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Death of nuclear scientist could lead to crackdown on enemies of state
Times Online ^ | January 13, 2010 | Catherine Philp

Posted on 01/12/2010 3:32:22 PM PST by myknowledge

The killing of an Iranian nuclear scientist on his own doorstep sounds like an incident straight out of a juicy spy novel. Or so the Iranian authorities would have us believe. The truth behind the murder of Masoud Ali-Mohammadi may remain shrouded in mystery.

Who benefits from his death? Not the alleged killers, the CIA or Mossad — unless Dr Ali-Mohammadi was such a high-level nuclear scientist that his death would decapitate the atomic weapons programme that most of the outside world believes Iran is trying to hide.

Experts and intelligence agencies are sceptical that any such individual exists, and if one does, Dr Ali-Mohammadi was an unlikely candidate.

His students have said that he had pledged written support to the opposition and was increasingly critical of the regime, although this did not make him an obvious target for the regime itself.

(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: iran; irancrackdown; massoudalimohammadi; nukescientist
If the Iranian mullahs killed a top nuke scientists, then they have just shot their nuke program in the foot.

If the Iranian mullahs killed a senior dissident of the mullahcracy, then they have eliminated another enemy of the state, which could be used as a pretext for the roundup of more enemies of the state.

1 posted on 01/12/2010 3:32:22 PM PST by myknowledge
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To: myknowledge
If the Iranian mullahs killed a top nuke scientists, then they have just shot their nuke program in the foot.

Not if he was 'done'.

2 posted on 01/12/2010 3:49:42 PM PST by UCANSEE2
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To: myknowledge
which could be used as a pretext for the roundup of more enemies of the state.

I'd say Iran's leaders consider an enemy of the state as any scientist with knowledge of their true 'nuclear' status.

3 posted on 01/12/2010 4:22:36 PM PST by UCANSEE2
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To: hennie pennie

*bookmark*


4 posted on 01/12/2010 5:23:57 PM PST by hennie pennie
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To: myknowledge
In a country where the nuclear programme has become a badge of honour, this assassination is ample excuse for a new crackdown on enemies of the regime and fresh proof, no doubt, of their links with Western backers bent on denying Iran its “nuclear rights”.

IMO, The regime does what it has to do as it has done for last 30 yrs - no further excuses are needed by the regime for further crackdown. Inside Iran, most people understand the regime's actions and intentions.

This repeated news is mainly for "outside Iran consumption", which, as usual, MSM and others have picked up on. IOW, for the regime it is a "storm in a tea cup".

5 posted on 01/13/2010 3:33:09 AM PST by odds
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