Nuke scientist back in Iran
Source: Agencies |
July 16, 2010, Friday
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Flashing a victory sign, an Iranian nuclear scientist who claims he was abducted a year ago and abused by United States agents returned yesterday to his homeland and into the heart of the latest crossfire between Washington and Tehran.
Shahram Amiri's pre-dawn arrival capped a stunning tumble of events over the past month that included leaked videos with mixed messages, Amiri surfacing at a diplomatic compound in Washington and the White House finally acknowledging his presence in the country.
The US says he was a willing defector who changed his mind and decided to board a plane home from Washington. Amiri has told a very different tale, claiming he was snatched while on a pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia and bundled off to the US to be harshly interrogated and offered millions of dollars by the CIA to speak against Iran.
Amiri was embraced by his family - including his tearful 7-year-old son - and greeted by a top envoy from Iran's Foreign Ministry. The 32-year-old Amiri smiled and gave the V-for-victory sign.
Speaking to journalists after a flight via Qatar, Amiri repeated his earlier claims that he was snatched while in the Saudi holy city of Medina and carried off to the US.
The first months were full of intense pressures, he alleged. "I was under the harshest mental and physical torture," he said at the Tehran airport, with his young son sitting on his lap.
He also alleged that Israeli agents were present during the interrogations and that CIA officers offered him US$50 million to remain in America. He gave no further details to back up the claims but promised to reveal more later.
"I have some documents proving that I've not been free in the United States and have always been under the control of armed agents of US intelligence services," he said.
Previously he claimed that CIA agents "pressured me to help with their propaganda against Iran," including offering him up to US$10 million to talk to US media and claim to have documents on a laptop against Iran. He said he refused to take the money.
But the Washington Post reported that the CIA paid Amiri US$5 million to provide intelligence on Iran's nuclear program. The Post said on its online edition on Wednesday the money came from a secret program aimed at inducing scientists and others with information on Iran's nuclear program to defect.
Yesterday, Amiri sought to play down his role in Iran's nuclear program - which Washington and allies fear could be used to create atomic weapons. Iran says it only seeks energy-producing reactors. "I am a simple researcher who was working in the university. I'm not involved in any confidential jobs. I had no classified information."
Shahram Amiri's pre-dawn arrival capped a stunning tumble of events over the past month that included leaked videos with mixed messages, Amiri surfacing at a diplomatic compound in Washington and the White House finally acknowledging his presence in the country.
The US says he was a willing defector who changed his mind and decided to board a plane home from Washington. Amiri has told a very different tale, claiming he was snatched while on a pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia and bundled off to the US to be harshly interrogated and offered millions of dollars by the CIA to speak against Iran.
Amiri was embraced by his family - including his tearful 7-year-old son - and greeted by a top envoy from Iran's Foreign Ministry. The 32-year-old Amiri smiled and gave the V-for-victory sign.
Speaking to journalists after a flight via Qatar, Amiri repeated his earlier claims that he was snatched while in the Saudi holy city of Medina and carried off to the US.
The first months were full of intense pressures, he alleged. "I was under the harshest mental and physical torture," he said at the Tehran airport, with his young son sitting on his lap.
He also alleged that Israeli agents were present during the interrogations and that CIA officers offered him US$50 million to remain in America. He gave no further details to back up the claims but promised to reveal more later.
"I have some documents proving that I've not been free in the United States and have always been under the control of armed agents of US intelligence services," he said.
Previously he claimed that CIA agents "pressured me to help with their propaganda against Iran," including offering him up to US$10 million to talk to US media and claim to have documents on a laptop against Iran. He said he refused to take the money.
But the Washington Post reported that the CIA paid Amiri US$5 million to provide intelligence on Iran's nuclear program. The Post said on its online edition on Wednesday the money came from a secret program aimed at inducing scientists and others with information on Iran's nuclear program to defect.
Yesterday, Amiri sought to play down his role in Iran's nuclear program - which Washington and allies fear could be used to create atomic weapons. Iran says it only seeks energy-producing reactors. "I am a simple researcher who was working in the university. I'm not involved in any confidential jobs. I had no classified information."
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