Top Iranian general dies, disappears, defects, or is kidnapped
posted at 10:15 pm on March 5, 2007 by Allahpundit
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Everyone’s already linked this, but for the benefit of our three readers who missed it, it seems a very big fish has vanished from his tank:
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…
“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…
Asgari’s years with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and the Iranian defense ministry would make him an invaluable source of information. He was reportedly based in Lebanon in the 1990s and was in charge of ties with the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah.
Haaretz also says it has reason to believe (without saying how) that he may have defected, and that he’s likely to have “intimate knowledge” of the nuclear program. An Iranian Revolutionary Guard news site claims he was kidnapped by the CIA or Mossad; naturally they’d prefer that storyline to one in which he crosses over willingly to our side, but the Debka thinks there may be some truth to it. Specifically, they think this might be an American reprisal:
The missing general has been identified as the officer in charge of Iranian undercover operations in central Iraq, according to DEBKAfile’s intelligence and Iranian sources. He is believed to have been linked to – or participated in - the armed group which stormed the US-Iraqi command center in Karbala south of Baghdad Jan. 20 and snatched five American officers. They were shot outside the Shiite city.
An Middle East intelligence source told DEBKAfile that the Americans could not let this premeditated outrage go unanswered and had been hunting the Iranian general ever since.
Another tantalizing detail: the Saudi press seems to have known about this earlier than the rest.
More to come in the next few days, I’m sure. Meanwhile, via Defense Tech, here’s Defense News’s projection of what the first stages of a U.S. run at Iran would look like. Cakewalk for the Air Force, potential quagmire for the Navy thanks to Iran’s mines, ballistic missiles hyperspeed torpedoes, Russian subs, and unconventional small-boat attacks. Exit quote: “[T]here appears to be little enthusiasm for such a move within the Navy.”
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Game on.
Zorro on March 5, 2007 at 10:24 PM
Cruise missiles into the nine Iranian gasoline/diesel refineries. Then sit back and watch the mullah’s regime collapse.
Iran imports about 40% of its gasoline. Take the refineries out of commission and the Iranian economy will quickly grind to a halt.
rokemronnie on March 5, 2007 at 10:35 PM
Exit quote…
The Navy has to be cautious given what happened to the USS Stark. They really need the new DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class destroyer now.
Zorro on March 5, 2007 at 10:36 PM
It’s time for the Navy to butch up.
SWLiP on March 5, 2007 at 10:49 PM
Maybe the Iranian students are not the only ones seeing the danger that “Mymood Iminajihad” is putting their country in?
A result of the “surge”?… Anyone’s guess at this point….
PinkyBigglesworth on March 5, 2007 at 10:54 PM
Great news about Gen. Abdul-Turncoat. Looks like he’s gonna show us the “big board”. Really - we’ve been at war with Iran since 79 when they attacked American soil, as far as I’m concerned. They should have stayed out of Iraq. Rokemronnie - we’ll toast to the toasted refineries when that eventual reality gets posted here.
Buck Turgidson on March 5, 2007 at 11:10 PM
There is no Iranian general. He invaded America. He has the Americans surrounded in Europe.
Savage on March 5, 2007 at 11:19 PM
All your Generals are belong to us.
Buck Turgidson on March 5, 2007 at 11:24 PM
Iran’s Benedict Arnold could be a huge turning point for us. Hopefully we’re not going to get a future update that this was a bogus story because this version is just too sweet. Imagine what a little water-boarding could bring from this guy. Just don’t let the NYT know. As for the CIA kidnap thing? Whatever. I’m surprise our NAVY has such doubts about what their success would look like against the Iranian navy. I need to think about that one a little more.
thedecider on March 5, 2007 at 11:27 PM
…Yawn… I’m sorry what was that?
Maybe the NYT has a branch in Tehran.
Mojave Mark on March 5, 2007 at 11:36 PM
I guess I talk to different Navy people than I do. Many of the Navy folks I chat with are almost too eager - some sort of guilt complex about Iraq and Afghanistan, so some even admit to.
major john on March 5, 2007 at 11:52 PM
All your Generals are belong to us.
Buck Turgidson on March 5, 2007 at 11:24 PM
What you say?
PinkyBigglesworth on March 6, 2007 at 12:02 AM
The only other possible scenario not mentioned above is that of the general crossing over to our side to intentionally give us false and misleading information. I wouldn’t trust these guys, period. My guess is that we probably did nab this guy, and have him in custody - and are having some friendly conversations with him.
Rick on March 6, 2007 at 12:12 AM
OK, so we’ll get intelligence that Iran is very close to having nukes, and that they’re planning on using them against the USA very soon. So we’ll go to Congress with that info, and congress will boldly enact a bill to…surrender!
stonemeister on March 6, 2007 at 1:02 AM
I guess I’m one of the three. Thanks Allah.
R D on March 6, 2007 at 1:10 AM
Is that a new term? Or really old? Just haven’t heard it before.
R D on March 6, 2007 at 1:20 AM
Or was that a drive by side swipe?
R D on March 6, 2007 at 1:40 AM
Rather Red Octoberish.
- The Cat
MirCat on March 6, 2007 at 2:43 AM
If Dubka is correct then he is a legit target and worth the hit, but I like the “he came over” scenario best :)
Gwillie on March 6, 2007 at 2:51 AM
Good point. We talked to a bunch of Iraqi scientists–notably the one called “Curve Ball“–who told us what we wanted to hear. It wasn’t a government that told him to do that; I think the guy just liked telling stories and wanted to make sure America found him sufficiently useful to extract.
I
see-dubya on March 6, 2007 at 2:55 AM
What? We’re not sure if the U.S. Navy can handle the Iranian navy???
To qoute Mr. Hand: “What ARE you people, on DOPE?” ONE carrier battle group can take on ANY country’s entire navy. The Iranian ships and subs are just target practice for our guys. True, it’d be a cakewalk for the Air Force, but doesn’t anyone think we might have some cross-utilization here? Or is it against your lefty rules for an Air Force plane to bomb an enemy *naval* asset? And our Navy and Marine Corps air forces are more than enough to clear a path for our ships. Our missile boats will destroy whatever’s left.
Damn, these idiot lefty media dorks piss me off. Remember their claims of 200,000 dead in Gulf War 1?
Tony737 on March 6, 2007 at 5:02 AM
Almost forgot, I hope the U.S.A.F. takes out all Iranian air assets while they’re still on the ground. Why? Because I’m afraid they might shoot down some of our planes? ppppfffttt No, because it would be emotionally devastating if some Navy ex-Tomcatter in a Hornet had to shoot an Iranian F-14 outta the sky. It would break his heart and he deserves better. The Air Force owes it to him to not let that happen.
Tony737 on March 6, 2007 at 5:19 AM
Almost forgot, I hope the U.S.A.F. takes out all Iranian
Perfect!
Zorro on March 6, 2007 at 6:47 AM
Make sure to let St. Andrew debrief him, just to make sure, you know, that there’s no inappropriate questioning going on. BECAUSE OF THE HEARTACHE.
Attila (Pillage Idiot) on March 6, 2007 at 7:23 AM
What happens to our guys on the ground in Iraq if we attack Iran?
How big is the Iranian army?
honora on March 6, 2007 at 9:16 AM
They have thier agents everywhere comrad………..LOL
bones47 on March 6, 2007 at 10:50 AM
There is some doubt as to whether the Iranian air force could even get its F-14s off the ground. I’m pretty sure we stopped sending them parts a while ago. From what I’ve been told, military aircraft require a tremendous amount of preventative maintenance. Since Iran has been scrimping on infrastructure investment since the fall of the Shah, my guess is that their F-14 squadron may not be operationally ready.
rokemronnie on March 6, 2007 at 1:18 PM
I think that Iran would hide their fast-movers in the sand ala Iraq’s
airforcesandforce from both wars there.Let’s not kid ourselves though, Iran is a huge country with 70 million people in it. We can destroy the country’s military and infrastructure but there’s no way we could occupy it successfully, unless it had already been completely anihilated in a war.
Mojave Mark on March 6, 2007 at 2:40 PM
The Navy is not reluctant because it might take casualties, it’s reluctant because it will be asked to keep the SoH open. Kicking Iran and in teeth is easy - protecting megavessels in a restricted body of water surrounded on three sides by a hostile enemy is not.
NPP on March 6, 2007 at 3:22 PM