Update on OBL capture, the almost immediate US State Department denial, and my re-assessment as to why US State was involved.
In the current update at www.homelandsecurityus.com I wrote:
"I think there is a valid and logical reason for a State Department denial of the Osama capture reports. I think State spoke up because they are in active negotiations with Iran over this issue, either via a second party's "good offices" or directly with the Iranians. This has the potential to make such contact an absolute necessity. The US State Department would have to become involved due to PROTOCOL if Osama were in fact captured on Iranian territory."
Well, I believe the Iranians themselves have informed us whose "good offices" the US State Department used - the Italian Foreign Ministry.
Read the following carefully, pay attention to "detail".
http://www.iribnews.com/Full_en.asp?news_id=197459&n=36 2004/01/29
Frattini inform Powell on Iran talks
11:11:56 Þ.Ù
Rome, Jan 29 - Right after leaving Iran, Italy's Minister of Foreign Affairs Franco Frattini on Wednesday informed in detail the US Secretary of State Colin Powell on phone of his Tuesday talks with Iranian officials.
Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, issuing a communique on Wednesday, announced, "Minister of Foreign Affairs Franco Frattini in his Wednesday phone talks with the US Secretary Colin Powell, informed him of Italy's stand on the need to cooperate with Iran in international campaign against terrorism, narcotic drugs trafficking, assistance in reconstruction of Iraq, and power transfer in that country."
However, the communique also bears some comments on the stand taken by Iran regarding the current international affairs, saying "Tehran, aware of the international community's concerns regarding issues such as weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), human rights, and terrorism, has announced its full readiness to cooperate with the west in those fields."
The communique voices a meddling hope for a free and fair parliamentary elections to be held in Iran, a country already witness to dozens of free and fair elections.
m/k