U.S. Denies Iran Spy Role

Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) – The United States on Friday denied any official role in the episode of Iranian nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri from his arrival in the U.S. to his recent departure back to Tehran.

U.S. Denies Iran Spy Role

State Department spokesman Philip J. Crowley told journalists during daily press briefing, “I’m not here to characterize Mr. Amiri one way or the other. He paid a visit to the United States and he chose to return to Iran.”

Crowley was replying to the question of role of the U.S. in the report emerging that Amiri was a CIA mole inside Iran and then provided information to the U.S. while he was in the U.S.

Earlier reports had mentioned that Amiri disappeared during an Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in early June 2009 with Tehran accusing the CIA of abducting the scientist because of his involvement in a suspected Iranian nuclear weapons program.

Asked to comment that those reports are putting Amiri and his family’s life in danger in Tehran, Crowley said, “During this entire period of time, Mr. Amiri acted, made decisions on his own. Whether those decisions have put the – his life in danger or those of his family and friends, I can’t say.”

“We did not kidnap Mr. Amiri. He traveled to the United States freely and he has traveled back to Iran freely. The consequences of these actions I can’t predict,” Crowley added.

On the subject of U.S. expressing concern about Iranian civilians in a terror attack, Crowley justified the U.S. messages saying, “Our expressions of condolence and our condemnation of the terrorism attack and the claim of responsibility by Jundallah – we have actually made similar statements in the past.”

Crowley told journalists, “We condemn terrorism in all of its forms anywhere in the world. Any citizens of any country who are victimized by acts of terrorism we find regrettable and we find those acts of terrorism cowardly and repugnant.”

“We are actively combating terrorism in all its forms all over the world. We are seeking cooperation from all countries around the world, including Iran, which is a state sponsor of terrorism itself. So we are determined to work as we can with countries around the world to reduce the threat of terrorism to all innocent civilians anywhere in the world,” Crowley added, refusing to connect the different cases of Amiri and terror attacks.