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11 Jan 2012 20:16

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World: More on the killing of Iranian nuclear scientist Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan

  • How it happened: Mostafa Roshan was being taken to work when two people on a motorcycle attached a magnetic bomb to the side of his car, which then exploded. Roshan was killed in the blast, and his driver suffered fatal wounds. Roshan, the deputy director of commerce for the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, was likely targeted for his prominent role in the facility, which is at the center of a major controversy over what the U.S. sees as a push by Iran to create nuclear weapons. Roshan, in his role, would likely have been in charge of procuring materials to build nuclear fuel. The U.S. has denied any role in his death. source

11 Jan 2012 19:51

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World: Hillary Clinton denies U.S. involvement in Iran nuclear scientist’s bombing death

  • I want to categorically deny any United States involvement in any kind of act of violence inside Iran. We believe there has to be an understanding between Iran, its neighbors and the international community that finds a way forward for it to end its provocative behavior, end its search for nuclear weapons and rejoin the international community and be a productive member of it.
  • Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton • Defending the U.S. from allegations that they were behind a bombing that led to the death of an Iranian nuclear scientist. Despite this claim, the Iranian government pointed its finger at Israel and the U.S., saying they placed a magnetic bomb on Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan’s vehicle. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, declined making a statement on the bombing; many diplomats and analysts in Washington feel that Israel may be behind the series of covert killings of prominent Iranian nuclear scientists over the past two years. No matter whether the U.S. is involved, the attacks are nonetheless ratcheting up tensions between Iran and the West at a tough time for said tension. source

18 Jul 2010 10:07

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World: Iranian scientist: The U.S. wanted to trade me for those hikers

  • Remember the Russian spy swap? Imagine an Iranian version. While Shahram Amiri sticks by his story that he was held by U.S. agents for over a year, this little detail stands out. Amiri reportedly was going to be used as a bargaining chip to get back hikers Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd, and Josh Fattal, who were captured by Iran about a year ago after hiking in the wrong place. If that’s true, it adds a new layer to the bizarre story. source

13 Jul 2010 12:23

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U.S., World: So, this Shahram Amiri guy walked into an embassy, and …

  • He’s been here for some time, I’m not going to specify for how long, but he has chosen to return.
  • State Department spokesman Philip Crowley • Regarding the fate of an Iranian nuclear scientist, Shahram Amiri, who randomly surfaced in D.C. yesterday after being gone from his home country for a while. Obviously, considering his job, the U.S. probably wanted some intelligence from him. And there’s been speculation that U.S. spies kidnapped Amiri – that’s Tehran’s line. Julius is probably going to stumble into an Iranian embassy any day now. You were wondering why we went on vacation for so long, right? source