The story emerged today that the missising Iranian nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri has surfaced at the Pakistani Embassy in the USA. It was belived by the Tehran Governemnt that Mr Amiri was kidnapped by the CIA over a year ago, however this has been strongly denied by the US. Video footage of Mr Amiri was released at several intervals during his disapearrance and sent out contradictory messages over his whereabouts and the involvement of the CIA in the situation. Mr Amiri was said to have worked as a researcher at a university in Tehran, however it is belived that he was involved in the country’s atomic energy organisation and implicated in their controversial nuclear programme.
The third video, in which Mr Amiri dismisses claims that he is living freely in America contains footage that states “I am not free here and I am not permitted to contact my family. If something happens and I do not return home alive, the US government will be responsible.”
There are two opposing views in this story and as outsiders it is difficult to decipher the real reasons behind Mr Amiri’s whereabouts in the US. Irani sources maintain he was kidnapped and the US continue to claim that he was in fact working for them and revealing potentially important information about the Iranian nuclear weapons programme. Whatever side of the story is true, the case of Mr Amiri is set to cause embarrassment to the US spy agencies as details of his involvement emerge.
Cases such as these highlight the little knowledge made available to the public over what really goes on behind the scenes in regard to relations between the US and the Middle East and the implications that entail. Would being in the know protect us any further? or is it best to let organisations such as the CIA and MI5 etc get on with it?
Update: 15th July 2010
According to the BBC, Mr Amiri said he was placed under intense pressure by his interrogators to co-operate in the first months following his alleged kidnapping.
“I was under the harshest mental and physical torture,” he said, adding that Israeli agents had been present during the interrogations and that the CIA had offered him $50m to remain in the US.
“The Americans wanted me to say that I defected to America of my own will to use me for revealing some false information about Iran’s nuclear work. But with God’s will, I resisted.”
Mr Amiri offered no evidence, but said he would eventually.
“I have some documents proving that I’ve not been free in the US and have always been under the control of armed agents of US intelligence services”
Shahram Amiri
“I have some documents proving that I’ve not been free in the United States and have always been under the control of armed agents of US intelligence services.”
What is shocking is the fact the BBC news at 10 did not even cover this story?
Why would that be, surely its newworthy enough…
The BBC did cover it on their website however that is only read by a limited audence…
The US had repeatedly said it had no information about Mr Amiri.
However, yesterday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton acknowledged publicly for the first time that the scientist was in the US – but she flatly denied allegations of abduction.
“Mr Amiri has been in the United States of his own free will and he is free to go,” she said.
Iranian media reports say Mr Amiri worked as a researcher at a university in Tehran, but some reports say he worked for the country’s atomic energy organisation and had in-depth knowledge of its controversial nuclear programme.