Iranian nuke specialist defects on Hajj

Posted By Thomas E. Ricks Wednesday, March 31, 2010 - 12:12 PM Share

This is good news. Your tax dollars at work. Congratulations to all involved.

(HT to AD)

Speaking of Iran, this is the most interesting line of the day on Iraqi politics: "A number of Iraqi politicians had headed to Tehran to meet Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to discuss possible coalitions with his bloc."

freeparking/flickr

EXPLORE:MIDDLE EAST, INTELLIGENCE, IRAN

(7)

HIDE COMMENTS LOGIN OR REGISTER REPORT ABUSE

SMCI60652

7:36 PM ET

March 31, 2010

Chalabi, or Our worst nightmare (which is relatively the same)

The guy defected leaving his wife and family behind?

What kind of defection is that?

You usually defect in order to lead a better, more free life in comfort with your loved ones.

The Iranians originally claimed that he was kidnapped as part of an ongoing CIA effort in collusion with their Saudi counterparts to lure suspected nuclear scientists to the Hajj and Umrah, and then kidnap them as a source of information for cracking down on Iran.

There has to be tremendous pressure on an individual, either through his tyrannical government, or by the ones receiving his defection, in order for one to leave their entire family behind (whom will surely be leading a much more stressful life under the regime, now that their husband and son has been proven to be a traitor).

---

But all of that aside. What if:

(1) this guy, or those that are willing to defect, turn out to be the Iranian versions of Ahmed Chalabi and the INC? Deliberately fabricating intelligence to suit the suspicions and paranoia of a receptive hostile administration?

(2) they are genuine informants, but their claims fly completely in the face of current assumptions about Iran's nuclear ambitions and/or capabilities.

Are we willing to hear and accept the idea that we've completely blown this thing out of proportion?

---

Finally, what does this say about the Saudi Royal Family? That they are willing to scoop so low as to use the performance of religious rites as opportune time to either kidnap, or lure away the citizens of other Muslim Countries that they perceive as threats to their rule?

This thing is a significant PR disaster in the making for Saudi Arabia. If countries have to worry about exposing state secrets everytime they permit a citizen to leave the country to perform their religious pilgrimage, it doesn't bode well for relations with, or trust in, the Saudi monarchy.

TYRTAIOS

11:28 PM ET

March 31, 2010

Generally speaking, Iranian's

Generally speaking, Iranian's visiting on an Umra to Medina would, though on the radar as having entered the Kingdom, be the responsibility of the Iranian embassy in Riyadh, and gives the House of Saud some duck and cover.

The Gulf Cooperation Council which also includes Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and the UAR are all aligned behind Saudi Arabia and have pretty much made it clear they'll also stand behind the U.S. against Iran if necessary - I doubt there's much PR problem for the Magic Kingdom over this - shame on Tehran for letting the guy out of their sight.

SMCI60652

12:38 PM ET

April 1, 2010

PR bud, not GCC-R problems

My suspicion is that, as with many other issues, the prospect of a nuclear Iran plays completely differently with the Sunni Arab and non Arab populations then it does with the terrified royal families of the Gulf Sheikdoms.

WALKING WOUNDED

1:50 AM ET

April 1, 2010

The psychology of defectors

"Amiri has been extensively debriefed since his defection by the CIA, according to the people briefed on the situation. They say Amiri helped to confirm U.S. intelligence assessments about the Iranian nuclear program."

Now that confirms absolutely nothing and everything, from 'nothing to see, move along now' to 'looming mushroom cloud...'

The psychology of defectors makes for interesting reading, and SMC raises interesting questions. Mordechai Vanunu was lured out of Brit sanctuary to Israeli prison with a honey trap. Saddam's son in law presumably was protecting his family by going home to be executed. Mr. Amiri leaves his wife and his life..., for what kind of freedom?

JJH722

5:06 AM ET

April 1, 2010

The more interesting bit was

The more interesting bit was that they all went to Tehran to avoid US eavesdropping. Bob Woodward broke a similar story about Maliki's every word being caught on US taps. How do they do this shit?

HUNTER

3:40 PM ET

April 1, 2010

Honey Trap

Maybe this guy had a honey trap on his Hajj that outweighed the family back home. I'm too lazy to try to find that link - but its right here on this website. Kinda lame article though.

DESPRADO7

5:46 AM ET

April 20, 2010

really

ABC News An award-winning Iranian nuclear scientist, who disappeared last year under mysterious circumstances, has defected to the CIA and been resettled in the United States, according to people briefed on the operation by intelligence officials. The officials were said to have termed the defection of the scientist, Shahram Amiri, "an intelligence coup" in the continuing CIA operation to spy on and undermine Iran's nuclear program. A spokesperson for the CIA declined to comment. In its declassified annual report to Congress, the CIA said, "Iran is keeping open the option to develop nuclear weapons though we do not know whether Tehran eventually will decide to produce nuclear weapons."