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Former Iranian Defense Official Talks to Western Intelligence
Washington Post ^ | March 8, 2007 | Dafna Linzer

Posted on 03/07/2007 8:33:56 PM PST by bnelson44

A former Iranian deputy defense minister who once commanded the Revolutionary Guard has left his country and is cooperating with Western intelligence agencies, providing information on Hezbollah and Iran's ties to the organization, according to a senior U.S. official.

Ali Rez Asgari disappeared last month during a visit to Turkey. Iranian officials suggested yesterday that he may have been kidnapped by Israel or the United States. The U.S. official said Asgari is willingly cooperating. He did not divulge Asgari's whereabouts or specify who is questioning him, but made clear that the information Asgari is offering is fully available to U.S. intelligence.

Asgari served in the Iranian government until early 2005 under then-President Mohammad Khatami. Asgari's background suggests that he would have deep knowledge of Iran's national security infrastructure, conventional weapons arsenal and ties to Hezbollah in south Lebanon. Iranian officials said he was not involved in the country's nuclear program, and the senior U.S. official said Asgari is not being questioned about it. Former officers with Israel's Mossad spy agency said yesterday that Asgari had been instrumental in the founding of Hezbollah in the 1980s, around the time of the bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: hezbollah; hizballah; hizbullah; iran; wot
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Looks like confirmation
1 posted on 03/07/2007 8:33:57 PM PST by bnelson44
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To: Valin; jmc1969; bnelson44; tobyhill; Recovering Ex-hippie; misterrob; traderrob6; PGalt; Allegra; ..

ping


2 posted on 03/07/2007 8:35:36 PM PST by bnelson44 (Proud parent of a tanker! If you are military please sign at: http://appealforcourage.org)
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To: bnelson44

Perhaps the Israelis want to trade him for Pollard

In all seriousness, though, this is straight out of "The Cardinal of The Kremlin". Maybe they have a copy in Tel Aviv. Not quite Jack Ryan getting the KGB director on a State Dept transport while Mr Clark makes off with his family in a sub, but a defection in Istanbul has a "From Russia With Love" feel to it.

This appears to be quite a get.

Of course, the Post puts it on A16 where no one will see it. If the commander of US Special Forces or Paul Wolfowitz(this guy's equivalent) defected to Iran, that would be page 1 news and the worst blow to US intelligence since Ames and Hanssen. When the US and Israel pull off the reverse, the Post puts it on A16. What a lousy operation they're running.


3 posted on 03/07/2007 8:42:15 PM PST by jeltz25
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To: bnelson44

Wasn't there a high level Soviet agent that "defected' only to return to the USSR? I seem to recall it happening in the 80's.


4 posted on 03/07/2007 8:48:18 PM PST by Valin (History takes time. It is not an instant thing.)
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To: Valin

IIRC there was Chinese scientist who developed WMD in the US and then went back to his commie homeland to build weapons.


5 posted on 03/07/2007 8:50:47 PM PST by endthematrix (Both poverty and riches are the offspring of thought.)
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To: All

ADDING 1 link:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1793738/posts?page=337#337


6 posted on 03/07/2007 8:53:04 PM PST by Cindy
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To: jeltz25

This doesn't need to be on page 1. Tehran will know we have him now. I bet this weekend's discussions in Baghdad will be quite interesting. ;-)


7 posted on 03/07/2007 8:58:44 PM PST by bnelson44 (Proud parent of a tanker! If you are military please sign at: http://appealforcourage.org)
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To: jeltz25
Perhaps the Israelis want to trade him for Pollard

If what they say is true, he would be worth it. What a huge blow to Iran.

8 posted on 03/07/2007 9:06:08 PM PST by montag813
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To: bnelson44

I wonder if this fellow has anything to do with Curt
Weldon's information contact in Iran?....JJ61


9 posted on 03/07/2007 9:16:02 PM PST by JerseyJohn61 (Better Late Than Never.......sometimes over lapping is worth the effort....)
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To: bnelson44

Bet Israel has an ear in the door to these conversations....


10 posted on 03/07/2007 9:22:04 PM PST by AZRepublican ("The degree in which a measure is necessary can never be a test of the legal right to adopt it.")
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To: bnelson44

This rates an "Allahu fubar!"


11 posted on 03/07/2007 9:33:25 PM PST by sheik yerbouty ( Make America and the world a jihad free zone!)
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To: All
Please spread the word about an appeal for redress that people in the military can sign to show support for the mission:


www.appealforcourage.org

12 posted on 03/07/2007 9:33:48 PM PST by bnelson44 (Proud parent of a tanker! If you are military please sign at: http://appealforcourage.org)
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To: endthematrix

I'm detecting a trend. :-)


13 posted on 03/07/2007 9:36:30 PM PST by Valin (History takes time. It is not an instant thing.)
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To: bnelson44

Not for Iran's sake, but as news that the West has gotten such a top guy. If this was 1963 and the head of the KGB in East Germany turned up in Western Hands, that would be A1 news. All I'm saying if that Hillary or Barack was President the NYT and the WaPo would be front page about what a great coup this was and how great the Administration is doing. But since it's W, not a peep.


14 posted on 03/07/2007 9:39:01 PM PST by jeltz25
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To: Bahbah; 1COUNTER-MORTER-68; 4butnomorethan30characters

You guys may have seen this, but just in case....


15 posted on 03/07/2007 9:39:29 PM PST by pinz-n-needlez (Jack Bauer wears Tony Snow pajamas)
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To: pinz-n-needlez

Hi,Pinz,,,Great News,,,this guy is a big fish,,,
The lil'man from iran has krapped his pants by now,,,LOL;0)


16 posted on 03/07/2007 10:34:13 PM PST by 1COUNTER-MORTER-68 (THROWING ANOTHER BULLET-RIDDLED TV IN THE PILE OUT BACK~~~~~)
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To: AdmSmith; TexKat; jhp; Dog; Coop; jeffers; nuconvert; Arizona Carolyn; BurbankKarl; SE Mom; ...

ping


17 posted on 03/07/2007 10:40:45 PM PST by jeffers
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To: bnelson44

I bet the Russians are panicing as well.


18 posted on 03/07/2007 10:48:43 PM PST by Proud_USA_Republican (We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good. - Hillary Clinton)
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To: jeltz25
Perhaps the Israelis want to trade him for Pollard.

I'll trade them Pollard, and the secret recipes for Coke and KFC. This guy would be well worth it.

19 posted on 03/07/2007 10:49:49 PM PST by Zeroisanumber (Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?)
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To: Valin

The book was called "Escape From The CIA" It was Colonel Vitaly Yurchenko.


20 posted on 03/07/2007 10:52:23 PM PST by GregB (Please pray for my grandchildren,Anna and Jacob!!!)
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