Former FBI Agent on Private Business in Iran Missing *Update*

Former FBI Agent on Private Business in Iran Missing

www.washingtonpost.com

A former FBI agent has been missing in Iran since March 8, according to U.S. officials.

The unnamed former agent was on private business, but the United States is now sufficiently concerned about his welfare that the State Department today sent a formal message to Iran through Swiss intermediaries asking about his whereabouts and his situation. The Swiss Embassy represents U.S. interests in Iran.

(visit the link for the full news article)



[edit on 3-4-2007 by sanctum]

Hmmmm...missing since MAR 8 and now it is being brought up? A formal letter delivered to Iran through Swiss channels requesting information?

www.washingtonpost.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Originally posted by JacKatMtn
A formal letter delivered to Iran through Swiss channels requesting information?

Great, so now the world has turned into some dysfunctional sitcom?

This had me chuckling.



*sitting around diner table*

U.S.: "Swiss, can you please ask Iran to pass the salt?"

Swiss: "Iran, the US would like you to pass the.....

Iran: "I heard them! Tell them if they aren’t talking to me, then they can get their own damn salt."

Swiss: "Iran says that if ..."

US: "You tell Iran that I don’t want to talk to them if they don’t even care enough to pass me a little salt!"

Swiss: "I hate you two! All you do is argue!" (runs to room crying)






[edit on 2-4-2007 by cavscout]

Worth noting that:

The American was visiting Kish Island, an Iranian resort and "free zone" off the southwest coast that does not require an Iranian visa to visit. He had traveled to Iran from the United Arab Emirates, U.S. officials say.

This is the same place Iran is supposed to open up their Oil Bourse in the very near future. The opening of which has been speculated to on this very forum as the reason for an impending American attack on Iran. AS it would allow for the trading of oil in non US Dollars, significantly weakening the strength of the Dollar.

Hmmmm.

Originally posted by Mainer
This is the same place Iran is supposed to open up their Oil Bourse in the very near future. The opening of which has been speculated to on this very forum as the reason for an impending American attack on Iran. AS it would allow for the trading of oil in non US Dollars, significantly weakening the strength of the Dollar.

Hmmmm.

Things that make you go Hmmmmmmm....
definitely, and why the sudden release of the news and the WashPost breaking the story...hmmmmmm

shouldnt this have been in the news earlier....it said private business so why didnt any of his family say anything when they didnt get any word from him for weeks....i know if someone i knew was in iran ide freak out if they didnt call or something for four days.....makes you wonder why so few people knew he was there

I think somebody knew he was there and maybe he was not there for the purposes reported.

Bookmark this one for future reference.

BTW have they relased the name of this individual?

no and who knows if they will...

Double posted see below..

[edit on 2007/4/2 by JacKatMtn]

Here's an article with a transcript of the State Dept. briefing with Q&A on the missing US citizen/former FBI agent:

State Dept. Daily Press Briefing April 2, 2007

QUESTION: Do you have anything on this -- there's apparently a private -- there's an American citizen who was -- has been reported missing in Iran.

MR. MCCORMACK: Right.

QUESTION: Do you have any details on this citizen, and what was he doing there? Anything else you may have would be welcome.

MR. MCCORMACK: Right. There's a limited amount that we can offer you at this point because we don't have a Privacy Act waiver, but there is an American citizen, private citizen, who is in business -- who was in Iran on private business about which we're -- about whom we're pursuing a welfare and whereabouts case. We have been monitoring the situation for a couple of weeks now. Today we are sending to the Iranian Government through the Swiss channel an inquiry as to whether or not they have any information on his welfare and whereabouts. That's really about all that I have at the moment.

there's more at the link...

that doesnt sound right to me a privacy act waiver is about as easy to get as a replacement id card theres unseen things complicating the matter...but is he in iranian custody? hopefully theyll release his name soon im gonna keep watching for news on this

A little more detail on who went missing in Iran, no name yet but it's something:

Coral Springs retired FBI agent reportedly missing Iran

Coral Springs -- A retired FBI agent who has apparently gone missing while on a business trip in Iran is from Coral Springs, South Florida Sun-Sentinel news partner CW 39 reported late Monday.

The agent's name and hometown have not been released by the U.S. State Department, which announced Monday that the retired agent had not contacted his family for weeks. The State Department said it would ask the Iranian government if it had any information on the case, which federal authorities said they are treating as a missing person and nothing more.

It goes on to say the FBI agent specialized in the MAFIA..

the sun sentinel is owned by the tribune company which owns the orlando sentinel the la times news day in new york the baltimore sun the daily press and quite a few more newspapers that seem to get extra knowledge the sun sentinel is who reported about the us flying the bin ladens out of america

It appears this is the 2nd letter the US has sent concerning this missing former FBI agent:

U.S. has asked Iran twice on missing man

WASHINGTON - The State Department said Tuesday that a letter it sent this week to the Iranian government seeking information about a missing American is its second inquiry in a month.

Spokesman Sean McCormack said the department first asked about the case March 12, shortly after the former FBI agent was reported missing, but it had not received any credible information in response.

As a result, the department on Monday sent a letter to authorities in Iran asking for help in locating the man, he said.

A U.S. official familiar with the case identified the missing former FBI agent as Robert Levinson. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak publicly about the case, said Levinson was on or near the Island of Kish when last heard from.

The missing man's name surfaces:

U.S. searches for retired FBI agent reported missing in Iran

MIAMI - One-time FBI agent Robert Levinson was known for targeting international crime with his sharp mind and super-secret sources.

He tapped a few informants in Panama to help Miami prosecutors build a big drug case against Manuel Noriega. The ex-dictator, suspected of letting a Colombian cartel ship tons of coc aine through his country, was convicted in 1992.

"He was an agent who dedicated himself to intelligence as opposed to a gumshoe chasing down leads," said former U.S. Attorney Guy Lewis, who worked on the Noriega case. "He was a stealthy guy."

Another report, this one from CBS concerning the missing man:

Former S. Fla. FBI Agent Vanishes In Iran

CBS4) CORAL SPRINGS More questions than answers Tuesday after a former FBI agent from South Florida vanished on a trip to Iran.

Co-workers describe him as highly intelligent, possessed amazing language skills, and definitely had a successful career with FBI where he worked primarily domestic organized crime cases.

Now family and friends of 59-year old Robert Levinson, from Coral Springs, are worried about what may have happened to him.

Originally posted by cavscout
*sitting around diner table*

U.S.: "Swiss, can you please ask Iran to pass the salt?"

Swiss: "Iran, the US would like you to pass the.....

Iran: "I heard them! Tell them if they aren’t talking to me, then they can get their own damn salt."

Swiss: "Iran says that if ..."

US: "You tell Iran that I don’t want to talk to them if they don’t even care enough to pass me a little salt!"

Swiss: "I hate you two! All you do is argue!" (runs to room crying)

You left out Pakistan.

Switzerland handles U.S. diplomatic interests in Iran, but Pakistan handles Iranian diplomatic interests in the U.S.

Ok #1 Perhaps this was why the US and Britan were attempting to cross into Iranian territory. #2 This is a rouse to get Americans riled up and loaded for bear.

Just A Little Business Trip

Gee, what is this world coming to when a retired FBI agent can't even pursue a little "private business" in Iran.

You know, between this and the U.S. kidnapping of Irani agents in Iraq and elsewhere, a person might just get the impression the U.S. and Iran aren't on the best of terms.

Go figure.

The latest report on the missing former FBI agent in Iran:

US, Iran downplay FBI agent's disappearance

American and Iranian officials downplayed the disappearance of a former FBI agent in Iran last month, with a US diplomatic official describing the case as routine and saying several Americans go temporarily missing each year in Iran.

Wes Robertson, a spokesman for the US Embassy in the Emirates capital Abu Dhabi, said the State Department has already contacted Iran for information on the American, identified as Robert Levinson of Coral Springs, Florida.

several Americans go temporarily missing each year in Iran. ?

I had to laugh at that sentence..... "Oh, so and so is missing? Don't worry, Americans tend to go missing in Iran from time to time, you know those crazy Americans, stubbornly travel the country without a map, and they never ask for directions."