Just why Robert Levinson, a former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent and now private investigator, should venture into Iran to meet a American fugitive wanted for murder in the US remains a mystery that the highest Bush administration authorities are trying to unravel.
As the Financial Times revealed this week, Mr Levinson disappeared on March 8 after a six-hour meeting on the Iranian island of Kish with Dawud Salahuddin, an American who converted to Islam and was recruited by revolutionaries to assassinate an Iranian opposition activist near Washington in 1980.
Friends of Mr Levinson are mystified that he took the risk of travelling for such a meeting. They fear he is the victim of a sting operation by Iranian secret services engaged in an escalating "dirty war" between the US and Iran, involving hostage-taking and covert cross-border operations.
Mr Salahuddin, who fled to Iran after the 1980 murder and has at times expressed interest in returning to the US to face justice, told the FT in Tehran that he, too, feared Mr Levinson was an "innocent victim" of the clash between what he calls Iran's paranoia about the US and Washington's misguided foreign policy.
Mr Salahuddin said they registered a room in the Maryam hotel before he, too, was detained that night but released the next day after his Iranian passport was checked. Mr Levinson has not been heard from since. Iran's foreign ministry says it does not know where he is. The US believes he is in detention.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Missing, 2
A great piece of reporting from FT's Najmeh Bozorgmehr and Guy Dinmore
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4 comments:
Those coming from Planet America (the place might as well be on another effing planet, those people residing there have no concept of what is reality, and what is neo-reality ie, a façade, virtual reality, kid on, lies, a front, just like the movie sets) have this notion that US stands for good, and is practically the single source, and arbiter for prohibition of vices, and promotion of virtues.
Fact that you may already have seen the plight of the Iranian diplomat whom was kidnapped from a grocers shop in Baghdad, and has been subject of the most horrendous torture resulting in damage to his neck, internal organs, spine, knees, elbows, as well as nine holes drilled into his feet, yes that is nine holes in the flesh and bone, that have been the result of drilling by an electric drill sporting a gauge 8~12 drill bit.
This poor guy has flash backs while awake, and is terrified of doors opening and shutting, and he is on record saying; an American speaking man from US embassy in Iraq, was in charge of his case, and kept instructing the Arab translators what to ask him, while he was drifting in and out of consciousness, after the chemicals that were administered to him.
Fact that US forces have kidnapped another five Iranian diplomats form Irbil, and nearly had a shoot out with the Kurdish Peshmergha during a forty five minutes face off (Us wanted to kidnap two more from the airport).
Fact that another retired Iranian general has been kidnapped in Istanbul, that was originally explained as a defection along with all of his family, only for the poor wife, and son of the unfortunate soul to turn up in Tehran complaining about their missing husband and father.
Fact that everyday there is a new trumped charge is levelled at Iran, by US, along with threats of war, and 'shock and awe' redux, clearly cannot in some way explain the paranoia of the Iranians.
Further, Mr. Salahuddin, (who the effing moron thought of this name?) wants to go back to US, he can always buy a ticket, and get some money sent to him by the plethora of the lickspittles whom sport a JINSA membership, and or AIPAC, and the many other little Zionist networks in US would be more than glad to pay for his first class travel back to US somehow is not the issue.
However, Levinson, whom US claims was not in Iran is gone missing and Sally-Uddin is surprised too. my foot!
By the way what happened to the rewrite of the Reuters release in Washington Post that cleaned the article from the news of Bomb Factories found in Iraq, building the 'high-tech bombs' that is the 'Improvised Explosive Devices' come 'Explosively Formed Projectiles/Penetrators' for sure Planet America has its own America-Speak, you know just like Orwell's New-Speak in 1984, you know the Big Brother talk.
Winston Effingham Smith
When in the hell is this going to stop. When will the US STOP meddling into the affairs of Iran. Didn't anyone learn anything from the ultimate failure that was Operation Ajax????
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Forgive me as this is totally unrelated. I was talking with Tara M(US/Iranian teaches English in Tehran) last night and she mentioned that you saw your site link with a line through it on my blog and were a little confused and maybe upset. I did chuckle I must admit. The line going through only indicates that the link is visited and is a stylistic effect. Like when the blue links go purple, mine have a line through.
I didn't have your email address to hand so please delete this message as it will not self-destruct.
BTW, are you joining in on Tara's project? Maybe we'll cross paths one day.
Also, the blog is shaping up good these days, I liked the brain drain one and have too much to comment about should I find the time.
Keep up the good work.
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