Iran calls VOA, BBC spy agencies

Taipei Times/AP ^ | 1/21/2010 | Taipei Times/AP

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Iran’s police chief on Saturday accused the Voice of America (VOA) and the BBC of being the arms of US and British intelligence agencies and warned of severe repercussions for journalists and activists caught having contacts with them, state media reported.

General Ismail Ahmadi Moghaddam, whose police forces have played a key role in the government crackdown on protesters since Iran’s disputed presidential election, was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying opposition activists have cooperated with the BBC and the Voice of America “with the aim of weakening and overthrowing the [ruling] system.”

“The BBC is the arm of MI6 [Britain’s foreign intelligence agency] and VOA belongs to the CIA,” IRNA quoted Moghaddam as saying. “Those who cooperate with foreign services through transmitting photos, reports, news and anti-revolutionary actions ... should know that all their actions are monitored.”

“We will settle accounts with them when the time comes,” Moghaddam said.

Tehran has repeatedly accused the US and Britain of fueling the country’s post-election unrest in a bid to oust Iran’s clerical rulers. It also frequently accuses its opponents of being in league with the country’s enemies and Moghaddam’s comments appear to be part of Tehran’s efforts to discredit the opposition by linking them with foreign powers.

[MissDairyGoodnessVT]

sounds like Moghaddam is 1st in line for the military dictatorhship