Iran says it has uncovered Western spy networks

[Joanne98]

Source: Reuters

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran has uncovered spy networks on its territory organized by occupying forces in Iraq and Iraqi groups, the Intelligence Ministry said in a statement published on Saturday.

"The Intelligence Ministry succeeded in finding, recognizing and confronting some spy networks of infiltrating elements from the Iraqi occupiers in west, southwest and central Iran," said the statement, carried by the official IRNA news agency.

"These spy networks were guided by the intelligence services of the occupiers and were supported by some influential Iraqi groups. The detailed news will be announced in the next few days."

It was not clear whether the "spy networks" were linked to the recent detentions by Iran of Iranian-Americans including U.S-based scholar Haleh Esfandiari, whom the ministry has accused of being linked to efforts to undermine Iran's government.



Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSBLA66287720070526

[Fridays Child]

1. Not that I believe Iran incapable of spin, but I do believe that this is probably...

...to a significant extent, accurate. And I wonder which side Ahmed Chalabi is on, in this one.

[hedda_foil]

2. Iran has always had a topnotch intel agency.

Ruthless but extremely professional. I'd be amazed if they weren't uncovering these spy networks every day and I'd expect them all to be thoroughly infiltrated.

[AnOhioan]

3. Iran 'uncovers US spy networks'

Source: BBC

Iran says it has uncovered several spy networks run by the US and its allies - the occupying forces in Iraq.

The intelligence ministry said it had "succeeded in uncovering, identifying and striking blows" at infiltrators organised by those forces.

The statement said the networks had been detected in western, south-western and central parts of Iran.

The allegations come two days before the Iran and US ambassadors meet in Baghdad to discuss the crisis in Iraq.


Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6695653.stm

[Solo_in_MD]

4. "spies" claims in the middle east are always amusing, they have more tinfoil that oil

[Kagemusha]

5. When Nicholas Burns talks about expanding ties, they should be suspicious.

...Granted it's in a ham-handed and propaganda-heavy manner, but I'm just saying, it's not like their response is some sort of accident or random event here.

[Solo_in_MD]

9. THe *Arab Street* has always had a fascination with *spies*, and its hard to take seriously

[Kagemusha]

10. Regardless, the Iranian government isn't Arab, nor Street.

Not that it really matters but I'm a sucker for accuracy.

[Solo_in_MD]

13. Point well taken, but its clearly a regional *thang*

[High Plains]

17. Right. The CIA has never done anything in the Middle East

Silly Arabs and Persians.

[frankieT]

18. right. But you cannot dismiss the fact that spies exist ;)

Especially in these countries...

[MrPrax]

6. Iran uncovered them?

I thought ABCNews did?

Well then these 'Iranians' should be tried as terrorists for leaking government secrets?

My two cents...!

[ohio2007]

7. Smoke and mirrors to internal problems

I saw threads about dual citizenship Iranians being held. I knew they were going to earn the label "spy" in no time.

Any distraction to hide the collapse



Iran interest rate cut sparks panic selling


· President's shock order defies expert advice
· Bank shares plummet amid rampant inflation

snip

Mr Ahmadinejad's decree forced all state-owned and private banks to slash borrowing rates to 12%. Inflation is officially 15% but is generally believed to be much higher. State banks had been offering rates of 14%, while those in the private sector ranged from 17% to 28%.
The decision caused panic in the Tehran stock exchange, with private banks losing much of their share value overnight.

snip

http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,2088183,00.html

Yes, blame the spy for the collapse of the failed society plans. Hunt them down Macarthy style

[FarCenter]

8. From the Islamic Republic News Agency

Intelligence Ministry discovers several spy networks

Tehran, May 26, IRNA

Iran-Spy Networks

Iranian Intelligence Ministry said on Saturday that it discovered several spy networks at the Western, Southwestern and central Iran.


It said in a statement that the networks enjoyed guidance from intelligence services of the occupying powers in Iraq and Iraqi groups also were involved in the case.

The Intelligence Ministry said that details of the discovery will be released in the next few days.

http://www2.irna.com/en/news/view/line-22/0705260144195813.htm

[ohio2007]

11. Those areas happen to be where the Arab population of Iran are concentrated

not to mention where all the oil is concentrated.

Could it be ethnic cleansing, ala Saddam style in Iraq's Kurdish north, is on the table for discussion?
If this is the case,
the Arab world will further isolate their Persian Muslim brothers

[FarCenter]

15. Ethnic Cleansing?

Doubtful.

Ethnic cleansing of Kurds from Iran would be more likely, since they are both non-Persian and Sunni.

The Arab ethnic areas in Iran may simply be easier to penetrate using Iraqi and other Arab recruits.

[ohio2007]

16. Correct, but the UN and MSM won't call it the way you did

Arabs are 2nd class citizens in Iran. Members on this very board who have lived there and know that's the way it is.

MSM will say "an insurrection" against the government is being put down. never really going much past that point,leaving it all as a GWB genius plan

LOL,
yeah, like he couldn't figure how to fold a road map yet, is cunning enough to figure out how to get Sunni Arabs in Iran to do his RWC bidding.

from your post;
The Arab ethnic areas in Iran may simply be easier to penetrate using Iraqi and other Arab recruits.


inflation will get the population to rise up as the 'mayor of Tehran' never came through on all his promises. Except maybe to sabre rattle the price of oil up $10-$14 bbl

[Eugene]

12. Iran: No detail on missing American(s)

Source: Associated Press

Iran: No detail on missing American

By NASSER KARIMI, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 38 minutes ago

TEHRAN, Iran - Iran said Sunday it had "no exact report" about
an Iranian-American employee of a U.S. foundation promoting
democracy missing after a visit to his homeland — one of several
people believed detained in Iran amid rising tensions with the
United States.

Kian Tajbakhsh, an urban planning consultant who has also worked
for the World Bank, was detained around May 11, according to
George Soros' Open Society Institute. The group is a private
foundation that encourages democracy-building in countries around
the world.

His detention, and the detention of other Iranian-Americans in Iran,
come amid recent accusations by Iranian authorities that the U.S.
is using critics and dissidents to try to overthrow the country's
hard-line government.

-snip-

Hosseini also said he did not have any information another Iranian-
American, Ali Shakeri, who was supposed to leave Iran and fly to
Europe on May 13 but never arrived at his destination.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070527/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_detained_american_1

[Vidar]

14. It would be hard not to trip over a few of our spooks.

[maddezmom]

19. Iran summons Swiss envoy over U.S. "spy networks"

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned the Swiss ambassador to Tehran on Sunday to condemn what it said was U.S. backing of spy networks inside the Islamic Republic, the students' news agency ISNA reported.

The Swiss embassy represents U.S. interests in Iran, because Washington has not had a mission there since 1980, when Iranian students took 52 American diplomats hostage for 444 days.

"Iran's strong objection over America and its intelligence services' hostile interference in Iran's state matters was conveyed to the ambassador," ISNA quoted Foreign Ministry official Ahmad Sobhani as saying.

Iran's Intelligence Ministry said on Saturday that it had uncovered spy networks that were organised by occupying forces in Iraq as well as some Iraqi groups.

"Spy networks, guided by American intelligence services, have recently been discovered in west, southwest and central Iran," said Sobhani, who delivered Iran's protest to the Swiss ambassador.


more:http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyid=2007-05-27T181611Z_01_HAF764667_RTRUKOC_0_US-IRAN-USA-SWITZERLAND.xml