http://www.wpherald.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20060419-111937-2883rIranian official's presence in U.S. queried
The Washington Times
WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration yesterday was at a loss to explain the rare presence in Washington of an Iranian government official who slipped into the United States under mysterious circumstances, apparently to attend a scholarly conference.
The State Department said that Mohammad Nahavandian, an economics and technology aide to Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, "is not here for meetings with U.S. government officials."
However, former Iranian President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said yesterday Mr. Nahavandian had received "an invitation to participate in a conference in America, being organized by U.S. scholars."
...
Homeland Security Department spokesman Russ Knocke said last night: "We are aware of the case and continue to look thoroughly into it"