ANALYSIS / Iran scientist likely killed by opponents of nuclear program
The possibility that Western, or even Israeli, spy agencies are behind the killing is supported by precedent.
By Yossi Melman Tags: Israel news Iran nuclearIt's doubtful we will ever know who really killed the Iranian nuclear scientist Massoud Ali Mohammadi. Those who carried out the assassination will never claim responsibility, and those who will, probably didn't do it.
In light of the complexity of Iranian affairs, many organizations might have an interest in Dr. Mohammadi's death. Theoretically, it could be a hit by Iran's Revolutionary Guards or the intelligence community. Mohammadi identified with the opposition and with the 2009 presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi.
There is, however, no precedent in Iran, at least not in recent years, of such a violent assassination of an opponent of the regime or a suspected spy. The regime usually deals with such cases with arrest followed by a trial or by permanent disappearance.
It could be an underground organization opposing the regime such as the Mujahideen-e-Khalq, or groups representing ethnic or religious minorities such as Kurds, Arabs or Sunnis. These groups have carried out violent actions and terror attacks against symbols of the regime - either on their own behalf or for foreign intelligence agencies.
Therefore, it is more likely that the assassination was carried out by those seeking to damage and delay Iran's nuclear program. That, of course, means Western governments, especially the United States and Israel. These governments use their espionage agencies to gather information about the Iranian nuclear program. There are reports about efforts to damage equipment purchased abroad for the program, to recruit agents from within Iran's nuclear project with access to information, and to lure senior officials associated with the country's nuclear program to defect.
The possibility that Western, or even Israeli, spy agencies are behind the latest assassination is supported by precedent. According to foreign news reports, Israel acted in a similar fashion during the 1960s against German scientists working to develop missiles in Egypt, and during the 1970s against various scientists. These included Egyptians and the Canadian scientist Gerald Bull who worked on Iraq's nuclear and missile projects under Saddam Hussein.
His colleagues at Tehran University claim that Mohammadi was not connected whatsoever with Iran's nuclear program. However, precedent shows that Iranian universities, especially the chemistry and physics departments, have served as a front for Iran's nuclear program. They have purchased and hid equipment, and their professors and experts have served as consultants for the program.
Reports have increased in recent years about attempts by Western espionage agencies to harm Iranian scientists; there have even been a few reports about Iranian scientists who died under mysterious circumstances. In one case, a scientist died at home, ostensibly of suffocation from a gas space heater.
No matter who is behind yesterday's incident it is obvious that this Beirut- or Gaza-style assassination represents another blow to the regime's image, as well as to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The regime faces determined opposition at home, as well as international threats and pressure - including the threat of military action against its nuclear program. It also faces ethnic and religious minorities operating underground organizations that occasionally carry out violent acts against the regime to win autonomy or rights denied to them.
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Iranian nuclear power plant Bushehr I. |
| Photo by: (AP) |
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If you want to build an imaginary house, out of imaginary bricks, you should do it in an imaginary place. The Iranian regime did not benefit from this death, and Israel was not hurt by it. The best evidence is that Israel was, unfortunately, ultimately responsible. Before you respond to that, reread the first sentence ("If you want to build...") over and over and over again.
This article states everything but the obvious... so called fringe groups are just basic cover for an intelligence operation , this is clear. You can do something once but if you repeat the scenario the game is up, too obvious.
It has been reported that Mohammadi was working on an international energy project with other Mid-East scientists, including Israelis. Mohammadi in his travels, had informal contact with Israeli scientists. So why would Israel, or the US, want him dead? On the other hand, talking to Israelis is reason enough for the Iranian government to want Mohammadi dead. Mohammadi signing a letter critical of the government is another.
someone would want to kill Massoud aren't. Those who regard the Iranian government as evil or dictatorial instantly conclude the government, or some part of it, is responsible. Those who regard the Israeli government as evil or bloodthirsty instantly conclude they are behind it, and those who regard the US government as evil or hegemonistic instantly conclude they are behind it. Odds are, it was someone who couldn't tell you the difference between a nuclear physicist and a nuclear bomb, who thought that they could get some brownie points for this killing.
And this is why I never took Yossi Melman seriously.
anyone familiar with khameneis involvement in the 'chain murder' serial killings in the 90,s would laugh at the theories of foreign assassination. this is an attention-getting atrocity to intimidate protesters.of course some in Israel wouldn,t be averse to nodding and winking at those accusing mossad, as it might enhance their image of being able to strike everywhere.
If he was it is possible that he was targeted becase of his involement by possible foreign agents since Iranian opposition would not gain anything from targeting him.If he was not involed it is possible that he was targeted because of his possible assoiation with Iranian oppostion group and he assasination was made to look like it was done by foreign agents.
If you take a few seconds and look up his publications, they're all theoretical particle physics, dealing with issues like entropy and various models that have nothing at all to do with nuclear weapons. He wasn't a nuclear weapons scientist. He was a physicist. The only people with any reason at all to kill him were Iran's leaders because he was a known opposition figure.
According to a Washington Post article, this Iranian scientist was working on the SESAME project. This project was a joint collaboration with Israeli, European, and Iranian scientists. Israeli scientist had spoken to and worked with Dr. Massoud. I believe that the Iranian scientist was killed by the Iranian Basiji.
We know for a fact that he was an opponent of Ahmadinejad. We don't know if he was secretly involved in the nuclear program. It seems more likely that he was killed by Ahmadinejad.
Yossi Melman is a well respected intelligence security journalist. He doesn't usually speculate... or delve into conjecture. This time around, I think he's probably wrong... not that deciphering intelligence work is an exact science anyway. For me, a distinctive intel- hit was the attempt on Meshal's life in Jordan. Where a syringe filled with poison was squirted into his ear. The proximity of that type of operation, symbolizes the surgical complexity of the Mossad... or the CIA. This death of the Iranian professor is too crude and too amateurish... to be taken as high end spy-works.
"ANALYSIS / Iran scientist likely killed by opponents of nuclear program." - Yossi Melman Here I am posting that I doubt Israel did it, and Mr. Melman is suggesting it did. This is particularly odd as the man was a professor of theoretical physics and not involved in the 'nuclear program.' Not even opponents of the Iranian regime are opposed to the nuclear power program so the only 'opponent(s) of (the) nuclear program' that has a track record of such assassinations is Israel. Does Yossi Melman know something? Or is he just playing propagandist for Iran?
It is interesting how quickly you have jumped to swallow the official Iranian line that Massoud Ali-Mohammadi was a nuclear scientist. He was anything but, as his colleagues and even the Tehran University website attest. He was an expeert in particle physics, a completely separate discipline. bYour anaylsis is, therefore, totally bogus. I commend the following articles: http://enduringamerica.com/2010/01/13/iran-analysis-nuclear-myths-rogue-elements-and-professor-mohammadis-murder/#more-25977 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8456076.stm http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-iran-scientist-bomb13-2010jan13,0,6007483.story
Mr. Melman's article is based only on highly doubtful speculations. He over looks the fact that Iran is now experiencing deep political and social turmoil. In such situaitons, totalatarian governments generally act in what they see as their own best interests--and that often means killing the opposition. Sometimes that works to keep them in power for the short tem and somtimes it simply fuels the opposition. We'll see what happens in Iran.
this Iranian nuclear scientist assassination can be used the other way round, a good reminder for all the scientist that work in developing nuclear weapons. If one works to develop devices that kill,this will came back to you in various ways.Assassination is one.
has been increasingly vocal in his opposition of Ahmedinnerjacket. If he has been working on Iran's civilian nuclear programme it is possible that the current regime in Iran did not want him defecting and telling the IAEA of the hollowed out mountain in the North of the country with 80000 million centrifuges. Or even the network of 2 million nuclear reactors based on the North Korean model which is pumping out weapons grade Plutonium
Maybe the iranians thought that he was helping the israelis and decided to wack him- he was known to meet with non-iranian scientists...
Apparently he had become more and more angry about the current government and was set to "leave". This anyway is the rumor making the rounds. Should he has considered (or been considered by some overly zealous "defenders" of the government) leaving--- as a number of scientists have over the past few years--- he'd have been a propaganda prize, albeit quite minor, in the bonnet of the west and not a threat. Little about his "know-how" nor subjects make him interesting as a target for the west except as yet another voice in support of the opposition. For Iran's government, however, he is a good example to set.
All the zionists are opposed to nuclear programs, except their own!
This man was inside the community in spite of being an expert in a field not directly "needed" for nuclear development, and it is reported he postured support for the Mousavi camp--and therefore, perhaps he was the man who knew too much. That gets people killed on a daily basis.
His publication record had nothing to do with neutron physics, and everything to do with obscure and abstract particle theory. He was probably useless for the Iranian bomb program. He was likely bumped off by the Iranians, in an attempt to blame external enemies. the US/Israel would have known he had little to do with bombs. See http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/students-say-professor-was-government-critic/?ref=world
Seemingly, this makes it clear that the enemy is not the present nasty regime, but Iran (and, particularly, a powerful Iran) in general. Would a democratic Iran have the right to have nukes? Then we we could have TWO countries that were the 'only democracies in the Middle East', and both would be nuclear-armed. What could be better, eh?