World

Ahmadinejad Blames Israel After Nuclear Scientist Killed

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Assailants on motorcycles attached magnetized bombs to the cars of two nuclear scientists as they were driving to work in Tehran on Monday, killing one and wounding the other, Iranian officials said. The president accused Israel and the West of being behind the attacks.

Iran’s nuclear chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, said the man killed was involved in a major project with the country’s nuclear agency, though he did not give specifics. Some Iranian media reported that the wounded scientist was a laser expert at Iran‘s Defense Ministry and one of the country’s few top specialists in nuclear isotope separation.

Iranian officials said they suspected the assassination was part of a covert campaign aimed at damaging the country’s nuclear program, which the United States and its allies says is intended to build a weapon — a claim Tehran denies. At least two other Iranian nuclear scientists have been killed in recent years, one of them in an attack similar to Monday’s.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told a press conference that “undoubtedly, the hand of the Zionist regime and Western governments is involved in the assassination.”

But he said the attack would not hamper the nuclear program and vowed that one day Iran would take retribution. “The day in the near future when time will come for taking them into account, their file will be very thick,” he said.

Asked about the Iranian accusations, Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said Israel did not comment on such matters. Washington has strongly denied any link to previous attacks.

The attacks, as described by Iranian officials, appeared sophisticated.

In each case, assailants on motorcycles approached the cars as they were moving through Tehran and attached magnetized bombs to the vehicles, Tehran police chief Hossein Sajednia said. The bombs exploded seconds later, he said, according to the state news agency IRNA.

He said no one has been arrested in connection with the attack nor no one has so far claimed responsibility.

The bombings both took place in the morning, but there were conflicting reports on what time each took place. The bombs went off in two separate locations, in north and northeast Tehran, that lie about a 15-minute drive apart without traffic.

The slain scientist, Majid Shahriari, was a member of the nuclear engineering faculty at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran. His wife, who was in the car with him, was wounded.

Shahriari cooperated with the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said Salehi, a vice president who heads the organization. “He was involved in one of the big AEOI projects, which is a source of pride for the Iranian nation,” Salehi said, according to IRNA, without giving any details on the project. Salehi also said the killed scientist was one of his own students.

The AEOI is in charge of Iran’s nuclear activities — including its uranium enrichment program, which the United Nations has demanded be halted.

The other attack targeted scientist Fereidoun Abbasi, who was wounded along with his wife.

A pro-government website, mashreghnews.ir, said Abbasi held a Ph.D. in nuclear physics and has long been a member of the Revolutionary Guard, the country’s most powerful military force. It said he was also a lecturer at Imam Hossein University, affiliated to the Guard. The United States accuses the Guard of having a role in Iran’s nuclear program.

The site said Abbasi was a laser expert at Iran’s Defense Ministry and one of few top Iranian specialists in nuclear isotope separation.

Isotope separation — meaning the isolating of a specific isotope of an element — is a process needed for a range of purposes, from producing enriched uranium fuel for a reactor, to manufacturing medical isotopes to producing a bomb.

Iran says its nuclear program is intended entirely for peaceful purposes, including producing electricity. The U.N. has demanded a halt to uranium enrichment because it can be used to produce reactor fuel or a bomb, but Tehran insists it has a right to pursue the technology.

Iran has continued to portray its nuclear program as being under constant pressure from the West and its allies. These include alleged abductions of nuclear officials and, more recently, a computer worm known as Stuxnet that experts say was calibrated to destroy uranium-enrichment centrifuges by sending them spinning out of control. Iran says its experts stopped Stuxnet from affecting systems at its nuclear facilities.

Monday’s attacks bore close similarities to another in January that killed Tehran University professor Masoud Ali Mohammadi, a senior physics professor. He was killed when a bomb-rigged motorcycle exploded near his car as he was about to leave for work.

In 2007, state TV reported that nuclear scientist, Ardeshir Hosseinpour, died from gas poisoning. A one-week delay in the reporting of his death prompted speculation about the cause, including that Israel’s Mossad spy agency was to blame.

The latest attacks come a day after the release of internal State Department cables by the whistle-blower website Wikileaks, including several that vividly detail Arab fears over Iran’s nuclear program and its growing political ambitions in the region.

Arab worries over Iran often have been expressed in public in careful, diplomatic language by officials in the Gulf and elsewhere. The messages obtained by Wikileaks, however, appear to reflect the urgency of the concerns and the impression that a U.S.-led attack on Iranian nuclear facilities would be welcomed by some leaders of Arab nations in the Middle East, especially the oil-rich states that neighbor Iran in the Persian Gulf.

Salehi, the nuclear chief, issued a stern warning as he rushed to hospital to see the surviving scientist.

“Don’t play with fire. The patience of the Iranian nation has limits. If it runs out of patience, bad consequences will await enemies,” he said at Abbasi’s bedside, according to IRNA, apparently referring to Israel and the U.S.

Lawmaker Javad Jahangirzadeh said Israel was behind the attacks and was trying to “create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation to stop the progress of our scientists.”

There are several active armed groups that oppose Iran’s ruling clerics, but it’s unclear whether they could have carried out the apparently coordinated bombings in the capital. Most anti-government violence in recent years has been isolated to Iran’s provinces such the border with Pakistan where Sunni rebels are active and the western mountains near Iraq where Kurdish separatists operate.

Comments (73)

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  • AZfreeman
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:29pm

    In this world of Politically Correct wars and conflicts where condemnation propaganda is more effective than the act itself, this may be a sign of things to come. There‘s very little collateral damage and no creditable condemnation when no one knows ’who done it’. In the mean time, those who have sold their soul and are willing to work for the devil will see this and run and hide because there’s more to come. Not a bad option all things considered….there’s more than one way to skin a jihadist (metaphorically speaking…of course).

    If Iran were truly incompetent and suicidal they could take a lesson from the USA’s homeland security TSA and start strip searching anyone riding a motorcycle in Tehran.

    Help Wanted: Looking for a few good men, James Bond types who thrive on espionage and intrigue. Send resume in plain wrapper to…???
    …rf

    Report Post » AZfreeman  
  • heavyduty
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:06pm

    Ahmadinejad did it, I have pictures and I am going to send them to that Weakyleaky dude. I bet he won’t publish them.

    Report Post »  
  • wash1776
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:03pm

    Ahma nut job of course would blame Israel. This is the same brutal creep that treated all of those who objected to his crooked election with such violence. HE IS CRAZY!!

    Report Post »  
  • Tickdog
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:00pm

    Yeah!!! go Israel!! Now thats how you get things done! you gotta have balls..

    Report Post » Tickdog  
  • Amerigo Vespucci
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:58pm

    Yeah right… Iran killed this guy and is blaming Israel for doing it. Thus giving them a “reason” to strike Israel. Seems obvious to me.

    Report Post » Amerigo Vespucci  
    • J.C. McGlynn
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:34pm

      I am very surprised they didn’t say the U.S. helped the Israelis.

      Report Post » J.C. McGlynn  
  • rdk
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:56pm

    If it was not Israel or the USA, it would have to be Saudi Arabia, or Jordan, or Russia, or ….. It was probably an inside job by dissident Iranians.

    Report Post »  
  • ThoreauHD
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:48pm

    Yay! Finally some good news!

    Report Post » ThoreauHD  
  • UMMAH GUMMAH
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:43pm

    .

    Can this be done to that Wikileaks guy?

    .

    Report Post » UMMAH GUMMAH  
  • COMMIESSUCK
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:19pm

    Ahmedina-JIHAD did it.

    Report Post »  
  • TruthMakesYouFree
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:00pm

    ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sing with me,,,,,,,,,,,,”IT ONLY TAKES A SPARK,,,,,,,,,,,TO GET A FIRE GOING,,,,,,,,AND SOON ALL THOSE AROUND,,,,,,,,,,,CAN WARM UP IN IT’S GLOWING,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,WELL YOU BETTER WATCH OUT,,, YOU BETTER NOT CRY,,,,YOU BETTER NOT POUT I’M TELLING YOU WHY,,,,,,,,,,, IRANIAN EXPOLOSIONS ARE COMING,,,,,,,,,,,TO TEHRAN

    Report Post »  
    • HillBillySam1
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:27pm

      He“ll nuke you when you”re sleeping…….He“ll bore you when you”re awake……He can”t tell the difference between bad or good…….So, israelis, i sure hope that you can shoot straight!!!…………Ohhhhhhhhh, you better watch out………You better not cry……You better keep your head down……..I‘m a tellin’ you why…….Achmedisanutjob is a’comin” to town!!!!!!

      Report Post »  
  • fastfwd
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:54am

    Well well !! If i was Israel i would have blown a huge hole where Iran is ! And to hell with what the rest of the world thinks !

    Report Post » fastfwd  
    • mtnclimberjim
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:03pm

      Soon my friend, soon, Want a lesson in patience, watch the Jews.

      Report Post » mtnclimberjim  
  • ChiefGeorge
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:52am

    Now thats what I call a Fatal Attraction.

    Report Post » ChiefGeorge  
  • mtnclimberjim
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:49am

    Spent lots of time with the Israelis, I love’em. They will be our saving grace over there prior to Jesus coming and cleaning things up. They are very cunning and dear friends to have.

    Report Post » mtnclimberjim  
    • GlennaBeck
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 7:08pm

      They have been our saving grace… God have mercy on this nation if this administration turns on Israel.

      You are a very Blessed man my friend. But I’m sure you already know that.

      Report Post »  
  • HillBillySam1
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:31am

    Kudos to the guys who got magnetic mines to stick to the sides of a camel…..

    Also, isn’t “Iranian scientist” an oxymoron??

    Report Post »  
    • Thomas Payne
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 3:02pm

      Be careful. Many of their “scientist” were educated either here or in the UK, then go back to their native Iran to build lovely bombs and other weapons for the regime.

      Report Post » Thomas Payne  
  • charliego
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:25am

    ON one hand Ama dim says we are utilizing nuclear for peaceful purposes, on the other hand—‘retribution’ is on the horizon. A little double speak? It does not seem logical that the two satans have much to do with this–unless you want to blame the two innocent hikers you are holding. Truth be told, these scientist-professors created some espionage activity for their Iranian citizens and got caught. How convenient for you to have Satan A and B to dump on. Oh wait!!! was it something Mr. Assuage made public—-darn—- foiled again!!!!

    Report Post » charliego  
  • bebeholmes
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:20am

    WELL DONE Mossad. That’s what our CIA agebts ought to do to the Wikileaks people. Treat them like the foreign spies they are. Whatever happened to execution for espionage?

    Report Post »  
    • kryptonite
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:40pm

      F***KING Obama disclosed the number of nuclear warheads we have. Does that make him a spy? What foreign govt. is Assange working for? Grrrr! I don’t get why conservative America is siding with the Red Traitor.

      Report Post »  
    • troyvar
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 4:40pm

      @kryptonite
      Stay calm man, I noticed a whole lot of new posters on this site when these wiki stories started getting big time play, all new name posters with the same view. Not sure but I think it’s a dis-information play, orchestrated by… well, who knows.

      Report Post » troyvar  
  • Conserving Ink
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:15am

    What would it take to get our boys up to Mossad standards? Israel seems to have this whole War on Terror thing down cold. We should be taking notes, and names.
    ____________________________________________________________________________
    http://conserving-ink.blogspot.com

    Report Post » Conserving Ink  
    • J.C. McGlynn
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:36am

      A president with iron ****** would be a good start.

      Report Post » J.C. McGlynn  
    • patriot308
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:50pm

      1 for 2 is pretty sloppy by Mossad standards. Maybe it was suppose to look like them?

      Report Post »  
    • 82dAirborne
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 5:42pm

      We are more than capable of doing this kind of mission. (We would have gotten both of them) All that is required is to get the go ahead from the civilian government. But it wouldn’t be PC.

      P.S. What makes you guys so sure it wasn’t Delta or SEALs?????????

      Report Post » 82dAirborne  
  • FedUP
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:06am

    Like anyone could believe a word he says. The scary thing is, it doesn’t matter what anyone else believes. This man thinks his soul purpose in life is to hasten the coming of the 12th Imam and that means total world chaos. I don’t believe in the 12th Imam, but I sure as heck believe in chaos.

    Report Post » BOUGHT YOUR SILO YET?  
  • TruthMakesYouFree
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:01am

    And he got to meet the 77 vegetarians,,,, all demons,,, their paradise,,, transported by a hog pulled chariot,,, sloppy,,, real sloppy,, Christians would call that hell,,, they call it paradise,, go figure

    Report Post »  
  • Nigel2
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 10:52am

    I any kill is a good kill, then this has to be it. May he rest in peace(es) with Allah.

    Report Post » Nigel2  
  • victorymanns
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 10:47am

    they should put one on( am a nutjob )the end !!

    Report Post »  
  • john seven eighteen
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 10:45am

    I’m-a-dummy-jad better be glad the bombs weren’t attached to his car. That’s one clown the world would be better off without!

    Report Post » john seven eighteen  
    • Hobo Boondocks
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:00am

      Listen carefully to what they are trying to tell you President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: “If we can get the fellows working for you, we can get you.”

      Report Post »  
  • powhatan
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 10:43am

    his comments carry as much weight as Obama’s/…….ZERO

    Report Post » powhatan  
    • RepubliCorp
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 10:47am

      Most likely they pissed off someone in their government………

      Report Post » RepubliCorp  
  • the Life Of Reilly
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 10:40am

    Mossad 1

    Iran 0

    Go mossad Reilly

    Report Post » M31Sailor  
    • kryptonite
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:00am

      Amen. Do what you have to do.

      Report Post »  
    • Canuck GB Fan
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 11:23am

      Go Mossad! Do what you have to do!

      Report Post » Canuck GB Fan  
    • RobertCA
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 3:00pm

      Yeah finally someone is taking action & please keep it going .
      NO Nucs for Nutjob .

      Report Post » Robert-CA  
    • Awakened One
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 5:24pm

      In might not even be Israel. If the other gulf states want to see their nuclear program stopped, it could be anyone. Well it could…. Stop laughing.

      Report Post »  
    • dutchtouch
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 6:50pm

      I would hope so

      Report Post »  
  • Silat
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 10:39am

    uuuhhh yea! Israel blames Iran on Hezballallaallaallalalllallalll boom!

    Report Post »  
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