Russians employed at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear reactor suddenly depart in a body (rats leaving ship?)

Khorramshar News Agency via Debka ^ | 10-01-07

[yankeesdoodle]

The Khorramshar News Agency, which is published by the ethnic Arab underground of Iran’s oil-rich Khuzestan, reported early Oct. 1 that the entire staff of Russian nuclear engineers and experts employed in building the nuclear reactor at Bushehr had abruptly packed their bags Friday, Sept. 28, and flew back to Russia. The agency’s one-liner offers no source or explanation. DEBKAfile have obtained no corroboration of its report from any other source.

The story appears to have originated with the ethnic Arabs who live near the reactor or who come in contact with its Russian staff. If true, DEBKAfile can offer three hypothetical scenarios to account for the Russians’ precipitate departure:

1. Another crisis has cropped up in the patchy Russian-Iranian dealings over the Bushehr reactor. This is unlikely because Russian president Vladimar Putin is due for a high-profile visit to Tehran on Oct. 16, when he plans to sign a series of nuclear accords with the Islamic Republic. Furthermore, Moscow, like Beijing, stands foursquare behind Iran’s efforts to delay harsher sanctions for its continued uranium enrichment. Only this week, the two powers gained Iran two to three months’ grace by forcing a delay in the UN Security Council session that was to have approved a third round of sanctions.

2. Moscow or Tehran has been tipped off that a US or Israeli attack is imminent on the Bushehr plant and Iran’s other nuclear installations and acted to whip Russian personnel out of harm’s way.

[yankeesdoodle]

Are the rats fleeing the ship?

[lormand]

Perhaps there was a rumor of a laser being painted on top of the building?

[Perdogg]

I think it’s a contract dispute over the comissioning process.

[topher]

Just before Reagan bombed Tripoli [Libya] in the 1980s, Russian warships raised anchor and left Tripoli...

[I guess the two superpowers did not want to start a nuclear exchange over Reagan's bombing of Libya...]

[SolidWood]

The Iranians may be a bit dumbfounded after finding out that Russians sell you only worthless crap, as evidenced by Israel’s Syria raid.

[NativeNewYorker]

Russians employed at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear reactor suddenly depart in a body

Whose body?

[waimea.man]

Preparing for October 12?

[TigerLikesRooster]

I suspect Mullahs and Putin both feel that they are cunning and devious enough to exploit the other devil(s) to their advantage.

When and if Iranian reactors are bombed, would Russians be still inside, working and charging prohibitively huge fee for their service?

[cinives]

Maybe the Russian-made Iran AD system shut down suddenly ?

[Sender]

I think we would let the Russians know in the days before any attack, through professional courtesy. Then if they chose to stay, don’t blame us.

[Dilbert56]

I believe the raid on Osirak was timed to catch the workers off at church. This smells the same.

[airborne]

Perhaps the Russian nuclear technology they sold Iran is as lousy as the air defense technology they sold Syria.

[agere_contra]

The Russians didn’t want to get caught with their Pantsyr down.

[MrEdd]

Bush’s fault!

[Joe Boucher]

Should have just hit the damned place with russians inside.
Send a message to puttie and the russians

[Polynikes]

Has there been separate confirmation of this or is DEBKA the only source? They don’t have a stellar track record altho they do occasionally get things right.

[HardStarboard]

>>>Whose body? <<<

The Twelfth Imam's?

Don't tell Ahmadinejad....

[StormEye]

"The Iranians may be a bit dumbfounded after finding out that Russians sell you only worthless crap, as evidenced by Israel’s Syria raid."

I guess the Iranians have discoverd that Russia is not known for commercial manufacturing talent.

[GlennBeck08]

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[elhombrelibre]

Hoping Debka is right ping.