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December 16, 2013

White House: Missing American in Iran Didn't Work for U.S. Gov't 
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The White House faced scrutiny over the weekend following the revelation
a missing American captured in Iran was working for the CIA. Robert
Levinson disappeared in 2007 after arriving on the Iranian island of
Kish to spy on the Iranian government. The CIA told Congress and the FBI
he did not have a relationship to the agency at the time. But it emerged
last week Levinson went to Iran at the behest of CIA analysts. On
Friday, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney avoided questions on
Levinson's CIA ties.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney: "Bob Levinson was not a U.S.
government employee when he went missing in Iran. As there is an ongoing
investigation into his disappearance, I am not going to comment further
on what he may or may not have been doing in Iran. I'm not going to
fact-check every allegation made in the story you reference, a story we
believe it was highly irresponsible to publish, and which we strongly
urged the outlet not to publish out of concerns for Mr. Levinson's
safety. I'm also not going to say anything that might further harm our
efforts to bring Mr. Levinson home safe, which has been our goal for the
six-and-a-half years he has been missing."

The White House can apparently claim Levinson did not work for the U.S.
government because he was technically a CIA contractor. There has been
no sign Levinson is alive for nearly three years. The Obama
administration says it continues to seek Levinson's return through "a
number of different channels."

 

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