Israel on worldwide alert after disappearance of Iran official

The Drudge Report - World Tribune ^ | March 7, 2007

[Quilla]

JERUSALEM — Israel has placed its foreign installations on alert after a newspaper reported the defection of a senior Iranian official in Turkey.

The alert was issued after Israel was blamed for the disappearance of a former Iranian deputy defense minister in Turkey. An Iranian delegation has been sent to Turkey and demanded the whereabouts of Ali Reza Asqhari, missing from an Istanbul hotel since Feb. 7.

The 63-year-old Asqhari, believed to have been a senior official in Iran's missile and nuclear weapons program, arrived in Istanbul from Damascus and had been registered in the Ceylon Hotel. But it was not clear whether he checked into the hotel.

On Tuesday, the London-based A-Sharq Al Awsat reported that Asqhari defected and was taken to the United States. The United States has not commented on the report. On Wednesday, the Saudi-owned newspaper quoted an Iranian military source as saying that Ashqhari was taken to an unidentified northern European state where he was being interrogated on Iran's nuclear weapons program.

Last week, Western intelligence sources said Asqhari, a former IRGC general, was believed to have defected as part of a CIA campaign to recruit Iranian scientists and defense officials. Asqhari was said to have been the Defense Ministry's liasion with Iran's strategic programs under Ali Shamkhani, who served as defense minister until 2006.

"It is likely that Asqhari has been abducted by the Western intelligence services," Iranian police chief Gen. Esmaeil Ahmadi Moghaddam said.

Israeli officials said the Defense Ministry and Foreign Ministry have increased security on embassies and legations throughout the world. They said the government declared an alert after Teheran accused the Jewish state of abducting a senior Iranian official.

"The prospect of an Iranian retaliation or provocation exists," an Israeli official said.

On Wednesday, Israel's National Security Council warned of the prospect of an imminent attack on Israelis in such countries as Egypt and Jordan. The council's Counter-Terrorism Division urged Israelis to leave all Arab countries immediately.

Israeli officials said Iran could retaliate by seeking to attack Israeli embassies or abducting government representatives. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was said to operate a special unit for such attacks.

At one point, Asqhari was also the IRGC's liasion with Hizbullah and helped develop its military force, the sources said. They said Turkey has determined that Asqhari defected to the United States and possessed information on Iran's intervention in Iraq, Lebanon and Syria.

[Frank_Discussion]

Ahmajihader may not care what the source of the dissapearance is - he may claim whatever he wants as an excuse to do something bad...

[Frank_Discussion]

GMTA!

[Frank_Discussion]

An guarded by Chuck Norris. :)

[Frank_Discussion]

(would you like to play a game?)

[NonValueAdded]

Gotta blame the Joooooooooooos.

[RaceBannon]

No, that would be an act of their god (Satan)

[La Enchiladita]

Maybe he just wanted a falafel...?

[saganite]

Thanks.

[Moleman]

Who is the reporter on this? Should be prosecuted for out-ing this Iranian-General/CIA operative. MSM reporting that this was leaked by Scooter Libby...

[shield]

Defection...LOL...not surprised however.....

[Milwaukee_Guy]

Why is a missing Iranian missile guy Israel's responsibility? If Israel nabbed him, tough toodles. It happens in the big world, deal with it Mullahs.

Why is this an issue now when the Iranian disappeared Feb. 7?

Why the Israeli "alert" now?

Either Drudge bolted too early on some obscure news source or Iran is using an apparent defection as a provocation for offensive action.

Don't be stupid Iran. I'm hoping Drudge moved too early on thin data.

Otherwise, the Mullahs in Iran have a death wish.

I've always thought that the Mullahs in Iran might be stupid enough to initiate hostilities against us or Israel. They have been drinking their own Kool-
Aid for far too long.

The Mullahs in Iran -may- just be stupid enough to believe their own rhetoric.

[LurkedLongEnough]

Israel was blamed for the disappearance..."

Among many other things, by Iran.

[null and void]

Otherwise, the Mullahs in Iran have a death wish.

No indication that they don't.

[idkfa]

If he defected to the West, I wonder how long he worked for us before it got too hot and he had to defect?

[mcg2000]

Wouldn't surprise anyone if the whackjobs in Tehran excuted their own and blamed Israel for a kidnapping.

[Alas Babylon!]

It depends on their faith. According to the even more whacked out version of Shi'ia (if that's possible) in Iran, the 12th Imam will NOT return until the world is in utter chaos and warfare, with the forces of Light (meaning themselves) getting shellacked by the Jewish Anti-Christ.

You'd think that the high and mighty of that country really wouldn't believe their own rhetoric; they're just in it for the money and power, but then you never can tell. Achmandinijad went to the UN and reported seeing a blue light settle on the delegates and not one blinked for 30 minutes as he spoke (ranted on about the evil USA). It was one of the most bizarre tales I've ever heard from a national leader.

We should not underestimate their insane faith. It makes them ultra dangerous, IMHO.

[Alexander Rubin]

I was wondering if someone was going to make that allusion.

[baubau]

I read earlier today that he was kidnapped by the israelis, maybe the mossad.

I don't blame the israelis for being on alert. This spells trouble for Israelies worldwide.

[Lijahsbubbe]

they're parking in handicapped spaces and eating the last cookie out of the jar.Stealing all of the samples at the grocery store too. ;)