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Subscribe to RSSIt was nearly five years ago that an American who was once an FBI agent vanished in Iran. An emotional video surfaced Friday, released by his family here in the United States. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.
WASHINGTON -- Long after he vanished in Iran, retired FBI agent Robert Levinson reappeared in a video and a series of photographs sent to his family over the past year, transforming a mysterious disappearance into a hostage standoff with an unknown kidnapper, The Associated Press has learned.
In the video emailed to his family in November 2010, Levinson pleaded with the U.S. government to meet the demands of his unidentified captors.
"I have been treated well. But I need the help of the United States government to answer the requests of the group that has held me for three and a half years," Levinson says. "And please help me get home."
Christine Levinson talks about the newly released video of her husband.
The 54-second video showed Levinson looking haggard but unharmed, sitting in front of what appeared to be a concrete wall. He had lost considerable weight, particularly in his face, and his white shirt hung off him. There were no signs of recent mistreatment. But Levinson, who has a history of diabetes and high blood pressure, implored the U.S. to help him quickly.
"I am not in very good health," he says. "I am running very quickly out of diabetes medicine."
Desperate
The AP saw the video and obtained a government transcript of Levinson's statement soon after it arrived last year but did not immediately report it because the U.S. government said doing so would complicate diplomatic efforts to bring Levinson home.
Now, those efforts appear to have stalled, U.S. relations with Iran have worsened and Levinson's wife, Christine, of Coral Springs, Fla., is expected to release the video herself in a desperate attempt to make contact with whoever is holding her 63-year-old husband.
AP file
Robert Levinson is seen in this image provided by his wife, Christine.
That represents a sharp change in strategy in a case that for years the United States treated as a diplomatic issue rather than a hostage situation. Christine Levinson has issued many public statements over the years, but she typically directed them to her missing husband or to the government of Iran.
In the nearly five years that Levinson has been missing, the U.S. government has never had solid intelligence about what happened to him. Levinson had been retired from the FBI for years and was working as a private investigator when he traveled to the Iran in March 2007. His family has said an investigation into cigarette smuggling brought him to Kish, a resort island where Americans need no visa to visit.
The prevailing U.S. government theory had been that Levinson was arrested by Iranian intelligence officials to be interrogated and used as a bargaining chip in negotiations with Washington. But as every lead fizzled and Iran repeatedly denied any involvement in his disappearance, many in the U.S. government believed Levinson was probably dead.
The surprise arrival of the video and photographs quickly changed that view but did little to settle the question of his whereabouts. The video, in fact, contained tantalizing clues suggesting Levinson was not being held in Iran at all, but rather in Pakistan, hundreds of miles from where he disappeared. The photographs, which arrived a few months after the video, contained hints that Levinson might be in Afghanistan.
Despite the lengthy investigation, several U.S. officials said, Washington still has no idea who is holding Levinson, where he is or who holds the key to bringing him home. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomatic discussions.
'My beautiful, my loving' wife
A father of seven, Levinson addressed his remarks to "my beautiful, my loving, my loyal wife, Christine," as well as his children and his grandson. He apparently did not know he also has a granddaughter, who was born in 2008. Family and friends confirmed that it was Levinson in the video, and authorities also compared his face with computer-generated images that estimate aging.
The video prompted Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to announce publicly in March that Levinson was alive and urged the Iranians to help find him. Though the legacy of the 1979 hostage standoff with Iran looms over all relations between the two countries, Clinton did not refer to Levinson as a hostage in March and she softened the U.S. rhetoric toward Tehran.
The video also helped initiate a series of discreet discussions between U.S. and Iranian officials, conversations that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in September were producing good results.
Not long after Clinton's remarks, the Levinson family received a series of photos of Levinson dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit like the ones worn by detainees at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In these photos, Levinson's hair and beard were much longer and he looked thinner.
In each photo, he wore a different sign hung around his neck. One read, "Why you can not help me."
Investigators determined that the video was routed through an Internet address in Pakistan, suggesting that Levinson might be held there. Also, Pashtun wedding music played faintly in the background, officials said. The Pashtun people live primarily in Pakistan and Afghanistan, just over Iran's eastern border.
The photos, however, traced back to a different Internet address, this one in Afghanistan.
Authorities don't know whether those clues mean Levinson was being held in Balochistan — a rugged, arid region that spans parts of Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan — or perhaps in the lawless tribal region along the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan. These areas are home to terrorists, militant groups and criminal organizations.
None of these groups has a clear motive for picking up Levinson. But an American hostage, particularly one who used to work for the U.S. government, would be considered a valuable commodity to any of them.
Release of prisoners demanded
Some U.S. officials believe the Iranian government routed the video through Pakistan as a way to blame Levinson's disappearance on someone else — most likely the anti-Iran terrorist group Jundallah. But as with every other possibility, the U.S. has no proof.
The video was accompanied by a demand that the U.S. release prisoners, but officials said the United States is not holding anyone matching the names on the list. It's possible some of them may have been held by the Pakistani government at one point, but officials say the demand doesn't offer any indication of who might be holding Levinson and there's been no more communication about it.
U.S. authorities have repeatedly analyzed the video and the apparently scripted remarks Levinson made, looking for clues.
For instance, Levinson said a "group" had held him for three and a half years, a word choice that could suggest a criminal organization or terrorist group, rather than a government. And he said he had been held "here" for that time, suggesting he had not been moved.
Levinson's dire warning about his diabetes medication is perplexing. He vanished years ago. Whoever is holding him must have had access to diabetes medicine at one point. Was he running out of medication because he was moved somewhere else? Or was it simply intended to add even more urgency for the U.S.?
Over the past year, the hopefulness that initially followed the arrival of the video has faded. The meetings with the Iranians have not provided a breakthrough, and U.S. officials said the government was no longer as optimistic about the future of those talks.
There are indications that Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent who vanished four years ago, has been found alive off the coast of Iran.
Relations with Iran, meanwhile, have worsened. The Justice Department recently accused Iranian intelligence agents of plotting to assassinate Saudi Arabia's ambassador in Washington. Then a United Nations watchdog released a report warning of Iran's nuclear ambitions, prompting the United States and its Western allies to issue new sanctions against Iran's financial system.
Most recently, a high-tech, stealth CIA drone was captured by Iranian officials while on a surveillance mission over Iran. The embarrassing mishap put sophisticated technology in Iranian hands and provided public evidence of the kind of spying that's been long suspected.
The one bright spot in Washington's relationship with Tehran was the release of two American hikers from an Iranian prison in September. The U.S. worked behind the scenes to secure that release but officials said Levinson was not part of those discussions.
The Levinson family has not updated its website since June, when Christine Levinson wrote an open letter to her husband.
"I am willing to do whatever is necessary to bring you home," she wrote. "At the same time I'm at a loss as to how I can do that."
Associated Press writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
Did anyone read the caption, on the picture above?
"There are indications that Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent who vanished four years ago, has been found alive off the coast of Iran."
Americans do not go to Iran and do not go to North Korea! If you do you will be in a story like this one.
Whatever is going on - he is involved. I think he saw an opportunity to get away from his wife/family and is partying down in his latter years. Hell, he has dropped some tonnage got belly dancers working around him and having the time of his life.
I had to go look again. wonder who wrote that caption? LOL
But wait, judging from the pictures, his diet plan is working out, he looks healthier. Please help him, but not too soon. Let him lose a little of that fat.
This is what happens when you cross the border illegally. You're not gonna get the same treatment that the illegals get here. So quit begging for help. Now Iran should make an example out of you. Iran has been doing this for years, you put yourself in harms way. Hope you like the food their serving, it looks like you're getting a little leaner.
You people are cold blooded. If it were your family, I doubt you would be making such crappy jokes.
My family wouldn't dare go to Iran, their not that stupid.
The date on the picture is 4 March
Kish, where he was presumed to be captured, is not exactly what I'd call "in Iran." It's an international destination. People from all over the world go there. Not exactly like he was the first or only westerner to visit. So, I can only conclude that Nikki is either ignorant or just a dic*head. Or both.
Nikki
It depends if your family knows the correct use of the word "their".
So. let me get this straight, Jewish man retires from the FBI and decides to take a tour of IRAN ? What's wrong with this picture ?
"their not that stupid" lol. These are the things that tickle me.
He worked for the FBI and reaped the rewards and good pay. This is something that had could have expected when he first worked for the FBI. I don't want to bail his butt out. Leave him there. It's all part of his former job. If you want to dance, you have to pay the fiddler. He looks like he will be a real sweetie in prison. He'll come out a changed man or woman or gay or something in that neighborhood. He might need to put a zipper on the back of his pants for convenience.
he was working as a PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR not as a FBI agent
"if stayed out of their @!$%#ing business and not tried to replace their democracy with a US puppet shaw then maybe this would not happen!"
What insight, yes it's always good to have one of the largest oil producing nations be hostile to the U.S.-moron.
Sorry about the typo Jerry, "We all know that the United States simply does not negotiate with terrorists".
Thats funny I thought the same exact thing. Minus the belly dancers. Just your first part. This story sounds way way too fishy and weird. The amount of time hes been gone, we never heard of it until now. This sounds like a good way to get himself some money.
If it were safe to visit Iran, Carnival Cruise Lines would include it as part of their destination choices in a glossy packet! Why Americans need to travel to Iran, North Korea and sail around the Cape of Africa is beyond me.
There are plenty of Adventure tours in Alaska, Greenland, Australia, etc where one doesn't have to worry about being kidnapped!
Note to Self: Do not investigate cigarette smuggling.
What the hell is wrong with people that can't bother to read an article before commmenting? You might be able to actually make intelligent comments then.
This guy is the biggest moron I know to even travel to Iran. he got what he deserved, if Iran wanted to be the terrorist Israel wants them to be than they should treat him like people are being treated in Guantanomo bay. I dont buy that he was just there on a fishing trip either, he was obviously a spy that got caught and now they're trying to use the jewish media to get this jewish guy out of Iran. Dont we have an online embassy with Iran? maybe we should go ahead and use that. I wonder if the sanctions we put on Iran because of Israel is working? maybe Israel can get him out, dont bother the American people as far as I'm concerned its all because of Israel that hes in the situation hes in, toooo bad!!
I'm sorry I find real hard to feel for this guy. Retired, ex FBI and takes a job to go to IRAN and is surprised at what he found himself in? how did he last 20+ years working for the feds?? And if he really loved his wife and family so much then again why did he go to Iran of all places let alone take a high risk job? if he's addicted to this kind of work then why retire in the first place?
Maybe tomorrow the story will change to he was "Hiking" near Iran and was captured. Might aswell keep it consistant with American stupidity.
frances-283318
he was working as a PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR not as a FBI agent.
As with other security and intelligence services, you are never deemed to be completely 'retired.' It is also a common ploy for goverments to use either ex-intelligence or former heads of state to deal with sensitive intelligence or diplomatic missions so that their affiliation with a mission or program can be more easily repudiated in press releases.
Although essentially a free trade zone more open to foreigners, Kish is still part of Iran and the man brought this upon himself. If he had half a brain, he was quite aware of the risks when he took the assignment. 'Cigarette smuggling' could simply be a nice cover story to an assignment investigating the smuggling of components Iran needs from other countries to build a nuclear weapon for example.
Last week, this guy was an aid worker--now, he's former FBI.
Translation---he's a member of our CIA.
I don't know, wouldn't the CIA be able to keep his wife under control and this video away from the media?
His true identity has always been known and publicized widely. Maybe the original kidnapping occurred before you were old enough to comprehend the news. Either that, or you are intentionally trying to be deceitful.
Does it matter who or what he worked for? He's one of our guys, we need to go get him, end of discussion! I will add him and his family to my prayers.
agree with you achick.
Yeah, yeah, that's the ticket. let's all pray for him and that will be all that we need to help. Thanks for the idea. win win for everyone!
pray in one hand sh#t in the other.....
Let me know which one fills up first pal.
Pray, then unleash the SEAL's!
Another non believer?
IMHO - you know, there actually have been scientific studies that show positive energy (praying, complimenting, flattering, etc) directed at plants helps them grow better, while negative energy (yelling at them, etc) stunts their growth. Praying never hurt anything, so don't be a douche about it. I personally don't put people down because of their beliefs or lack thereof, if you as an atheist want to be treated better i suggest you do the same.
Brokinarrow - music helps plants also. There is an unseen world that affects things in ways we don't comprehend - it's just that the religious types have always tried to exploit to their own advantage.
"Praying never hurt anything, so don't be a douche about it. I personally don't put people down because of their beliefs or lack thereof, if you as an atheist want to be treated better i suggest you do the same."
All he is saying is he will pray for this person and his family. I agree Brockinarrow, no need to put someone down for their beliefs. I am not seeing where this person is forcing religion on anyone, only what they feel is good and helpful. You (IMHO and LetItSnowUtah) don’t have to have the same beliefs as another, but at the same time you don’t need to be a jerk because of their beliefs.
I too will be sending positive thoughts (prayers) for the safety of this man.
if a person prays and another doesn't do anything they are both getting the same results. praying is like saying," i care, but not enough to do anything about it."
I think you're referring to pot or opium plants.
I'm with you, Sandtrich. We may have to blow these MF'ers off the face of the earth one day.
Season's Greetings, everyone!
When I went back into the Marines in Oct 2001 I knew two things if captured in that area of the world I would be killed and I would never allow myself to be captured. i don't want to sound mean (in this case) but that's the risk you take in the Middle East and as a former FBI agent he should have known this and been ready to accept the consequences.
Not mean---just practical and logical. Grown up decision to do it. Grown up decision to accept the risks.
Good post.
NacioS
Another non believer?
Actually from what I read here, most people believe the moron got his tit in a ringer, and only he has the power to get it out.
Gullibility is pretending “belief” changes that reality in any way, except for the small mind.
However with them two neurons seen rubbing together is believed to be brain activity.
PatriotMarine, thank you for serving our country.
Perhaps he did know it and was ready to accept the consequences..........I sure would ask for help in his situation, though.
He was on a bogus 'cigarette investigation.' His real mission was for the CIA. He got captured, exposed, and used as a bargaining chip. Too bad, the government has had to lie to the American people all this time.
And the people who his captors want released are held off the record.
AND he's on an investigation but he's "retired?" Hmmm...
In today's IHT- Robert Levinson went to Kish Island in March 2007 ( a resort island)in order to meet Dawud Salahuddin who fled US in 1980 after having assassinated a former aide to the Shah of Iran in Washington,D.C. Whatever opinion one has about Iran- I do not think Robert Levinson was ever there held as a hostage. Which other country has got the supplies of Guantanamo prisoners' jumpsuits? If US as alleged by g'ment had treated this case as a criminal case- why was Interpol never contacted properly? If he worked for CIA as a private contractor -why hasn't the g'ment owned up to that? Look at the map surrounding Kish Islands and the countries closest to it.
UU,
You need to go back and read the article. He is a RETIRED FBI agent working as a private investigator. Please pull your head out...If he was CIA the US wouldn't even acknowledge he was missing, let alone get Hillary Clinton involved.
You guys have been watching too much TV.
The government has been lying to us since day 1, how is this any different?
Not that I believe this guy had anything to do with the CIA (he might have, but I haven't read anything that makes me think he was), but that's exactly why the CIA uses private contractors, mimi. So they don't have to own up to anything they do or even who they are.
Kidnapping is a political game, Iranians have played with westerners for many years now. Praying on the vulnerable and helpless is their specialty. Perhaps, behaving like thugs and thumbing their noses at the west makes them feel superior.
I wonder what ordinary Iranians think about the actions of their leaders and fellow citizens responsible for this despicable behavior.
if stayed out of their @!$%#ing business and not tried to replace their democracy with a US puppet shaw then maybe this would not happen!
I'm sorry if Republicans don't believe in Democracy and our right to vote, but that are the laws at the time. I know ya all are trying to take away our rights (which at the present time, you all are doing a very good job at it), but at least your not being underhanded and trying to hide the fact.
"Kidnapping is a political game, Iranians have played with westerners for many years"
'Duh'; The spy game is a two-way street.
wtwofKC, actually, there's a documentary out (HBO or Dateline, I think) about regular life in Iran. One person interviewed states it quite clearly. As long as they live their lives and keep to their own families, all is well. There are troublemakers who challenge the government.
There is the element of everyone out for number one. "As long as I'm okay, I'm okay."
tomorrowsnews
If Kennedy didn't steal the 1960 election this won't have happened.
Huh? What the hell do you mean by that? Kennedy didn't steal the 1960 election? Why are you going back 50 years and dredging this up for? Are you still sore that Nixon lost? Wow, I've heard of a sore loser but this is ridiculous!
Kennedy didn't steal the election. His bootlegger father bought it for him. I liked the guy when I was a kid and I still believe he was an OK president (albeit a complete fraud as a human being), but facts are facts. Joe Kennedy was basically the 1950s equivalent of a drug dealer and he bought support for his sons to be elected.
tommorrows news, i love how you conveniently left out 2 presidents in between kennedy and carter. what, they couldn't do anything?
You know, the USA and the world keep letting Iran act as a terriorist and do whatever they like and that gives them a green light to keep doing it. Think for a moment about what they will do when they have a nuclear bomb to threaten everyone.
HATR_HURTER....actually there were 3 presidents left out between Kennedy and Carter....Johnson...Nixon...Ford.But Ford really fell down on the job..
Military Man-1740371
UU,
You need to go back and read the article. He is a RETIRED FBI agent working as a private investigator. Please pull your head out...If he was CIA the US wouldn't even acknowledge he was missing, let alone get Hillary Clinton involved.
You guys have been watching too much TV.
If anyone has been watching too much TV it is you for believing that this man is "RETIRED" as you boldly write. You have obviously never worked in the intelligence community. I have known quite a few operatives in my life and a 'retired' agent is a rare thing indeed. They are usually found 6' underground either in an unknown Third World ditch or with a nice cemetary plaque back home.
What's better than a CIA operative? An operative no one can officially claim to be a CIA agent: hired out as an independent contractor so that he can claim he was 'hiking and got lost taking pictures of the scenery (near an enemy's secret military base)' for example.
Yes, you are clearly in the know 'Military Man.' Everything in politics is just like a clip out of 'The Green Berrets' with John Wayne and America is the champion of righteousness for the whole world telling people, "Lookee here pilgrim: I'm going to force you to be free at the point of my Peacemaker.'
pgard
You know, the USA and the world keep letting Iran act as a terriorist and do whatever they like and that gives them a green light to keep doing it. Think for a moment about what they will do when they have a nuclear bomb to threaten everyone.
Iran with nuclear weapons will do the same thing the US is doing with nuclear weapons. Telling the world what it will or will not tolerate and what concessions it wants from the global market.
Iran is choosing the nuclear deterrent option for the same reasons as the US: to stay on the global poker table even if it's just the anti. Iran has a lot of oil and would like to use a currency that is actually worth something instead of the US dollar for which the US uses all its political leverage to keep as the sole trading currency for oil.
The situation with Iran actually has little to do with religious ideals of any sort and is strictly a question of realpolitik founded on the control of oil production and distribution. Ahmadinejad is not stupid nor a lunatic to the likes of Khomeni. He is just as concerned about the consequences of nuclear terrorism as the US because he knows without question that, should such a scenario unfold, his country will be incinerated in a matter minutes and that there would be nothing he could do to stop it. He knows quite well that his country wielding a nuclear deterrent is bound by far more limited political aims because it presents a much lower deterrent to the US than the Soviet arsenal of the Cold War. We just need the oil in that part of the world and not the people.
Sorry about your luck.
If this guy had stayed home this wouldn't have happened. Sucks to be him.
We do not deal with terrorists......... that is of course unless you are a member of the 1% and have the cash available. This whole thing smells fishy, something is just not as it should be. Time, maybe, will tell. Then again when dealing with spies and agents one never knows.
Yes the 1% are the terrorists and they profit from the blood of many innocent human beings and show no evidence of remorse or morality............ These videos are older....propaganda to validate the war they are going to perpetuate.........America needs to wake up......
Gypsy - You're kidding, right...?
Why would "the 1%" want go to war with Iran?
I'm one of the 99%ers who are sick of these outbursts. Sounds like someone afflicted with Tourrete's syndrome the way this garbage gets thrown out.
Iran has a LONG list of actions that would make much of the planet want to punch them in the mouth. This is NOT a 1% issue, and your making it one weakens what your focus should be on.
Why now? Why three years later? It's highly unusual that the kidnappers ask for something after so much time has passed. Why did they wait so long before demanding anything out of the US government?
They had to interrogate/torture him for what he knew and after that was exhaused his only use is as a public bargaing chip. Or just to rub in the USA eye.
Yes, but look at all that fat he lost. Good exercise/diet plan. Keep it up.
I agree...I don't believe we are getting the whole story....or the true story.
Sad to see the prevailing attitude of citizens of the US. "Write him off, sucks to be you" etc - shows just how far the country is falling. It would be unusual for an alphabet agency to use someone of this age, and a diabetic to boot, on such a foreign assignment.
What really sucks for him is he's from a country full of weak, spineless and ignorant people as demonstrated by the replies above.
Joe, evidently you don't know how this works. The govt sends in someone who stands out the least. The don't send in a 25 year old wearing wearing an FBI jacket. That is why someone of his age and experience was probably sent in. As far as getting caught that is part of the job. The govt will say one thing to the public and do something else in the background. Since he was missing for several years before being brought to light I suspect they interrogated/tortured him for all he knew and now have determined he is no longer useful other than a public bargaining chip. He is being used as a trade now. Maybe the drone Obama delivered the other day to Iran will show good will on his part and he will be released. The only reason I bring this up is how do you lose a drone to the ememies and not have a scratch on it... Way to go Obama!
And you are superman I presume by your remarks. ROFL! But like most "R's" I'll bet you have never done a thing for this great country of ours. I await your reply,
Kent so I missed it in the news where you apparently have seen some story proving that our president conceived, managed and operated the drone program, and then, while at the controls of one such drone, with carelessness or malice aforethought, gifted it to the Iranian kooks. Guess I need to watch Fox "News," apparently there is intel there the rest of us don't see!
H8TPARTY- "I'll bet you have never done a thing for this great country of ours. I await your reply," I work and actually am part of the ones that pay federal taxes. I helped Cub Scouts for 9 years and now help in Boy Scouts to teach young men to be responsible citizens. I attend church every Sunday and volunteer my time to help others without pay. I also give to charities and also give to individuals in my community annomously. I try and help educate the ingnorant to teach them to make informed decisions. And most important, I take care of my family. Normally I don't blow my own horn, but when asked I will share my contributions to America. Not a "D" or "R" an AMERICAN!
Tommy Twochips- Didn't see a story. I just think it is strange that a drone that flys at a pretty good altitude and speed "Majically" ends up in the hands of Iran without a scratch. I could be absolutly wrong but did you see the condition of the plane on tv, and no I didn't see it on FOX. It was one of those other "Fair" channels.
Kent: It's great that you do all these things, but how does attending church every Sunday help our country, exactly?
joe, the reason we write people like this off is cause he should have known what he was getting into by being in iran or the middle east. it's not like it's new news that foreigners have been getting kidnapped over there, especially americans. it's the same as if a person walks down the middle of the street and gets hit by a car.
Seriously dude ? So Obama surreptitiously delivered a US drone to Iran and then made it look like it crashed there ? Wow ...
..and can you tell me your little prick, why the entire air-force and the patriotic soldiers who flew that drone and were responsible for it are helping Obama in his nefarious agenda ?
You mother@!$%#ing rightie have completely gone off your rockers ...
Kent, how does a drone get shot down without a scratch on it? Quit playing the blame Obama for everything. He wasn't event President when this guy was abducted. Answer: it is a fake drone the Iranians made from known photographs used as propaganda by the Iranian government.
Well, unlike the hikers in Iraq, who inadvertently strayed (or allegedly strayed) into Iranian territory, this man was knowingly engaged in a dangerous investigation in a country with no diplomatic ties to the U.S. While I would support any reasonable diplomatic effort to free him, I would not accommodate the demands of kidnappers, particularly if they involve policy decisions of the U.S. government.
It is tragic what happened to him (and is happening), but at some point, when you intentionally put yourself at risk, you are on your own.
Hiking spies or the dumbest people on the face of the earth. What kind of American plans and takes a hiking trip to Iraq or Iran?
If he was serving the U.S. government (that means all of us) in any way, then no, he is not "on his own". Iran is a serious potential enemy not only to the U.S., but to any nation on the planet. Unlike the idiot hikers who indeed should have been left to their own devices if that is what they were doing (being stupid hiking in known hostile regions), this man has been good enough to risk his life for our collective safety. He deserves at least as much media air time as the hiking morons got, but more so, he deserves our concentrated effort to bring him home safely.
achick- Media air time is not always a good thing. The US want to look strong and not deal with terrorists. Iran wants to look strong and not give in to the infidel. Negotiations hopefully will go on behing the scenes for a release or trade. Why no videos were released for years... Iran needed time to torture/Interrogate for as much info as possible. Not that they have exhausted that avenue, public video is the next avenue for exploytation.
Hey, he's getting fitter from this incarceration and should be allowed to extend his stay so that he loses the rest of the fat. Thanks Iran, good place to go on a diet/exercise program.
I guess I'll take a couple of the dumbest people on Earth. I hate spies, especially those on foot. Why can't they drive an Austen Martin, like a real secret agent.
When I get them home, what do I do with the dumbest people on Earth, set them up a lawn ornaments and tell them not to move?
Simple solution....next time Ahmaduchebag comes to make another speech at the UN the CIA kidnaps him and makes its look like moderate muslims living in the US took him. We (the kidnappers) say they will make a trade
A 63 yr old- Jewish- ex FBI guy, goes to Iran on his own for....ah.... ah... "cigarette smuggling investigation?"..huh????
Am I missing something here?
This fellow can probably be considered colatteral damage, since his situation is really beyond the control of the FBI, CIA, NSA or the "off the books" guys.
If I was in his position, I would ask them to be humane, and make it quick. Because I don't have a lot of confidence that they will ever release him. He is an ex FBI agent so he knew the chances when he went in to Iran.
Who cares about some stupid @!$%#ing JEWBAG SPY? His "mission" was to gather INTEL for ISRAEL and Netanyahu, who is trying to start a whole other ILLEGAL OCCUPATION of yet another OIL RICH country. What the @!$%# do you sleepy sheople-people THINK this is all about?? Wake up America! That should be a new TV NEWS program. But TEL AVIV runs ALL media in the United States. Congrats. You MORONS GAVE this country to ISRAEL. Whaddaya expect? You see how the POWER ELITE over there treats their own people. What makes you think they're going to "treat" us GOYIM PEASANTS any better over here once they've completely taken it over? AmeriKKKa: PRETEND you have a brain!
Grandpa- Eat you oatmeal, change your depends, and take your nap. You talk stupid when you are sleepy.
Grandpa-Sounds credible.
Ultra right wing nut bags on occasion write weird pieces like this "Mean Old..." did.
Obviously an ANTI-SEMITE with just a few cards short of a full deck.
They often have the world view that "Jews are in control" every where and favor other odd
things like eliminating the Federal Reserve Banking system, returning to the GOLD STANDARD,
and preach that the Federal Government has no powers and that most everything is UNCONSTITUTIONAL as currently enacted.
Good luck Mr. Fart....
"His family has said an investigation into cigarette smuggling brought him to Kish,"
Another reason why cigarette's can kill...
Simmer down Adolf and PUT YOUR HELMET BACK ON!
Mean Old Fart,
It's time to change the tinfoil!
MOF-Skip the tinfoil and use titanium instead...
I believe this calls for a Black Ops "Wet Job" as they say in the biz....'nuff said
why are americans wandering around in a country that hates americans ?he just crossed the border into a hostile country to look around, and hes ex fbi this is another cow poo story.
Why must our Government, sell out its people? Thought we were a Democratic Country, not Communist. Leave him to die? How INHUMAINE> IM APPALLED> OF Course, the one everyone had to have as Preisident, Yomama; is clueless, and cant help some one out of a Paper Bag.
Bill, If the govt said publically it would trade for hostages this would make Americans a target for kidnapping all over, kind of like a kid crying to his mother for candy. If the kid crys and mom gives him candy to shut him up. Then the kid knows when he crys he will get candy. I would like to say the govt is working in the background for this mans release but with todays administration who knows what is going on. We attack Libya without provocation, bypass congress by executive order to allow illegals to stay, funnel 500M to a solar company who's troubles were noted even by the previous administration to people who were major poltical contributors... Whats next?
Salmen doucheb*g where do you get this s**T? We certainly didn't "attack Libya without provocation," we supported an already risen populace against a dictator who was shooting and bombing them, and we did so in concert with all the other civilized countries of the west, thank you, against a vicious tyrant who, by the way, attacked us multiple times without provocation, only to get a single failed missile attack from your Saint Reagan and a kiss-fest from W. Nice try sh*t for brains.l
And what is this @!$%# you pickled brain runt Salman ? What executive order did Obama issue to let the illegals stay ? Where were you when during Bush's 8 years the illegal population went from 4 million to 11 million ? Where were you when Bush proposed to give amnesty to all the illegals ?
Hare brained rightie rumor monger @!$%# !!!
My Prayers are with you, everyday!
My prayers are with you too, oh and good luck on that weight reduction plan.
My guess is that he was lured into the spy game by the big money it pays on top of his retirement. That being said (and overall it is meaningless) no one in their right mind goes to a country like Iran and can expect to be treated any differently than he is being treated. He is a pawn and an expendable one at that. It is not worth starting a world war over. Every conflict we (translated-our politicians) get into we leave young American men behind as either missing in action or pows. It is collateral damage as far as the politicians are concerned-unless of course it turns out to be one of their relatives-which of course will never happen.
Who really knows the truth?...we find out the truth long after it makes no difference on political decisions...
The world is about power, control and wealth...by the 1%...they own or control enough to manipulate just about everything...most of them do not like to share...these are competing factions for the same resources...they all claim to love their people...but they only love their people when they follow the directions they are given within their own systems that they control...otherwise, their people are expendable...
In the USA we have been fortunate to have better leaders and a system that allows participation from a larger portion of the population which tended to involve more sharing of the resources...but manipulation and controls instituted by political parties along with excessive greed has changed the nature of a economic political system whereby political correctness and total team work allegiance to the dictates of those at the top is becoming the only way to insure elevation to higher positions, job stability and greater rewards...the will to hire and fire dominates the work place in business and government...
With millions of homeless, jobless and living in poverty in the USA and abroad...leaders and many people are more concerned with drones and nukes...slow agonizing deaths are OK as a result of poverty...we have been climatized to it throughout history...
this enrages me. WHEN are we going to nuke these stinky brown animals?!?!?
Over a stinky old agent who doesn't have enough sense to stay out of Iran, and seems to be losing weight? Aren't you a little bit silly? Maybe we could kidnap one of their overweight 1% er's and help him reduce.
they're waiting until momoo grows a brain; ironically, once momoo does this he won't want them to "Nuke 'Em" anymore. Such is life.
I didn't even press the button for the video...all I can do is look at the faces of his children and feel sadness for they are the true victims. Imagine being a child..having to get up and participate in life..day to day...school, school plays etc...knowing that your Dad is being held captive and that at any moment he could be killed?
A couple of observations...I'm not sure I would ever risk my life if I had children (just thinking about what has been said of his trip to Iran). If it were a matter of imminent national security...maybe so. But...couldn't they have found someone else for this reason?
I think the only way he's going to come home is if his captives have any compassion (think of his children and what they're going through) and release him. Christmas would be a good time as a matter of fact. :) That way when they enter in their next life...when they meet their creator...he'll have a little compassion for them as well.
He's not going to get ANY support from our government apparently.
Oh yes, and don't forget to pray.
IMHO- please go f*ck yourself you stinking piece of sh*t.......
Ya mess with the bull, ya get the horns.
Iranian cigaret smuggling??? C'mon you gotta do better then that. If they would be honnest about what is happening I may be able to feel more sympathy.
Looks like you're in trouble buddy.
Like the old saying goes, "You knew the job was dangerous when you took it Fred". It comes with the territory.
Cigarette smuggling? For whom? Has anyone, EVER heard of an Iranian cartel trying to ship cigarettes INTO the USA? And if they weren't trying to ship them into the States, why would anyone here give a flying-fig about it?
This sounds really nuts - like another Keystone Kop "intelligence" operation gone wrong - again.
I was thinking the same thing. Maybe if it was hashish then the story would be half believable, but cigarettes? LOL come on, you just KNOW some government worker came up with that one - someone working in the organization that sent him over there!
The rest of it: nobody knows who is holding him, where or why - sounds like information is being filtered and you can bet it's not on the kidnappers end.
I believe they are referring to American cigarettes being smuggled into Iran, we do have economic sanctions against them. Did you guys really think about this before you wrote your comment?
Tobacco is one of the only industries that relies heavily on US tobacco, which is some of the best in the world. There are a multitude of cigarrettes and cigars grown and distributed in Europe and the middle east, but most of them cannot grow decent tobacco because of the soil content and the nature of the environment, there could be many reasons why he was investigating.
Have you smoked a cigarette from the middle east, I don't recommend it. Gulf and Caribbean tobacco is a luxury there. There's a lot of money in it, especially to the tobacco companies.
If the cigarettes are coming from the USA into Iran, then someone had to buy them first - right? So the only problem I see is that Iran isn't getting their cut of the tax loot. So why should an American care one way or another? Was he employed by the Iranians? I really can't believe that the USA was going out of their way to help Iran in stopping cigarettes from being smuggled to their people.
What's in it for us? This still smells of festering fish to me.
Jacques: if you read the article it says he is a private investigator so thats why he cares.