Report: Missing Iranian former defense official has 'fled to U.S.'
London-based newspaper claims official was not abducted; Israeli embassies on alert for possible kidnap try.
By Yoav SternThe Iranian former deputy defense minister who disappeared in neighboring Turkey last month is said to have sought asylum in the United States. Tehran said was Ali Reza Asghari went missing while on a private trip to Turkey.
The pan-Arab newspaper al-Sharq al-Awsat on Tuesday quoted high-profile sources as saying that Asghari left for the U.S. shortly after arriving in the Turkish capital.
Earlier Tuesday, Iran's top police chief accused Western intelligence services of possibly abducting Asghari, who is also a retired general in the elite Revolutionary Guards.
Al-Sharq al-Awsat's sources, however, claim the official was not abducted but left for the United States "along with the secrets he carried."
Security was beefed up in Israeli embassies worldwide Tuesday following reports that Iran suspected the CIA and the Mossad of involvement in Asghari's disappearance.
A British newspaper reported Monday that Asghari is likely to possess information on missing Israel Air Force navigator Ron Arad.
Arad, an IAF navigator, was captured by the Lebanese Shiite Amal militia after ejecting from his warplane, shot down over southern Lebanon in 1986. Media reports have said the pro-Iranian Hezbollah took Arad from Amal security chief Mustafa Dirani the following year.
Reports have also said that members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard took Arad in 1988 and transported him to Iran.
Asghari had arrived in Turkey on a private visit from Damascus, Syria, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported Tuesday.
Iran's top police chief, General Esmaeil Ahmadi Moghaddam, said Iran was investigating Asghari's fate with the cooperation of the Turkish police.
"It is likely that Asghari has been abducted by the Western intelligence services," IRNA quoted the Iranian police general as saying. The general did not elaborate.
Turkey's Foreign Ministry said Monday that the Iranian Embassy there had reported Asghari's disappearance and had asked Turkey's Interior Ministry to investigate.
In Israel, defense officials are concerned that there may be an attempt to kidnap embassy workers and strike Israeli targets.
According to a British Daily Telegraph report, Iranian intelligence official Asghari is also likely to have intimate knowledge of Iran's defense establishment and nuclear development program.
Although Asghari's disappearance in Turkey sparked allegations of a Mossad and CIA-linked kidnapping, Haaretz has learned that he may have defected.
Asghari served in the senior defense post under former defense minister General Ali Samahani. Israeli media have said that for many years, Asghari was the most senior Iranian intelligence official in Lebanon, with responsibility for Iran's ties with Hezbollah.
Israel Channel 10 television said late Sunday that Asghari was kidnapped on February 7, after arriving in Istanbul from Damascus, Syria.
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What is the translation of "khas ve?khalila" Thank you
Iranian Boy you are a fool. We will win. Down with your religion of hate. You fools are unaware what a average AMERICAN citizen will do to your kind. WE are more armed as citizens than you think. Your kind do not fight like men, you are a bunch of chickens that will be fried Kentucky style. We may take casualties but we do it with honor. We do not kill are own people unlike you fools. You will learn not to mess with the best. How is your dirt hut filled with sand and no power?
Iran your time is almost up.
"Dippy person" ??? You can't seriously be from the UK otherwise you wouldn't have the artifacts of another language system all over your typing. What's it like to have as much hate as you seem to have?
NOW I KNOW IT IS TRUE, AND PEOPLE LIKE YOU CANT HANDLE THE TRUTH,TRY TO SLEEP PEACEFULLY IF YOU CAN YOU DIPPY PERSON.
while lunching at IHOP. LOL!!!
Why is it that in the world of revolutionists, only one or two ever make it to the top? I refer, of course, to the Shiites, the poorest 10% of the Muslim world, the black-hatted Ayatollah with the long white beard, and his favorite runt, AH. But If you make it to the top of the Revolutionary Guard and retire, then defect, you've got it made. The Iranians aren't exactly dumb. Not all of them, at least.
If the US has him, he will be treated like a prince!! Never fear. Particularly if he defected! LOL!! The best won't be good enough.
That General will have lots of secrets to tell. The mullahs and their president will be scurrying soon shouting "I ran Iran before I ran".
The best of hands.
Well, Dudele, I'm very pleased to hear that the U.S. wants to do that job for us. The U.S. had even tried to protect us from Iraqi SCUD missiles. The intention was nice, the effect, though, disastrous. Could Israel have coped with the Iraqi attack whilst Syria was granting Israel the use of Syrian airspace? Well, maybe. Did "besert Storm" cope with it? Up to you to tell, if you are as good in history as I am. Did the U.S. and its allies cope adequately with Iraq? Let me doubt it. Is the U.S., along with the NATO forces hidiously unprepared, stupid and hypotrophically arrogant? Dunno, you should know- facts talk for themselves. Would Israel be more efficient in defending itself without being downsnouted by its self-acclaimed "protector"? Time is up to come for knowing it. Time to listen to fairy tales, time to check the bank account. Time to love thy neighbor's wife, time to detest her uncle. Time to fish, time to debone thy scape goat for a BBQ. Time to..., no time to lose!
#34 just for David And out of the West will come the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Quicksilver. The lonely bushrider rides again.
iran should pay close atetntion to this defection. Clearly all at home is not well, and even revolutionarty guards want to getout. All the west has to do is welcome them with open arms, and some cash.... If you entice them, they will come. As for Iran. Secrets wont be secret anymore. How many more will defect. I would wager many more who aer fed up with the mad mullahs, the paranoid presisents and the revolting revolutionary nutbars. Now is as good a time as any to leave Iran, and those with the msot secrets will get the biggest prizes from the west. Make hay while the sun shines I say. Get out of Iran now
Say what you mean. You dont mean the land of Israel you mean all Jews of every nation. You becareful if that is what you mean. First they came for the Saturday people then the Sunday people.
The Mullah’s who enslave the Iranian people will very soon be removed from power by the USA. In their place, the Iranian people will have an opportunity to form a democratic government of their own choosing, the result will be an era of prosperity and freedom for the Iranian people, living in peace with their neighbors, same as the Germans and Japanese.
Or what? Do you think we are afraid? He who talks the most falls the hardest....... keep on talking...... hello .... we're waiting!!!!!!! Whenever you feel froggy, go ahead and jump, cowards. THEY AND ALL OF THEIR COHORTS WILL BE DELT WITH EXCEEDINLY HARSHLY IF THEY DO NOT REPENT OF THEIR WAYS!!!!!!!!!!
That's funny...it's even funnier when you drink some he-brews.
The subtle slamming succintness of your statement has only been matched three times in history: Julius Caesar: I came, I saw, I conquered; US Navy pilot (WWII): Saw Sub; sank same. General MaAuliffe (WWII): Nuts! Yonatan: I-ran shalom
Your sense of pleasure is a reflection of nothing more than a perverse character. You delight in your hatred. You delight in your lust of killing. Your punishment was revealed thousands of years ago- go read Ezekiel 38- 39. Joel 4, Zohar Va'era 32a, Zechariah 12 -14, Obidiah. We may have an "overnight" of fear, but your punishment will last for eternity.
occupying hamasist you should be very stupid ,we all know that you cannt even have a onenight without dreaming about 72 virgins .so while rest of the world sleep with women you prepare suicidal belts,that is your sex
Turns out that they did not do anything again.
occupying zionist you should be very careful ,we all know that you cannt even have a onenight without shivering with fear .so while rest of the world sleep with pleasure you fear ,that is your punishment
If this is true the Iranian regime might just fall under its own weight. With the first crack, 400 Iranian government officials will flee into 400 different directions.
Ahmedin lo echpad
The stupid Ahmadinejad is promoting prejudice against their own people, the muslim.
They would be flocking to America. Iran is the world's largest asylum run by madmen and a runt.
I would love getting paid for defecating! Alas, I'm not Iranian, but only an Israeli living under alimentary "dhimmihood" in Northern Tuscany! :c) Viva il cinghiale! Che viva e non finisca nella mia padella, khas ve'khalila!
Oy va voy! Is someone here taken "defection" for "defecation"? :c)
As much as we like the Iranian people in general, we still hold a grudge. There are some dues yet to be paid, as you well know. Don't think we haven't considered that taking out your oil installations, refineries and petrol stocks would likely set your nuke plans back further than taking out your known and suspected nuclear facilities. Besides a total calapse of your economy, it is hard to fight a war with no way to fuel your tanks, ships and air craft. We are now only beginning to collect cards and this article seems to point out one of them. If we want to attack Iran, we do not need the UN. You are incapable of NOT provoking and providing ample pretext for one through your terrorism, both in Iraq and elsewhere. If you were smart, you would recognize that the situation in Iraq
I-ran.
There must be a lot of money for defectors out there. Bewaaaaree Iranians. You guys are good in making your people insane, but know nothing about the outside world, Fantasy and delusion is one thing, the real world is quite different.
Question: Proverbially speaking, is it possible that the members of the Iranian security establishment are "peeing" in their pants? Yes? No?
I told Khamenei this could happen, but he told us that the Islamic Republic is paradise, so no defections are possible. And now the Bigger and Smaller Satans will peek through all our dirty little secrets. I wish to wake up from this nightmare.
#12 My dear Sweden, Some States as USA, UK put as first demand you exclude them in the case of any crime from International Courts.Any NATO member as signed as first to give up on demanding of US citizens for anything. Iran is as you said dictatorship but how Del Ponte can demand any if there are exceptions as I wrote? Hard. Try to write your mother is a Muslim but not in Sweden. Go to UK. Sweden is out of roads for most of it.
Did they also suddenly dissapear = defection
Too early for threats. Who knows where the guy is. Maybe sleeping of a drunk.
Why can dicatorship Iran just accuse other countries with no punishments? No justice for all - not just the muslims!! Take them to Hauge!!
Sure beats the burqa babes of Teheran. Anyway, got to get back to my new yacht. Ah this is the life...
Iramean Boy: Advise your Ahmadinejad to be careful. Be careful yourself.
The criminal mullahs are about to become exposed! Soon they will meet their martyr brothers.....
over landmines like Ayatollah Khomeini did? What a brave and honorable act! Maybe Ali Reza Asghari left for the U.S because he could not cope with the lunatic heirs of Khomeini leading Iran to destruction. Instead of looking at Israel have a look at your economy and drug addiction problems. Or do you think denial and hatred of Israel is going to solve your problems.?
over landmines like Ayatollah Khomeini did? What a brave and honorable act! Maybe Ali Reza Asghari left for the U.S because he could not cope with the lunatic heirs of Khomeini leading Iran to destruction. Instead of looking at Israel have a look at your economy and drug addiction problems. Or do you think denial and hatred of Israel is going to solve your problems.?
Why Israel? He defected to the US. LMAO!! I guess he doesn't like your Leadership either. Mullahs are turning Iran into a train wreck.
This is not anymore a children's game. Israel has had enough of you.
you can't run or hide. if you want to play hardball with us, you will go down very painfuilly.
Israel BE CAREFUL
Because it's not like Israelis feel safe in Israel, let alone in any other country ...
from now on none of you be safe out of iran