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July 14, 2010

Iranian Scientist Claims US Kidnapping, Returns to Iran
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A missing Iranian nuclear scientist who surfaced in Washington this week
is now claiming he was kidnapped by the United States. The scientist,
Shahram Amiri, disappeared during a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia a year
ago. His whereabouts had been a mystery until he appeared Monday at the
Pakistani embassy in Washington asking for assistance to return home to
Iran. On Tuesday, Amiri said he was abducted by CIA and Saudi Arabian
intelligence agents and held in Arizona for most of the time since his
disappearance. Government officials say Amiri in fact defected to the US
and has provided valuable intelligence about Iran’s nuclear activities,
but is now seeking to return to Iran out of concern for his family
there. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Amiri is free to leave
the US, in contrast to Americans jailed in Iran.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: "First, let me say that Mr. Amiri
has been in the United States of his own free will, and he is free to
go. In fact, he was scheduled to travel to Iran yesterday but was unable
to make all of the necessary arrangements to reach Iran through transit
countries. In contrast, Iran continues to hold three young Americans
against their will, and we reiterate our request that they be released
and allowed to return to their families on a humanitarian basis. And we
also continue to have no information in the welfare and whereabouts of
Robert Levinson, who has been missing in Iran since 2007."

The Iranian government says Amiri is now on his way back to Iran.



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