Whether the Iranian nuclear physicist defected, or was kidnapped, or both, one thing is clear about his story. by Dan Alba
(libertarian)
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Iranian nuclear physicist Shahram Amiri disappeared in June 2009 while on holy pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. In March 2010, U.S. news media reported that he had finally appeared in the United States. Since then, his story has been reported from an unmistakable perspective.
The 'Exclusive' Hails
ABC News appeared to have the scoop on March 30,2009, with "EXCLUSIVE: Iran Nuclear Scientist Defects to U.S. In CIA 'Intelligence Coup'," saying that Amiri defected of his own accord and that, in any event, Amiri's defection would be necessary to thwart the Iranians' allegedly illicit nuclear-energy program. All U.S. officials agree.
And no big deal, anyway. "Since the late 1990s," the report says, "the CIA has attempted to recruit Iranian scientists and officials through contacts made with relatives living in the United States." The report did not say: "The CIA uses bribery, blackmail, torture, death threats, and generally coercive tools to make people do things against their will."
Besides, Amiri "worked at Tehran's Malek Ashtar University, which is closely connected to Iran's Revolutionary Guard, according to the Associated Press." The report did not say: "The IRG is officially deemed a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department, so be scared."
"A colleague of Amiri's at Tehran University called the disappearance 'a disturbing sign' and blamed the Saudis for helping the U.S., according government-approved English-language web site Press TV," the editor added. The editor did not add: "ABC's operations are not necessarily approved by the U.S. government."
The 'Defector' Speaks
On June 7, 2010, the standard-bearer of American journalism, The Associated Press, reported news of a video in which Amiri claims he was kidnapped by U.S.-aligned Saudi agents and extraordinarily rendered to the United States, where he was tortured by U.S. agents.
He claimed that during his stay in the U.S. he was forced to say he defected and forced to say he brought important evidence with him, including a laptop with classified material on Iran's nuclear program. He said he was being used to put pressure on Iran. ["Iran TV shows video said to be missing scientist," 6/7/10]
Hours later, the AP published a corrective report with a new title, fuller narrative, and a quote from a U.S. official denying Amiri's claimed suffering:
"It's absurd for anyone to claim that the United States is in the business of torturing people into false claims of defection—or anything else. That's not how we work, it makes no sense, and it's just not so."
Who knows why the editors had to rely on an anonymous source; that particular lie is often told publicly. Maybe they were under specially intense deadline pressure.
The 'Scientist Surfaces'
In a July 13 AP report, the identity of the man claiming he was kidnapped and tortured is questioned.
Iran's state TV has periodically showed purported videos of Amiri claiming abduction and torture by the U.S.
One of the videos, aired in early June, showed a man wearing headphones and speaking through what appeared to be a webcam . . . ["Iran: Missing scientist surfaces in Washington," 7/13/10]
The unseen camera "appeared to be a webcam," yet the man seen in the video doesn't necessarily "[appear]" to be the man in the concurrently captioned photo. (How often do "purported" videos of Osama bin Laden appear unauthentic in the popular press?)
Officials Say...
For the July 13 AP report, "Defector do-over? Missing Iranian wants to go home," a discreet omission in the story is Amiri's claim that he was drugged and tortured, while obvious additions are more-decidedly pro-policy narratives and editorial conclusions.
The easily marginalized Iranian government becomes the only reliable source of the kidnap and torture claims.
Iran — and at one point, scientist Shahram Amiri — claimed the CIA had kidnapped him; the U.S. said Tuesday that nothing of the sort happened. [para. 2]
So far as his story has been reported, Amiri has not rescinded the kidnapping claim. By "and at one point . . ." the editor simply weakens Amiri's claim in time for U.S. officials to strike it down. Not surprisingly, the denial is then supported with editorial narrative:
The U.S. has denied Iran's accusation that U.S. agents kidnapped Amiri — a charge that grew more confused with the appearance in recent months of videos purporting to show Amiri making conflicting claims about his fate.
In one, he claimed U.S. and Saudi "terror and kidnap teams" snatched him; in another, he said he was happily studying for a doctorate in the U.S. [pars. 6,7]
Those are not conflicting claims. In 2009, he was snatched; in 2010 he is living well. The second claim does not deny the first one: the second is a new claim.
Regardless, the editor's flawed assertion "gave credence to the theory that Amiri, 32, might have been coerced by Iran into claiming he was kidnapped." [para. 7]
Too bad other hypotheses don't exist, or are too philosophical, too "controversial" to consider. According to the report, the only relevant conspiracies are divined by the independent experts, like a "senior fellow at the Center for Security Policy and a former operations officer for the CIA"; an "Iran expert at the American Enterprise Institute"; "Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton"; "State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley"; and "ABC News."
But no matter how he disappeared, AP analysis assures, "important questions remain about what of value — if anything — Amiri shared with American intelligence about the Iranian nuclear program." [para. 9]
The CIA, CSP, AEI, the State Dept., and the AP apparently agree: the U.S. government is above the law anyway, and rightfully so. Never mind the moral and legal questions about U.S. war policy. Shahram Amiri's potential for value apparently is based on faith in the empire's superior morals and wisdom, as the world's "most trusted" giants of the free press continue to agree with a policy of contriving and slaying demons across the planet:
Reliable and timely information about Iran's nuclear program is of enormous importance to the Obama administration and other countries seeking to stop the Islamic republic from getting the bomb. [para. 4]
Whether Sahram Amiri defected or was snatched, or both, one thing is clear about his story: it has evolved into a defense of his would-be snatchers and a justification for imperial war-making.
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