Iranian general 'seeking asylum in US'

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A RETIRED Iranian general who went missing in Turkey last month has defected and sought asylum in the US, according to a well-connected Arabic newspaper published in London.
The newspaper, al-Shark al-Awsat, cited "high-profile" sources saying former Iranian deputy defence minister and Revolutionary Guard commander Ali Reza Asghari had gone over to the West.

Reports from Istanbul that General Asghari's family had also disappeared in Turkey support the likelihood that he defected rather than was kidnapped by either the CIA or by Israel's Mossad, as has been speculated. The general went missing from his Istanbul hotel a month ago.

Iranian authorities, who have been silent on the disappearance until this week, claim he has been abducted. "It is likely Asghari has been abducted by Western intelligence services," said Iran's top police officer, General Esmaeil Ahmadi Moghaddam.

Defection of such a high-ranking figure would leave no external enemy to blame and would be seen as a rejection of the Islamic state by someone who well knows its inner workings.

General Asghari's crossing of the line, whether voluntary or not, is a resounding blow for the Iranian Government since he is privy to its most intimate secrets, particularly those concerning its nuclear capabilities and plans.

He served until two years ago as deputy defence minister, a post he held for eight years and which presumably offered an uninhibited view of virtually every aspect of Iran's security apparatus.

He was reportedly closely associated with Iran's activities in support of the Shi'ites in Iraq.

US intelligence analysts contend that Iran has been providing armaments to Iraqi Shia fighters that have been used with deadly effect against coalition forces, particularly highly lethal roadside bombs.

General Asghari would presumably be able to address the question of whether these shipments have been made with "approval from top leaders in Iran", as a senior US intelligence officer has claimed.

However, a senior U.S. official flatly denied the report.

U.S. intelligence agencies remain extremely interested in Asgari's case, the official said, but they do not know his current whereabouts.

The official did not rule out the possibility that Asgari, who once commanded Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards and served as the country's deputy defense minister, was conducting negotiations with an intelligence organization, but denied that there was any type of cooperation with the U.S.

Iran has publicly said that Asgari was probably kidnapped by agents working for Western intelligence agencies.

It's confirmed. Link to Washington Post article

krex, this isn't some scam. The Iranians are saying he is gone. The reports say he is talking to "Western intelligence agencies" which indicates not just American ones.

If you are worried about him divulging Iran's nuclear secrets, (and thereby give the Bush administration info to start some kind of war) apparently he wasn't as deeply involved in it as people had thought.