Iran sentences American man to death in CIA case

[Rhiannon12866]

Source: Los Angeles Times

An Iranian court has convicted an American man of working for the CIA and sentenced him to death, state radio reported Monday.

An Iranian court has convicted an American man of working for the CIA and sentenced him to death, state radio reported Monday.

Iran charges that as a former U.S. Marine, Amir Mirzaei Hekmati received special training and served at U.S. military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan before heading to Iran for his alleged intelligence mission.

The radio report did not say when the verdict was issued. Under Iranian law, he has 20 days to appeal.

Hekmati, 28, was born in Arizona. His family is of Iranian origin. His father, who lives in Michigan, said his son is not a CIA spy and was visiting his grandmothers in Iran when he was arrested.



Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fgw-iran-cia-20120109,0,1572910.story

[dtexdem]

1. One never knows who is lying in such cases: the U.S. or Iran.

Neither can be trusted in such cases.

[ooglymoogly]

4. Neither can be trusted in any case. nt

[Rhiannon12866]

2. US condemns Iranian death sentence for American, rejects that ex-Marine was a CIA spy

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration Monday rejected Iran’s charge that a young Iranian-American man used a family trip to Iran as cover for espionage, after the Tehran government issued the first death penalty against a U.S. citizen since the Islamic Revolution 33 years ago. The U.S. suggested the decision was a political ploy.

In a case that surely will heighten tensions with Tehran, Iran charged Amir Mirzaei Hekmati with receiving special training and serving at U.S. military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan before traveling to Iran on an intelligence mission. A court convicted him of belonging to the CIA and trying to inculpate Iran of involvement in terrorism, according to a state radio report Monday.

The United States denied the accusations. The State Department called them a “complete fabrication” and White House spokesman Tommy Vietor added that “allegations that Mr. Hekmati either worked for or was sent to Iran by the CIA are false.”

“The Iranian regime has a history of falsely accusing people of being spies, of eliciting forced confessions and of holding innocent Americans for political reasons,” Vietor said in a statement.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/white-house-denies-charges-against-american-man-convicted-by-iranian-court-of-working-for-cia/2012/01/09/gIQANDaflP_story.html

[countryjake]

3. I cannot bear the thought of yet another war.

Net recommendation: 0 votes (Your vote: +1)...why someone is still doing the unreccing here is weird...maybe they are jonesing over at the new place, so they come back here to get their jollies off?

This story is disturbing on so many different levels...it's very hard to tell where the truth lies, anymore, but I had my suspicions when that drone was captured, now this just makes me go hmmmm.

[Rhiannon12866]

5. I like to think it's not personal

I do still have "the mark of the mod" by my name, after all. ;)

And I agree that it's impossible to discern what's really going on since there is so little transparency in the news that is doled out. The news is reduced to sound bytes or what it takes to fill a page, and then it's gone, no follow up. "How soon we forget" is absolutely true. *sigh* :( :hi: