Top Iranian General Disappears

Very curious.

One respected analyst with sources in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard says Gen. Ali Reza Asgari has defected and is now in a European country with his entire family, where he is cooperating with the U.S.

Other reports have suggested that the general may have been kidnapped by the Israeli secret service, the Mossad. A spokesperson at the CIA declined to comment on the reported defection.

"This is a fatal blow to Iranian intelligence," said the source, explaining that Asgari knows sensitive information about Iran's nuclear and military projects. Iran called tens of its Revolutionary Guard agents working at embassies and cultural centers in Arab and European countries back to Tehran out of fear that Asgari might disclose secret information about their identities, according to the analyst.

More at the Jerusalem Post.

Arab newspapers are hinting that the Mossad and/or the CIA could be behind the disappearance of an Iranian general, Ali Reza Askari, who was last seen February 7 in Istanbul, Channel 10 reported Sunday evening.

Askari is a former general in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and served in the cabinet of former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami.

Baztab, a Web site linked to the Revolutionary Guard, first reported that Askari may have been kidnapped. Baztab recently reported that Askari's name was one of 20 appearing on what "appeared…to be a CIA hit-list [of former Guard officers]."

A win-win as far as I'm concerned. If he's out of the picture, then it hurts the Iranians. If he's cooperating with us, then it really hurts the Iranians.

UPDATE: This would explain much more if we indeed grabbed the guy.

A retired Iranian general linked to the killing of five American soldiers in Baghdad vanished mysteriously in Istanbul last month, Israeli media reported yesterday.

Arab newspapers are hinting the CIA and/or the Israeli spy agency Mossad are behind the disappearance of Gen. Ali Reza Askari, the reports said.

Askari, a former deputy defense minister, arrived in Istanbul on a flight from Damascus on Feb. 7, left his luggage in his hotel room - and vanished.

UPDATE II: More at Ace of Spades HQ.