Second scientist injured in similar attack:
Unidentified assailants riding motorcycles launched bomb attacks early on Monday against two Iranian nuclear physicists here, killing one of them and prompting accusations that the United States and Israel were behind the episode, state-controlled media reports said.
The dead scientist was identified as Majid Shahriari, a physics professor at Shahid Beheshti University in northern Tehran, whose wife was injured when a bomb attached to his car was detonated remotely. A second professor at the same university, Fereydoon Abbasi, was injured in a separate, simultaneous attack. His wife was also hurt.
Iranian media reports said the attackers attached bombs to the cars of both academics and detonated them from a distance.
The semi-official Fars news agency declared: "The United States and the Zionist regime perpetrated a terrorist attack on two professors at Shahid Beheshti university."
Some unofficial Iranian media reports, controlled by hardliners, described Mr. Abbasi as a loyalist supporter of the Iranian regime involved in nuclear research at the Defense Ministry and said both scientists were from the nuclear engineering department of Shahid Beheshti University.
Mr. Shahriari was said in some reports to have taught at the Supreme National Defense University, run by the Iranian Army.
These incidents come in the wake of related information divulged in the latest Wikileaks data dump:
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has repeatedly urged the United States to attack Iran to destroy its nuclear programme, according to leaked US diplomatic cables that describe how other Arab allies have secretly agitated for military action against Tehran.
The revelations, in secret memos from US embassies across the Middle East, expose behind-the-scenes pressures in the scramble to contain the Islamic Republic, which the US, Arab states and Israel suspect is close to acquiring nuclear weapons. Bombing Iranian nuclear facilities has hitherto been viewed as a desperate last resort that could ignite a far wider war.
The Saudi king was recorded as having "frequently exhorted the US to attack Iran to put an end to its nuclear weapons programme", one cable stated. "He told you [Americans] to cut off the head of the snake," the Saudi ambassador to Washington, Adel al-Jubeir said, according to a report on Abdullah's meeting with the US general David Petraeus in April 2008.
Were we involved in these killings? Or was it Israel? Or were the Saudis to blame? Or perhaps other Arab countries? And don't you think those still involved in Iran's nuclear program are looking over their shoulders?
We live in fascinating times.
Permalink | Linking Blogs | Sphere: Related Content | Digg this! | FARK It!
Filed under:
Breaking News, Iran
Comments (22)
Metsuyan... (Below threshold)1. Posted by rodney dill | November 29, 2010 7:19 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Metsuyan
1. Posted by rodney dill | November 29, 2010 7:19 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on November 29, 2010 07:19
2. Posted by studakota | November 29, 2010 7:45 AM | Score: 12 (16 votes cast)
You can bet it wasn't the USA, we don't have the Cajones to do this stuff anymore.
2. Posted by studakota | November 29, 2010 7:45 AM |
Score: 12 (16 votes cast)
Posted on November 29, 2010 07:45
3. Posted by Jeff Blogworthy | November 29, 2010 7:47 AM | Score: 7 (11 votes cast)
ditto #2. Exactly what I was going to say. At least, not with Obama in office and Dems in control.
3. Posted by Jeff Blogworthy | November 29, 2010 7:47 AM |
Score: 7 (11 votes cast)
Posted on November 29, 2010 07:47
4. Posted by hermie | November 29, 2010 8:20 AM | Score: 6 (8 votes cast)
If Obama knew anything he would order the State Department to warn Iran. In order to foster better relations with them. Smart power, after all.
4. Posted by hermie | November 29, 2010 8:20 AM |
Score: 6 (8 votes cast)
Posted on November 29, 2010 08:20
5. Posted by DaveD | November 29, 2010 8:35 AM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
"....prompting accusations that the United States and Israel were behind the episode, state-controlled media reports said."
How convenient. An inside job perhaps?
5. Posted by DaveD | November 29, 2010 8:35 AM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on November 29, 2010 08:35
6. Posted by Laura M. | November 29, 2010 8:53 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
The assassination might be related to this: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/11/26/secret-agent-crippled-irans-nuclear-ambitions/
6. Posted by Laura M. | November 29, 2010 8:53 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on November 29, 2010 08:53
7. Posted by inge | November 29, 2010 9:17 AM | Score: 5 (9 votes cast)
This looks like the work of Mossad; only Israelis are the one with cojones; just like the 'Stuxnet' virus.
Is it just me or do the Obama, and his team look totally incompetent after the release of these cables? The good thing is that it happened under Obama, and not Bush.
I don't think we have heard the worst yet.
7. Posted by inge | November 29, 2010 9:17 AM |
Score: 5 (9 votes cast)
Posted on November 29, 2010 09:17
8. Posted by rodney dill | November 29, 2010 9:24 AM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
8. Posted by rodney dill | November 29, 2010 9:24 AM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on November 29, 2010 09:24
9. Posted by Roy | November 29, 2010 9:54 AM | Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
I certainly hope to hell that Israel and the US were involved with this.
9. Posted by Roy | November 29, 2010 9:54 AM |
Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
Posted on November 29, 2010 09:54
10. Posted by Matt | November 29, 2010 10:23 AM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
The question becomes, who benefits?
The list is pretty inclusive. U.S. and Israel of course. Pakistan, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, etc. Pretty much any country in the West. Iran are Persians, not Arabs, despite their Islamicness, they are not loved by Arabs.
The Mullah's would also benefit. If enough "Terrorist" attacks occure they can claim the damage has caused them to shut down their nuclear program for public safety, until they can grow enough new talent, etc. It provides and excuse to stop the program without losing face or suffering a possible foreign attack.
10. Posted by Matt | November 29, 2010 10:23 AM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on November 29, 2010 10:23
11. Posted by jim m | November 29, 2010 10:34 AM | Score: 1 (5 votes cast)
Matt,
You leave out virtually all of Europe which is within the range of Iran's ballistic missiles.
But I would have to agree that the most aggressive action obama could take would be a stern letter.
11. Posted by jim m | November 29, 2010 10:34 AM |
Score: 1 (5 votes cast)
Posted on November 29, 2010 10:34
12. Posted by jim2 | November 29, 2010 10:40 AM | Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Ziva David took a few days leave.
12. Posted by jim2 | November 29, 2010 10:40 AM |
Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Posted on November 29, 2010 10:40
13. Posted by GarandFan | November 29, 2010 10:53 AM | Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Actually I wouldn't put it past the Iranians to have done this themselves.
Just to keep the rest of the academic community loyal to the mullahs.
13. Posted by GarandFan | November 29, 2010 10:53 AM |
Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Posted on November 29, 2010 10:53
14. Posted by Caesar Augustus | November 29, 2010 12:04 PM | Score: -1 (3 votes cast)
Given that Obama already has turned the U.S. into a banana republic in large part it would seem the Mossad is and has been acting on its own.
14. Posted by Caesar Augustus | November 29, 2010 12:04 PM |
Score: -1 (3 votes cast)
Posted on November 29, 2010 12:04
15. Posted by jim m | November 29, 2010 12:10 PM | Score: 0 (4 votes cast)
Indeed.
Why should Israel pay any concern to what the US wants? obama has already signaled his willingness to let the UN impose a two state solution upon Israel. He has already shown that he accepts palestinian propaganda at face value.
obama has managed to alienate most of our allies. In the past Israel heeded US requests to curb their willingness for direct action against arab nations. This seems to be no longer the case.
15. Posted by jim m | November 29, 2010 12:10 PM |
Score: 0 (4 votes cast)
Posted on November 29, 2010 12:10
16. Posted by BlueNight | November 29, 2010 12:12 PM | Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
My first thought was India. As a nation which is not officially Muslim, it is surrounded by Muslim and Atheist nations. Of the "Western" nations, it has the most to lose from a nuclear Iran.
16. Posted by BlueNight | November 29, 2010 12:12 PM |
Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
Posted on November 29, 2010 12:12
17. Posted by macofromoc | November 29, 2010 1:30 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
2 scientists assinated at about the same time as the wikileaks shows that iran's neighboring arab countries wanted the reactor attacked as much as or more than isreal did. hmmmmm
17. Posted by macofromoc | November 29, 2010 1:30 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on November 29, 2010 13:30
18. Posted by JLawson | November 29, 2010 1:50 PM | Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
Man, I'll tell ya, it's getting so a despot doesn't have ANY idea who he can trust.
18. Posted by JLawson | November 29, 2010 1:50 PM |
Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
Posted on November 29, 2010 13:50
19. Posted by Steve Crickmore | November 29, 2010 5:12 PM | Score: -2 (4 votes cast)
With all this new exposure of Iran's nuclear program Rick and JLawson, you better hurry and make the wikileaks founder a honorary member of wizbang and the right, before Jay asks for his head for treason.
19. Posted by Steve Crickmore | November 29, 2010 5:12 PM |
Score: -2 (4 votes cast)
Posted on November 29, 2010 17:12
20. Posted by Steve Crickmore | November 29, 2010 5:38 PM | Score: 1 (7 votes cast)
One of the revelations of wikileaks was that that the Saudis, and other Arab moderates are privately urging us to fight Iran ..to the last American, so nice of them? Would Obama and Hillary have told us that? I doubt it.
Whether this is good added reason to launch a war on Iran it depends.. still, I think it is useful to know why Americans sons and daughters might be sent abroad to shed blood on foreign shores, and not those from our 'friends' in the Middle East.
20. Posted by Steve Crickmore | November 29, 2010 5:38 PM |
Score: 1 (7 votes cast)
Posted on November 29, 2010 17:38
21. Posted by epador | November 29, 2010 7:56 PM | Score: 0 (4 votes cast)
Steve, this is no revelation. However, the exposed diplomatic cables are a blow to US diplomatic efforts that will take years if not decades to repair. Go jump in a lake. If its not frozen over, that is.
21. Posted by epador | November 29, 2010 7:56 PM |
Score: 0 (4 votes cast)
Posted on November 29, 2010 19:56
22. Posted by Oyster | November 30, 2010 6:16 AM | Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
"The Mullah's would also benefit. If enough "Terrorist" attacks occure they can claim the damage has caused them to shut down their nuclear program for public safety, until they can grow enough new talent, etc. It provides and excuse to stop the program without losing face or suffering a possible foreign attack."
If enough terrorist attacks occur they won't publicly claim a shutdown of activity. They'll get even more belligerent and behave exactly as Saddam did, threatening everyone around them and bragging about how things are running just fine. They may even try to deflect attention by getting Hezbollah to ramp up aggression.
22. Posted by Oyster | November 30, 2010 6:16 AM |
Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on November 30, 2010 06:16