Israel behind Iranian general's 'defection,' US official says

[Scurrilous]

Washington Post quotes official as saying that Asgari's disappearance was voluntary, orchestrated by Israel. Another American official says former Iranian defense official is providing Western intelligence agencies with information on Hizbullah-Iran ties

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3373967,00.html

<snip>

"A US official suggested Thursday that the disappearance of Iranian general Ali Rez Asgari was voluntary and orchestrated by Israel, according to a Washington Post report published Thursday.

The Post quoted another senior US official as saying that the former Iranian deputy defense minister, who once commanded the Revolutionary Guards, is providing Western intelligence agencies with information on Hizbullah and Iran's ties to the organization.

The senior US official told the newspaper that Asgari, who disappeared last month during a visit to Turkey, is willingly cooperating.

An Iranian official told the newspaper that Iranian intelligence is unsure of Asgari's whereabouts but that he may have been offered money, probably by Israel, to leave the country."

[frylock]

1. there's really no reason not to beleive this..

nope, no good reason at all.

[bemildred]

2. Course not.

Why wouldn't he suddenly switch sides and spill his guts to his lifelong worst enemies? He just suddenly realized he'd been wrong all his life and he needed to make amends.

[scarletwoman]

3. A detail worth noting -- this guy may have been involved in the Iran-Contra weapons deals.

This was mentioned in the comments section of Steve Clemon's "Washington Note" blog: http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/001991.php (scroll down to the comment by Pissed Off American at March 9, 2007 10:59 PM)

I've been trying to track down something more definitive, but all I've found so far have been other passing references to him as the being the "Mr. Asghari in Europe" who received the Iran-Contra weapons shipments at NATO bases.

I haven't tried to look up a full history of the whole Iran-Contra affair -- I don't have time just now -- but if this is true, that Asgari (or Asghari) IS the guy who was the Iranian conduit for the Iran-Contra weapons operation, that lends a whole other dimension to this "defection", don't you think?

sw

[Amused Musings]

5. This was my suspicion too

Mr. Asghari might have used old networks and contacts within the spy community. The lines of who is on which side can be blurry and nowhere was this more apparent than during the Cold War.

[scarletwoman]

6. "The lines of who is on which side can be blurry..." You said it!

I wonder how much of the truth of this we'll ever find out. Not that I'll get my hopes up.

sw

[rockymountaindem]

4. This sounds like the time in 1966 when Israel got a MiG-21 pilot from Iraq

to fly to Israel. That was a huge score.