. agents returned home in mysterious circumstances, with the U.S. saying he was a willing defector who was offered $5 million by the CIA but then changed his mind.

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Iran's semiofficial Fars news agency quoted Salehi as saying that some nuclear personnel had access to information about Iran's plans for "foreign purchases and commercial affairs." The report did not elaborate on the precise nature of the information or the timeframe over which the spying took place.

"Now, these routes have been blocked. The possibility of information leaking is almost impossible now," Salehi was quoted as saying.

"Our colleagues were awakened. ... The personnel and managers have all reached the conclusion that this is a national issue and that we should ... resolve our problems among ourselves."

By the way, while we're on the subject, what ever happened to Shahram Amiri?

And here's another good related story.

An opposition group in Iran claims to have captured a senior Iranian scientist working on the country's nuclear program. The scientists has disclosed secret information on the program, a top of official of Jundallah, the opposition group, said. Speaking to Arab media, an official of the group said that the scientist had been kidnapped, and had willingly disclosed information on project contents and sites connected to the nuclear program. The group has threatened the Iranian government that if 200 of its activists are not freed, it will make the information public.

Hmmm.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:11 PM