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Iran Fingers US in Scientist's Disappearance

Researcher, AWOL in Saudi Arabia, rumored to work at Qom facility

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 8, 2009 8:30 AM CDT

(Newser) – Iran’s foreign minister has accused the US of conspiring with Saudi Arabia in the disappearance of Shahram Amiri, a scientist thought to be involved in Iran’s nuclear program. Amiri disappeared four months ago on a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia—around the time President Obama asked for a report on the Qom facility. “We’ve obtained documents about US involvement,” Manouchehr Mottaki said yesterday. “We hold Saudi Arabia responsible for Shahram Amiri’s situation and consider the US to be involved in his arrest.”

Amiri is a researcher at a university connected to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, and was on an EU list last year of scientists involved in Iran’s nuclear activities. Links to the Qom facility are unconfirmed, the Washington Post reports, but an Iranian news site is claiming he defected to the US with info on the facility. A State Department spokesman professed ignorance about the case. An Iranian analyst said the government was probably worried Amiri had defected.

This satellite image taken Saturday Sept. 26, 2009, provided by GeoEye shows a facility under construction inside a mountain located about 20 miles north northeast of Qom, Iran.
This satellite image taken Saturday Sept. 26, 2009, provided by GeoEye shows a facility under construction inside a mountain located about 20 miles north northeast of Qom, Iran.   (AP Photo/GeoEye Satellite Image, IHS Jane's Analysis)
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki speaks during a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu, unseen, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki speaks during a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu, unseen, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009.   (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 9 comments
bewilderbeast
Oct 9, 2009 2:51 AM CDT
Yeah, Derni - And we'll leave the mess and the hatred and America's plummeting fortunes and rising debt to our grankids. But at least we'll have had the satisfaction of acting like we knew what we were doing and pretending we had quick fixes. The LAST thing we'll do (while we're still top dog) is actually, y'know, TALK to them towelheads!! We're John Wayne and Ronald Reagan, after all. Yours and "whocares?" thirdherd's attitudes will bring great sadness to a future America when it returns to the world as an ordinary citizen, no longer the big rich bully.
bewilderbeast
Oct 9, 2009 2:44 AM CDT
Another easy solution by Tim2K the hero-by-proxy ("send em in, I'll shout from the sidelines").
Derni
Oct 8, 2009 7:30 AM CDT
I appreciate and applaud secret missions to solve world problems-keep up the good work-it beats the cost of war-hman and monetery

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