Iranian nuclear scientist who defected to US and returned is executed
Shavua tov, a good week to everyone.
Nearly seven years ago, Iranian nuclear scientist
Shahram Amiri defected to the United States. Once his presence in the United States was
confirmed, Amiri's family in Iran was
threatened, leading to his
return to his home country. Amiri was promptly arrested and
tortured, and then charged with
treason. This evening, the BBC is reporting that Amiri was
executed. He was 39.
Shahram Amiri's mother said the body of her son had been returned to
their hometown with rope marks around his neck, showing that he had been
hanged.
He was later buried. Amiri had been held at a secret
location after returning from the US, where he said he had been forcibly
taken by the CIA.
Some reports say he had in-depth knowledge of Iran's nuclear programme.
Mr Amiri, who was born in 1977, went missing after taking a pilgrimage to Mecca in 2009.
He
surfaced in the US a year later saying he had been kidnapped and put
under "intense psychological pressure to reveal sensitive information"
by the CIA.
In a video recording - apparently made in the US - he
said: "They took me to a house located somewhere that I didn't know.
They gave me an anaesthetic injection."
In another video he claimed he had escaped from US custody. He returned to Tehran in 2010 to a hero's welcome.
US
officials told the BBC at the time that Mr Amiri had defected of his
own free will and provided "useful information" to the US.
He was later reported to have been given a long prison sentence after his return to Tehran.
His family confirmed at the time that he had been detained and told the BBC that they feared for his life.
Something tells me that Amiri's widow got part of that $400 million in cash that Obama gave to the Iranians. I've suspected all along that
she was the reason for his return to Iran. And you will note that none of the more recent reports about him even mention her trying to see him - only his parents. Nice woman, eh?
Labels: CIA, Iranian nuclear threat, nuclear scientists, Shahram Amiri
Independent claims Israel going after Iranian nuke scientists
Some of you might remember that newspaper front page. It's from when Defense Minister Moshe "Boogie" Yaalon called US Secretary of State John Kerry
'Messianic' and 'obsessive' for his continued pursuit of a 'two-state solution' long past the point where it was clear that it was not going to happen. Now, with Kerry having negotiated a deal to make Iran a threshold nuclear state,
Yaalon has given an interview to Germany's
Der Spiegel, which ends with this.
SPIEGEL: If your army or military chiefs were to inform you next
week or next year that Iran has violated the terms of the deal and
reactivated its military nuclear program, would you recommend air
strikes against the nuclear facilities?
Yaalon: In such a case, we will have to discuss it. At the end,
it is very clear. One way or another, the Iranian military nuclear
ambitions should be stopped. We can in no way tolerate an Iran with
nuclear weapons. We prefer for this to be done through a deal or
sanctions, but in the end, Israel should be able to defend itself.
SPIEGEL: So will we see further deaths of Iranian nuclear scientists through attacks or malware compromising Iranian computer networks?
Yaalon: We should be ready to defend ourselves. I'm not responsible for the lives of Iranian scientists.
The last question assumes that Israel is responsible for a
series of
deaths of
Iranian nuclear scientists - a point that Yaalon seemingly glosses over. But London's
Independent clearly
sees the answer as a threat.
Israel’s Defence Minister has appeared to imply
that his country is prepared to assassinate Iran’s nuclear scientists
following a historic deal with the West.
What do they expect us to do - roll over and play dead?
Luckily for Israel, Yitzchak Buji Herzog isn't in charge, because 'roll over and play dead' is exactly what he seems to want to do.
"The agreement with Iran is bad, but the dispute with the US is a family
matter- it should not be conducted in public, where our enemies would
enjoy seeing us disagree.
"I am convinced there is certainly
enough time to reach an understanding between us which will prevent
seriously damaging the relations between Israel and the United States in
the short and long term," he said.
He furthered stated in the
meeting with Democratic congressmen that while he and Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu have major differences in their opinion concerning
the Iran deal, he remains critical of the deal's legitimacy.
He
added, however, that it is not Israel's place to interfere in American
foreign policy: "I have no intention of interfering with American
politics, and do not wish to publicly confront the US President or his
administration. The relations between Israel and the United States are a
key component to our national security."
In other words, if this is what Obama wants to do, we shouldn't try to stop it? Now you know why Herzog is not the country's leader.
Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Binyamin Netanyahu, Iran Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Iran sanctions regime, Iranian nuclear threat, John Kerry, Moshe Yaalon, nuclear scientists, Yitzchak Herzog
Iranian Revolutionary Guard murdered Iran nuke scientist, blamed Israel
An Iranian nuclear scientist who was gassed to death in 2007 was
murdered by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and not assassinated by Israel as was claimed at the time (Hat Tip:
Honest Reporting). The reason for his murder was his refusal to cooperate in Iran's nuclear weapons program.
When Iranian scientist Dr. Ardeshir Hosseinpour was killed in February
2007, the cause of death was reported to be “gassing” and most presumed
the act was carried out by Israel. That belief stood, largely because of
Iranian accusations to that effect; and because of Israeli policy to
neither confirm nor deny such acts. But now, seven years later,
Mahboobeh Hosseinpour has come forward with the claim that the IRI was
behind her brother’s death because of his refusal to be involved in
Iran’s nuclear enrichment program whose use was for atomic purposes.
If Hosseinpour’s account can be confirmed, it could have impact on the
next round of between Iran and the P5+1 -- the five permanent members of
the U.N. Security Council and Germany.
Speaking to The Media Line from Turkey via Skype in a conversation
arranged by the Iranian opposition group The New Iran, 52-year old
Mahboobeh Hosseinpour said that she learned through her sister-in-law,
Sara Araghi, of her brother’s secret research, and particularly about a
DVD which contained research and formulas for building an atomic bomb 12
times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb and methods for
neutralizing it.
Mahmoobeh Hosseinpour learned that her brother was contacted in
November 2004 by three special agents of IRI’s Defense Department with a
personal message from IRI’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,
enlisting him to work on increasing IRI’s uranium enrichment
capabilities for the purpose of building atomic weapons; and with a
secondary goal of teaching and supervising Russian and North Korean
scientists in order to accelerate the project. Speaking about her
brother, Hosseinpour said that “he was offered a two star rank in the
revolutionary guard and ownership of factories,” if he agreed.
Mrs. Hossenpour told The Media Line that Israel did not kill her
brother but the IRI did, allegedly because he would not co-operate with
them, claiming those projects would result in serious financial damage
for the people of the Iran as well as the international community.
Read the whole thing. It's been clear all along that Iran is after nuclear weapons. This makes it even clearer.
Labels: Iranian assassination plots, Iranian nuclear threat, Iranian Revolutionary Guard, nuclear scientists, nuclear weapons
Book: Assassinations of Iranian nuke scientists 'a blue and white operation'
A
new book published by CBS News correspondent Dan Raviv and Haaretz reporter Yossi Mehlman argues that the Mossad - and only the Mossad - is
behind the assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists.
But a study of fifty years of assassinations by the Mossad - including conversations with current and former operatives and those who work with them in countries friendly to Israel - yields the conclusion that the assassins inside Iran are Israelis.
The Mossad has a special operations unit - a kind of Mossad within the Mossad - called Kidon (the Hebrew word for bayonet), which has over the years developed unique methods for infiltrating enemy countries, and for murdering Israel's enemies without leaving a trace.
The Mossad benefits from unmatched linguistic capabilities, in part because Israel has many citizens whose families moved from Arabic- or Persian-speaking countries. Israeli operatives have traveled into Iran using the passports of other countries, including bogus documents produced by skilled Mossad forgers, and genuine passports where the photographs might be altered slightly.
Insight into the psyches and behavior of members of the super-secret Kidon squad can be found - perhaps surprisingly - in the pages of a novel called "Duet in Beirut," published only in Hebrew (in 2002), by Mishka Ben-David, a former intelligence officer in the Mossad's operations department, which runs and coordinates Kidon.
From the book and other sources it is understood that Kidon is so compartmentalized that its office is not inside the Mossad headquarters. Kidon combatants - who dubbed themselves "The Team" - hardly ever go there. Even when interacting with Mossad operatives from other units, Kidon men use assumed names. In the field, members use a third name - and sometimes even fourth and fifth identities.
Their training includes almost anything one might imagine is needed for an intelligence operation: surveillance, shaking off surveillance, studying objects and memorizing everything about them. They become proficient at remembering codes and securely communicating during missions without raising suspicion.
Because they are the cream of the crop, Kidon men and women are the ones the Mossad director selects for very dangerous missions - including complex operations of an information-gathering nature - that require top professionals.
YNet adds:
In their book, the writers claim that their in-depth study of 50 years of assassinations by Israel’s foreign-espionage agency yields the conclusion that the 20 suspects now being held by the Iranian government are not the killers.
"The methods, communications, transportation, and even the innovative bombs used in the Tehran killings are too sensitive for the Mossad to share with foreign freelancers," Raviv and Melman wrote.
Therefore, the writers estimate that the assassinations of physicists and nuclear scientists in Iran have been what Israelis call “blue and white” operations, referring to the colors of their nation’s flag.
In one chapter of the book, the authors claim that despite the fact that Iran has no diplomatic relations with Israel and bans any visits by Israelis, Mossad operatives have had no trouble entering and leaving the country. They further said that Israel holds a hidden safe house in Iran which allows for Mossad agents to keep safe while executing the assassinations.
The book further reveals the Mossad's close cooperation with Kurds and other ethnic minority groups inside Iran, stating that the Mossad believes that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."
Okay guys: Who wants to get me the book?
Labels: Iranian nuclear threat, Mossad, nuclear scientists
Iran claims to have caught more 'assassins' but where is Shahram Amiri?
Iran claims to have broken up another ring of 'assassins' that was
killing its nuclear scientists, according to reports in the Iranian media.
The Iranian Intelligence Ministry announced that the suspects were responsible for the killing of Majid Shahriari, Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan and Reza Qashqaei - all scientists allegedly working on Tehran's contentious nuclear program.
Iran alleged that western spy agencies responsible for carrying out the nuclear assassinations collaborated with People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK,) an exiled Iranian organization dedicated to overthrowing the ruling regime and replacing it with a democratic, secular government.
Following the arrests, Iran announced its commitment to continue with its efforts to bring to justice the "terrorists" who "martyred the young scientists in cold-blooded murder," IRNA reported.
YNet adds:
[Iran] provided no details as to the number of suspects, their identities or nationalities, or when or where they were arrested. But it promised further information would be made public once it was declassified.
Right.... I was just thinking about another Iranian nuclear scientist, Shahram Amiri. When we last heard from him, Amiri, who defected from and subsequently returned to Iran, had been arrested, charged with treason and was
facing the death penalty. This Iranian blog reported two weeks ago that Amiri was sentenced to
ten years in jail and five years in exile. If he lives through his sentence, he'll be a lucky man.
Labels: CIA, Iranian nuclear threat, MEK, nuclear scientists, Shahram Amiri
Was the target in Isfahan a senior nuclear scientist?
A report at YNet hints that the target of Monday's explosion in Isfahan may not have been the uranium enrichment plant (pictured) located near the town, but a nearby military academy and possibly
more senior Iranian nuclear scientists. Meanwhile, the Iranians continue to deny that the explosion took place.
Iranian paper Farhang Ashti (Peace Culture) reported Monday that the explosion, which was initially reported by Iran's official news agency Fars, took place several streets away from the city's military academy, near the Shiraz Gate.
The report's credibility remained unclear.
Fars initially reported a loud blast at 2:40 pm local time, but removed the report shortly afterwards. Hours later, conflicting reports began to surface.
Iran's Mehr news agency mistakenly quoted the deputy governor of Isfahan province as saying that there was no report of a major explosion in the province – a quote given by him almost a year earlier, following a December 18, 2010 explosion in the city.
However, the news agency also quoted another Iranian media outlet as saying that a blast took place at a petrol station in a nearby town. Iran's uranium conversion plant is located just outside Isfahan – one of the country's largest cities.
...
Earlier on Monday, Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said that Majid Shahriari, who was assassinated last year in Iran, was the Islamic Republic's "most senior scientist." This is the first time an Iranian official has referred to Shahriari in such a manner in public.
In a radio interview, Salehi added that Shahriari, who was assassinated on November 29, 2010, was the only scientist able to produce enriched uranium at a 20% rate.
Hmmm.
By the way, if you follow the links regarding Shahriari, you will see that at the time he was thought to be connected to the response team to Stuxnet.
And here's another curious fact: Until now, all the assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists
took place in Tehran. If Monday's explosion was meant to kill an Iranian nuclear scientist it is the first such killing to take place outside Tehran and may mean that Iran has decided to spread out its scientists like it spread out its nuclear facilities. And it also shows that spread out nuclear scientists can be hit anyway. Hmmm.
Labels: Iranian nuclear program, nuclear scientists
Five Russian nuke scientists who worked on Bushehr die in plane crash
Five Russian
nuclear scientists, who were involved in Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant, were killed in a plane crash in northern Russia on Thursday.
Technical failure of the plane has been ruled out. Five Russian scientists who assisted in the design of Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant were among the 44 fatalities of Monday's Russian plain crash, Moscow's International News Agency RIA Novosti reported Thursday.
The Tupolev-134 plane broke up and caught fire upon making an emergency landing outside the northern city of Petrozavodsk. A preliminary investigation ruled out the possibility of a technical failure.
Three of the experts – Sergei Rizhov, Gennadi Benyok, and Nicolai Tronov – were among the atom facility's designers. Andrei Trokinov, a top Russian nuclear technological expert, was also killed, as was Valery Lalyn, another nuclear expert.
The five worked at Bushehr and were to ensure the facility would withstand natural disasters.
The five were employed by Hydropress, a member-organization of Russia's State Nuclear Corporation. Hydropress is one of the main companies involved in the construction of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, and is also involved in projects in China, India and Bulgaria.
The crash was described as a 'great blow' to Russia's nuclear industry.
The Mossad wouldn't do
something like that, would it?
Hmmm.
Labels: Bushehr, Iranian nuclear program, nuclear scientists, Russia
