Missing Iranian scientist 'at Pakistani embassy in US'

reply to post by ~Lucidity


You see, this propaganda war is lost by all... For one simple reason : now nobody trusts both sides. I tend to lean on the kidnapping/brainwashing theory based on the fact that the US is admitting to using Amiri as a "willing" agent... Normally they would not disclose this type of information and just pull the "can't confirm or deny" card.

I think that the US is now trying to unsuccessfully PR their way to making Iran look like the bad guy, just as they have been trying to do for the last few years.

I am seriously waiting to see what Amiri will say after he leaves the US.

reply to post by Magnum007


I think (or maybe hope) the propaganda war is on its way to becoming ineffective tool for both sides. They've desensitized us and also have been using the same ploys for too long now...people are picking up on the patterns.

This is good and bad too though, because if they can't fight this way they may have to resort to other things that may be even more unpleasant to get public opinion on their side.

I doubt we'll really ever hear from him, or if we do the vilification war will rage.

reply to post by Magnum007



Iranian scientist surfaces in US


From the link:

Iranian scientist surfaces in US


The Pakistani foreign ministry has confirmed that an Iranian nuclear scientist, who Iran claims was abducted by the US, has taken refuge at their embassy in Washington DC.

The scientist, Shahram Amiri, was "dropped off" on Monday night, according to Abdul Basit, a spokesman for the Pakistani foreign ministry in Islamabad.

Iran and the US have no diplomatic relations, so Tehran's interests in Washington are handled by an "interests section" at the Pakistani embassy.

The interests section, where Amiri was dropped off, is separate from the main Pakistani embassy in Washington.

Iranian authorities have repeatedly said that Amiri was seized by the CIA as he visited Saudi Arabia last year. US officials have denied those allegations.

Iranian state media reported that Amiri asked for a "quick return" to Iran, and Basit said Iranian authorities were making arrangements to get him out of the United States.

The US state department said on Tuesday that Amiri was "free to go," and that there was no evidence he was mistreated during his time in the US.

Amiri 'handed over'

Iran's semi-official Fars news agency claimed Amiri was handed over to the embassy by US agents, calling it a defeat for "America's intelligence services".

"Because of Iran's media and intelligence activities, the American government had to back down and hand over Amiri to the embassy on Monday night," Fars said.

Iranian state television has broadcast the text of what it claims is an interview with Amiri conducted on Tuesday. But the authenticity of the interview is impossible to confirm.

"After the film of my interview was published in the internet [which lead to] the disgrace of the US government because of [their responsibility in] the kidnapping," the interviewee said.

"They intended to send me back home without much noise in order to cover up the kidnapping through denying the whole case, but they couldn't do that in the end," it said.

More


A couple of things about this article.


1) Iran's semi-offical news agency Fars reportedly claiming Amiri was handed over to the embassy by US agents.

Certainly, Al Jazeera's cameras at the scene picked up some men in suits hanging around big cars in the street outside, but Al Jazeera also reported they were told Amiri was handed to the embassy by Iranians, suggesting to me Amiri had linked up with Iranians who had got him to the safety of the embassy if he was indeed fleeing kidnapping.


2) The statement by Amiri in an interview that because of Iran's media and intelligence services, the US Government had to "back down". Did Amiri meet with Iranian agents while on the run, who got him to the embassy?


3) The statement by Amiri that the US government wanted to just send him home without much "noise" in order to cover up the kidnapping....but if Amiri had been recaptured, surely the US Government would have forced him to make another video saying how happy he was in the US as the theory goes with the video where he denied being kidnapped?


CNN report ( via a female blonde correspondent whose name I forget) that former US intelligence agents had told them that Amiri's family in Iran had been threatened and that's why Amiri, having defected, was now returning to Iran.


Plausible theory perhaps, but the correspondent insisted on this theory as acknowledged fact, talking about it endlessly, offering no alternative theory as to the affair and implying that was the end of the story.

If this is the new CNN analysis after the more level-headed approached analysis from the sacked Octavia Nasr, who would offer many sides to a story, then that is worrying but perhaps unsurprising.



Now let's think about this. Suppose there has been a deal between the US and Iran.

Those three US 'hikers' held by Iran, who Iran suspect as spies, being handed over to the US in return for Amiri in a swap.


The reported account by Fars News Agency of Amiri being handed over by US Agents may add credence to this.


The deal is a long-time in the making, and the US now have to trust that Iran releases the three hikers in return.


But the US sits pretty, for Amiri is now an asset for the CIA/Mossad/The Saudis, and he goes back to Iran, his escape story passed into heroic status.

Meanwhile, the three US 'Hikers' are released in the coming days or weeks or months.

A success for Obama, but a success overall in that three US 'hikers' are released to America, and America now has an agent back in Iran, who is regarded as the Iranian hero.


Amiri may not be a CIA asset. But if the CIA considered Amiri a high value target enough to kidnap him in the belief he knew lots of things, why let him escape to the embassy? Why let him get away back to Iran where his expertise in his field ( nuclear scientist, apparently) can be called upon once more in Iran for it's nuclear programme? And why would US Agents hand over Amiri when in their custody he could be made to record videos telling how happy he was, to dispell kidnap rumours?


Let's go back to the CNN theory. Amiri is returning back to Iran because his family have been threatened. Presumably, if Amiri has been seen to defect to the US, an escape story would add much credence and save him from being treated a traitor in Iran when he returns. The US let him go, on the condition he provides "intel" from Iran. Otherwise, the US begins leaking how "helpful" and "willing" Amiri was in providing information on Iran's nuclear programme via the intel community enough tht Iran picks it up, and indeed through the media. Amiri would then be in a rather difficult position.

Amiri Alleges Torture

This is what his side of the story is...

Uh huh. Right. Here's what Stratfor says happened. The guy defected, leaving his family behind. He was not "forced." He was not "kidnapped." He was not "tortured." The fact is, as a mid-level scientist, he didn't have much to say. The US accommodated him, debriefed him, and found out he didn't have much, so they just left him to his own devices. In other words, they more or less stopped talking to him. He got lonely and guilty, so he decided to engineer his return by saying he was forced to go to the US. Bear in mind that he had been in the US for two years. He's had plenty of time and the CIA just shrugged its shoulders at him returning.

The Iranians aren't believing him either. They have already said they will conduct an investigation to determine whether he is a "hero or a traitor." They may decide to use him for propaganda purposes, or they may just kill him.