Iranian General Ali Reza Asghari, who was instrumental in building Hezbollah, presents a vault of intelligence information regardless whether he defected or was taken hostage.
The Iranian former deputy defense minister who disappeared in Turkey last month left his country with documents that prove that there is a link between the Iranian military establishment and terror groups including Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah, the pan-Arab newspaper al-Sharq al-Awsat reported Friday.
A former colleague of Ali Reza Asghari, 63, told the newspaper, which is published in London, that the document also cites groups such as the Mahdi Shi’ite militia operating in Iraq.
It is a known Iran aides Hezbollah and the Mahdi Army, but Islamic Jihad is news to me. According to several recent reports, Hamas was the Palestinian faction Iran sought to do business with, not Hamas’ Fatah rivals.
But a new report presents an interesting twist. Was Asghari a spy of an unknown European nation, contracted in 2003 and left Iran after his cover was about to be blown? That is precisely what the Times of London is reporting.
An Israeli newspaper, Yedioth Aharonot, claimed this weekend that Mossad, Israel’s external security service, had orchestrated his defection. There is some evidence that the Mossad station in Istanbul was involved in shadowing Asgari after he arrived in Turkey via Damascus last month.
It is unclear which intelligence organisation he was spying for. “He probably was working for Mossad but believed he was working for a European intelligence agency,” said an Israeli defence source.
Where there’s one mole in Iran, I suspect there are more. And let us hope that is the case as they could be instrumental in changing the regime nestled in Tehran.
Right Truth linked with The Iranian defector, or should I say spy?
Panther6170 - 
Tom Killebrew - 
Emm Bayoumi - 
lyndsey -
This is great that he has been a spy since 2003, but for which country I wonder? And where is he now, who has him? Was his exit from Iran voluntary and is he safe? Or did Iran find out about his spying? If so let’s hope he actually did get out safely.
Comment by Debbie — Sunday, March 11, 2007 @ 3:02 pm UTC
Supposedly Asghari’s family left Iran very near the date he did, therefore the idea of a defection is sound. It also means, thankfully, he and his family are safe . . . at least for now. Iran has a long history of getting to people outside of their nation, but I suspect Asghari will be whisked away somewhere and placed under watch for his safety.
As far as which country he spied for, I have a hard time believing someone who rose as high as he did in the Iranian government worked for Mossad. It’s not impossible, mind you, but it would just seem to be the exact opposite situation one would expect. My guess is he was a British spy.
Comment by Chad — Sunday, March 11, 2007 @ 3:23 pm UTC
The General was said to have built Hezbollah if that is the case I hardly think he was an agent for Israel.Israel was caught by surprise several times during the war. Surprises that were deeply costly to its Military and its reputation.
Comment by Pog — Monday, March 12, 2007 @ 5:30 am UTC