U.S., Israeli Controversial Reports on Arrest of 13 Spies
June 10, 1999 - 0:0
TEHRAN -- The head of the Information Department of Fars Province announced yesterday that 13 Iranian Zionists who were spying for the Israeli and U.S. intelligence agencies have been arrested in Shiraz. An informed source told the TEHRAN TIMES that the spies's activities inter alia included the garnering of required information and transmitting them to the intelligence agencies abroad. The detainees were arrested in March, he said.
The United States and the Zionist regime also announced that 13 spies have been arrested in Iran, but their reports looked rather controversial. A review of statements by the United States and the Zionist regime in this regard reveals interesting points. The State Department spokesman James Foley refused to comment on the charges, citing as the reason the U.S. policy against discussing intelligence matters.
Now that the reports of the arrests of the 13 Jews have been verified, it is clear that the United States already knew that the arrests had been made on espionage charges because Foley refused to comment, saying, "It is against the U.S. policy to discuss intelligence matters." In other words, the U.S. intelligence services were in touch with the detainees.
The AFP quoted Foley as saying, "The arrest took place some time ago, and the United States refrained from comment for safety reasons." If the case was an ordinary one, how did Washington come to know about it? Arrests are taking place in Iran every day, does Washington monitor them all? Besides, Foley said, "We treated the matter with a certain degree of discretion." Why should Washington treat an ordinary matter--if it was an ordinary case--with desertion? The very statement shows that some people who are connected to the American intelligence service are involved in the case.
Foley added, "Now that it is part of the public domain, we felt it was appropriate to speak out on the matter." Was the issue really part of public domain when Foley spoke about it? Definitely not, as no Iranian official had ever talked about the arrests when Foley spoke about it. The Iranian state radio, in an analysis of foreign radio reports, had quoted Israeli radio as saying that 13 people have been arrested in Iran. Then a report dispatched by the Associated Press from Cairo, not from Tehran, misquoted the Iranian radio, and claimed that the Iranian radio has announced the arrests of 13 people on espionage charges.
The Associated Press--probably in coordination with the American intelligence services--tried to make the issue part of public domain, although there was no confirmation or refutation from Iran at that time. Not only the U.S., but the Zionist regime as well has been very outspoken about the issue. An Israeli Foreign Ministry statement said, "Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon asserts that none of these people was involved in spying activities, and that they had never had any contact whatsoever with an Israeli intelligence agency." There are some points to heed in this regard: first, no Iranian official had ever said that the arrests have taken place when Israel released the statement; secondly, no Iranian official had said that the detainees were involved in espionage; thirdly, no Iranian official had said that the spies had contacts with an Israeli intelligence agency.
This indicates that Israel is well aware of the identity of the detainees, it knows that they were involved in spying activities, and that they had some connections with the Israeli intelligence agency. One can read between the lines of the statements by the United States and Israel that the detainees are spies, but the two countries try to say that the detainees were arrested merely because they were Jews. There are 27,000 Jews in Iran. They have one representative in Parliament and enjoy rights equal to those of other Iranian citizens.
The representative of the Iranian Jewish community in the Majlis, Manuchehr Elyasi, talking to the TEHRAN TIMES said, "I have also heard on the foreign radios that 13 Jews have been arrested, but officials have made no comment on the issue." According to the AFP, the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF) reported last month that 22 Jews have recently been arrested in Iran. The CRIF announcement is also noteworthy because it indicates that at least 22 people have been connected with foreign intelligence agencies, which assumed that all of them had been arrested.
Now that 13 people have really been arrested on espionage charges, the Iranian officials should note that, according to the foreign agencies, at least 22 individuals have been involved in espionage.
The United States and the Zionist regime also announced that 13 spies have been arrested in Iran, but their reports looked rather controversial. A review of statements by the United States and the Zionist regime in this regard reveals interesting points. The State Department spokesman James Foley refused to comment on the charges, citing as the reason the U.S. policy against discussing intelligence matters.
Now that the reports of the arrests of the 13 Jews have been verified, it is clear that the United States already knew that the arrests had been made on espionage charges because Foley refused to comment, saying, "It is against the U.S. policy to discuss intelligence matters." In other words, the U.S. intelligence services were in touch with the detainees.
The AFP quoted Foley as saying, "The arrest took place some time ago, and the United States refrained from comment for safety reasons." If the case was an ordinary one, how did Washington come to know about it? Arrests are taking place in Iran every day, does Washington monitor them all? Besides, Foley said, "We treated the matter with a certain degree of discretion." Why should Washington treat an ordinary matter--if it was an ordinary case--with desertion? The very statement shows that some people who are connected to the American intelligence service are involved in the case.
Foley added, "Now that it is part of the public domain, we felt it was appropriate to speak out on the matter." Was the issue really part of public domain when Foley spoke about it? Definitely not, as no Iranian official had ever talked about the arrests when Foley spoke about it. The Iranian state radio, in an analysis of foreign radio reports, had quoted Israeli radio as saying that 13 people have been arrested in Iran. Then a report dispatched by the Associated Press from Cairo, not from Tehran, misquoted the Iranian radio, and claimed that the Iranian radio has announced the arrests of 13 people on espionage charges.
The Associated Press--probably in coordination with the American intelligence services--tried to make the issue part of public domain, although there was no confirmation or refutation from Iran at that time. Not only the U.S., but the Zionist regime as well has been very outspoken about the issue. An Israeli Foreign Ministry statement said, "Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon asserts that none of these people was involved in spying activities, and that they had never had any contact whatsoever with an Israeli intelligence agency." There are some points to heed in this regard: first, no Iranian official had ever said that the arrests have taken place when Israel released the statement; secondly, no Iranian official had said that the detainees were involved in espionage; thirdly, no Iranian official had said that the spies had contacts with an Israeli intelligence agency.
This indicates that Israel is well aware of the identity of the detainees, it knows that they were involved in spying activities, and that they had some connections with the Israeli intelligence agency. One can read between the lines of the statements by the United States and Israel that the detainees are spies, but the two countries try to say that the detainees were arrested merely because they were Jews. There are 27,000 Jews in Iran. They have one representative in Parliament and enjoy rights equal to those of other Iranian citizens.
The representative of the Iranian Jewish community in the Majlis, Manuchehr Elyasi, talking to the TEHRAN TIMES said, "I have also heard on the foreign radios that 13 Jews have been arrested, but officials have made no comment on the issue." According to the AFP, the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF) reported last month that 22 Jews have recently been arrested in Iran. The CRIF announcement is also noteworthy because it indicates that at least 22 people have been connected with foreign intelligence agencies, which assumed that all of them had been arrested.
Now that 13 people have really been arrested on espionage charges, the Iranian officials should note that, according to the foreign agencies, at least 22 individuals have been involved in espionage.