Former FBI Agent on Private Business in Iran Missing

[Penndems]

Source: The Washington Post

By Robin Wright
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, April 2, 2007; 1:52 PM

A former FBI agent has been missing in Iran since March 8, according to U.S. officials.

The unnamed former agent was on private business, but the United States is now sufficiently concerned about his welfare that the State Department today sent a formal message to Iran through Swiss intermediaries asking about his whereabouts and his situation. The Swiss Embassy represents U.S. interests in Iran.

The American was visiting Kish Island, an Iranian resort and "free trade zone" off the country's southwestern coast that does not require an Iranian visa to visit. He had traveled to Iran from the United Arab Emirates, U.S. officials said.

"We don't know where he is. We have no reliable information on him," a senior official said. "I would not characterize him as a hostage."



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/02/AR2007040200653.html?hpid=topnews

[rurallib]

1. I thought doing business with Iran was illegal

so WTF was he doing there anyway?

[IChing]

4. Missing for almost a month and the State Dept. has a news conference

on this guy today.

Time to get your hate week theme going.
I bet the news conference on this guy was about
"Two Minutes Hate" long. They are early on this because
Hate Week is officially celebrated from April 4th to April 10th
in the novel 1984.

[Blue Meany]

5. It is illegal to be paid by an Iranian company but

it doesn't sound like this was the case. In fact, it sound like he was just meeting an Iranian resident there, probably because it was a place they could both get to without a lot of scrutiny from border guards. It would be interesting to know who he was working for and what he was doing. It is a bit suspicious.

[yodermon]

7. Not if you're Halliburton.

http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/linkscopy/HCtOiI.html

Halliburton Connected to Office in Iran

Dow Jones, 1 February 2001

Halliburton Co., the U.S. oil-services giant until recently headed by Vice President Richard Cheney, has opened an office in Tehran and operated in Iran in possible violation of U.S. sanctions, Thursday's Wall Street Journal reported.

Since 1995, U.S. laws have banned most American commerce with Iran. Halliburton Products and Services Ltd. works behind an unmarked door on the ninth floor of a new north Tehran tower block. A brochure declares that the company was registered in 1975 in the Cayman Islands, is based in the Persian Gulf sheikdom of Dubai and is 'non-American.' But, like the sign over the receptionist's head, the brochure bears the Dallas company's name and red emblem, and offers services from Halliburton units around the world.

[Kagemusha]

9. CIA?

Lord knows they have a tougher time getting intelligence on the ground there with Valerie Plame's network blown up. And if so, they wouldn't exactly admit it on CNN (they do want the guy back alive if possible after all).

My speculation can't hurt the man at this point so I'm just saying what logically comes to mind (and I'm sure the Iranians would suspect any ex-FBI agent on their soil anyway).

[scavenger]

2. the tables are turned

I bet Iran has secret prisons too, just like we do. They have a right to hold anyone they want, as long as they want, just like we do.

[global1]

3. If He Was Covert - He Probably Was Outed By The WH.....nt

[Penndems]

6. Paging Dick Armitage, Robert Novak, Mark Grossman, et. al . . .

Missing FBI agent - hop to it! :eyes:

[anotherdrew]

8. this is the island where they want to put their International Oil Bourse priced in Euro's

what a coincidence

[coalition_unwilling]

10. Maybe the former FBI agent has had an attack of conscience and

has "gone native".

I'm not going to feel real sorry for agents present or former of a government agency that has committed massive violations of U.S. law.

[chang0]

11. so ........

[soothsayer]

prolly with blackwater

[soothsayer]

12. prolly with blackwater

[ShortnFiery]

13. The timing and the fact that this would be public at all, is quite interesting.

When people go missing in almost ANY a foreign land, INITIALLY it is worked ONLY though "diplomatic channels." We can safely bet our next paycheck that our Idiot King is begging for ANY EXCUSE to bomb the hell out of Iran. I wonder what will be the next scene in this, IMO, highly orchestrated PLAY of the missing FBI? Perhaps we can name this saga, "I was a real/fictitious former FBI Agent (in IRAN :wtf:) for Dear Leader's perpetual war on terrorism?

[Robbien]

14. A retired Iranian spy comes to the US for unspecified reasons

The man would be whisked away to one of those off the books secret US prisons in no time. We would call him a terrorist.

This US spy being whisked away is being called a possible hostage.

That is what happens when the media is in the pockets of the western elite.

[seafan]

15. Ex-FBI agent from S. Florida is missing in Iran

Source: Miami Herald

Apr. 03, 2007


The United States is seeking information from Iran about a former FBI agent from South Florida who was reported missing while on a business trip there several weeks ago.
The missing man is identified by sources familiar with the circumstances as Robert A. Levinson, 59, of Coral Springs. A career FBI man, he primarily worked on traditional criminal issues such as organized-crime cases until he retired a decade ago.

.....


A tall, mustachioed man with an unblemished record, Levinson is described by fellow agents as an absolute intellect, having one of the highest IQs in the FBI.
''He is one of the most brilliant agents I have ever known,'' said Hugh Cochran, who retired from the FBI in 1996 after 29 years with the bureau.
Levinson also has phenomenal language abilities, several former colleagues said, recalling how he taught himself Spanish in less than two months.


The missing man was last heard from in early March while in a coastal area of southern Iran on or near Kish Island. When they didn't hear from him, his family alerted federal officials.
''We have been monitoring this situation for a couple of weeks now,'' said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.


The department has sent a letter to the Iranians through diplomatic intermediaries asking whether authorities there have any information about the man, McCormack said.
He did not say why it had taken three weeks to get in touch with Iran about the case.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/416/story/61675.html

[catnhatnh]

16. Not to quibble...

but in point of fact the only thing confirmed is that he is missing SINCE Iran....there is no proof he disappeared INTO or FROM Iran, or that his "disappearance" is in any way an indication of INVOLVEMENT by Iran, though the msm certainly try to insinuate this...

[Ian David]

17. Should he be legally allowed to be doing business in Iran, anyway? n/t