A former Iranian deputy defense minister whose reported disappearance in Turkey has sparked allegations of a Mossad and CIA-linked kidnapping, may have defected, Haaretz has learned. Intelligence official Ali Reza Azkari, 63, served in the senior defense post under former defense minister General Ali Samahani. Israeli media have said that for many years, Azkari was the most senior Iranian intelligence official in Lebanon, with responsibility for Iran's ties with Hezbollah. | Sigh, think of the stuff he knows.. |
Unnamed Arab diplomats have been quoted in Israeli media as charging that the Israeli Mossad and the Central Intelligence Agency kidnapped Azkari, who reportedly disappeared under mysterious circumstances from Istanbul, Turkey a month ago. Israel Channel 10 television said late on Sunday that Azkari was kidnapped on February 7, after arriving in Istanbul from Damascus. | Guys this high ranking don't normally get snatched, causes too much of a stink |
There has been no official Iranian statement on the reported affair. | Hummmmmm. If they thought he was kidnapped they'd be screaming about zionist plots and black jets |
According to one report, Azkari was to have stayed at a luxury hotel in the city, but disappeared before his planned arrival there. Another report held that he had checked into the hotel and was staying there at the time of his disappearance. The second account said that he left the hotel at one point and never returned, his baggage still in his room.
Iran reportedly sent a delegation of defense officials to Turkey last week to investigate the incident. It has also been reported that Iran has asked Interpol to open an investigation into the disappearance.
ADDITIONAL: March 5, 2007 -- JERUSALEM - A retired Iranian general linked to the killing of five American soldiers in Baghdad vanished mysteriously in Istanbul last month, Israeli media reported yesterday. Arab newspapers are hinting the CIA and/or the Israeli spy agency Mossad are behind the disappearance of Gen. Ali Reza Askari, the reports said.
Askari, a former deputy defense minister, arrived in Istanbul on a flight from Damascus on Feb. 7, left his luggage in his hotel room - and vanished.
The missing general was in charge of Iranian undercover operations in central Iraq, said the Debkafile, a Web site that often reflects the thinking of those in the Israeli security forces. Askari is believed to have taken part - or have links to - the armed group that stormed a U.S.-Iraqi command center in the holy city of Karbala on Jan. 20 and killed five U.S. troops, the Web site said. The attackers wore military uniforms and used vehicles often driven by foreign dignitaries in an attempt to impersonate Americans. A Middle East intelligence source said the United States could not let the outrage stand and had been hunting the general ever since, the Web site said. | OK, if he is in charge of those ops, we would snatch him. But why would he go to Turkey where he could be picked up unless..... |
On Feb. 6, two non-Turkish citizens made a reservation for Askari for three nights at the Istanbul Ceylan Hotel, paying cash, the site said. But after the general arrived, he booked himself into the cheaper Hotel Ghilan. He left his luggage in his room, walked out and disappeared. | Ok. That has defection written all over it. Only question is, defect to whom? |
More: Iranian Foreign Minister Manucohr Mottaki said that his government wants official Ankara to give an explanation concerning missing of Ali Rza Asgeri, the former Deputy Military Minister, APA reports. During his meeting in Tehran with the ChadÂ’s Foreign Minister he confirmed the fact to mass media the Iranian general is missing. He said that a delegation was sent to Iran with regard to it.
Syrian and Yemen media first spread information about the retired general Ali Rza’s missing. The newspapers told that Iranian general was kidnapped by the CIA of USA and Israel’s Intelligence “Mossad”. General Asgeri has served for the Iranian Revolution Guardsmen Corps for a long time and was the Deputy Minister of Former Defence Minister Ali Shamhani. He was engaged in establishing confidential contacts with Livan’s “Hezbollah” and provided the rooting of Iran agents under other names to this state in the 90’s.
Two non-Turkish citizens booked a room in one of the hotels for Asgeri. The next day Asgeri arrived in Istanbul after being registered he went out and did not come back. Tehran sent a delegation of intelligence officers. The investigations are still ineffective. Iran suspects the CIA and “Mossad”. Israel special services reject these charges. /APA/ |