Iranian diplomat says CIA tortured him

[mpohl 1]

SAD TO SAY: but these days, Iranians have more credibility w/ me than Bush and his British poodle.

Iranian President Ahmadinejad released their "guests" w/o further ado; how about the five Iranian diplomats held captive by the US against international law?

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Iranian diplomat says CIA tortured him

Story Highlights• NEW: White House says 'Iranian propaganda machine in overdrive'
• Iranian diplomat Jalal Sharafi says CIA interrogated, tortured him in Iraq
• U.S. strongly denies any CIA involvement in his abduction or in any torture
• Sharafi was abducted in Iraq two months ago, released on Tuesday

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- An Iranian diplomat, freed this week after being abducted in Iraq, accused the CIA of torturing him during his two-month detention, Iranian state television reported Saturday.

The United States immediately denied any involvement in the Iranian's disappearance or release.

Jalal Sharafi, who was freed on Tuesday, said the CIA questioned him about Iran's relations with Iraq and assistance to various Iraqi groups, according to state television.

"Once they heard my response that Iran merely has official relations with the Iraqi government and officials, they intensified tortures and tortured me through different methods days and nights," state TV quoted him as saying.

Sharafi's comments came a day after 15 British sailors released by Iran said they had been subject to psychological pressure and coercion in captivity. The sailors, captured in the Persian Gulf on March 23 for allegedly entering Iranian waters, were freed Wednesday. (Full story)

At the time of Sharafi's disappearance, Iran alleged the diplomat had been abducted by an Iraqi military unit commanded by American forces -- a charge repeated by several Iraqi Shiite lawmakers. U.S. authorities denied any role in his disappearance.

"The United States had nothing to do with Mr. Sharafi's detention and we welcome his return to Iran," said Gordon Johndroe, a White House spokesman who was with President Bush in Texas on Saturday.

"The Iranian propaganda machine has been in overdrive since they paraded the British sailors around on TV. This is just the latest theatrics of a government trying to deflect attention away from its own unacceptable actions," Johndroe added.

A U.S. intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said the CIA vehemently denies any role in the capture or release of Sharafi. The official dismissed any claims of torture, saying "the CIA does not conduct or condone torture."

In the report Saturday read by a newscaster, Sharafi, second secretary at the Iranian embassy in Baghdad, said he was kidnapped by agents of an Iraqi organization operating under CIA supervision and was badly tortured.

State television said signs of torture were still visible on Sharafi, who is being treated at an Iranian hospital. Images of Sharafi were not shown.

The television quoted Sharafi as saying he was approached by agents while shopping in Baghdad. The agents allegedly showed him Iraqi Defense Ministry identification papers and were driving U.S. coalition vehicles.

He said they took him to a base near Baghdad airport and interrogated him in both Arabic and English, questioning him mainly about Iran's influence in Iraq and assistance to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government and Iraqi groups. Sharafi did not provide additional details about his captors or their nationalities.

U.S. officials allege that Iran provides money and weapons to Iraqi Shiite militias.

After the initial interrogation, Sharafi said that his captors "softened their behavior and showed leniency to encourage" him to cooperate.

"I explained I was unable to do anything outside my legal responsibilities," Sharafi was quoted as saying. "Later, they released me under pressure from Iraqi government officials. They dropped me near the back of the airport."

His release came a day before Iran freed the 15 British sailors, raising speculation that it was part of a deal to liberate the Britons. Both London and Tehran have denied any links between the two events.

Several of the British crew members said Friday that they had been blindfolded, bound, kept in solitary confinement and subjected to psychological pressure during their captivity. (Read the full statement)

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[DZJ 0]

To my mind, the piss-taking thing about this whole business is that despite kidnapping British servicemen in Iraqi waters, and working to destabilise Iraq and other countries in the region, Iran is managing to come out of this looking like the wronged party.

[kallend 2,026]

It's quite OK, Bush made a signing statement exempting himself from the provisions of the anti-torture act.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[pop 0]

Interesting how the response came out the next day aftre the British sailor stories came out.

And I love this line "Once they heard my response that Iran merely has official relations with the Iraqi government and officials" state TV quoted him as saying." Now is taht really true, or is that one bullshit statement

7 ounce wonders, music and dogs that are not into beer

[IanHarrop 41]

Well duh, I think its just a given that the Americans would torture this guy.

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy

[no7rosman 0]

A letter from Ahmadinejad to US people.

http://www.americanfreepress.net/html/ahmadinejad_speaks.html

[IanHarrop 41]

Quote

A letter from Ahmadinejad to US people.

http://www.americanfreepress.net/html/ahmadinejad_speaks.html

Letters from religious kooks, no matter what their faith, are not worth reading.

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy

[no7rosman 0]

I don't know much about the guy, but his letter isn't extreme and it asks some good questions.

[IanHarrop 41]

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I don't know much about the guy, but his letter isn't extreme and it asks some good questions.

He's the same weasel that's always on TV in rumpled suits saying outrageous things about the west all the time. If he wasn't dangerous he'd be a joke.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahmoud_Ahmadinejad

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy

[juanesky 0]

As much as I hate to feed trolls like these, well, it is interesting how well they are willing to believe Iran, and a crappy political statement. Of opportunity of course.

"According to some of the conservatives here, it sounds like it's fine to beat your wide - as long as she had it coming." -Billvon

[Trent 0]

Hmmmm, let's see.... if I was captured by someone I repeatedly describe as the great satan and that same someone has been in trouble for its treatment of prisoners, I'd make the claim that I was tortured too. It does 2 things FOR me... it makes me look like the poor little victim and it makes my enemy look bad. This is really very easy to do when so many people have already bought into my propaganda.

It's like that PT Barnum saying...

Oh, hello again!

[kallend 2,026]

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Hmmmm, let's see.... if I was captured by someone I repeatedly describe as the great satan and that same someone has been in trouble for its treatment of prisoners, I'd make the claim that I was tortured too. It does 2 things FOR me... it makes me look like the poor little victim and it makes my enemy look bad. This is really very easy to do when so many people have already bought into my propaganda.

It's like that PT Barnum saying...

The US has only the Bush administration to blame if people buy into this story. 20 years ago the world would have laughed at a suggestion like this - now it is extremely plausible.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Trent 0]

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The US has only the Bush administration to blame if people buy into this story. 20 years ago the world would have laughed at a suggestion like this - now it is extremely plausible.

Untrue... people were bitching about how we treated North Vietnamese prisoners back in the 60's. Surely YOU remember that. You can BLAME whoever you like but I don't think that Bush was president back then.

Oh, hello again!

[Amazon 7]

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Untrue... people were bitching about how we treated North Vietnamese prisoners back in the 60's. Surely YOU remember that. You can BLAME whoever you like but I don't think that Bush was president back then.

Nope for once I agree... Bush would never have been caught dead throwing VC out the doors of choppers....Hell you would never have found him even in country..

[Trent 0]

Hahahaha...

Why do I always seem to hear that little trumpet sound when you post about Bush??

*wah wah wah wahhhhhhh*

(not whining, you know, the bad joke trumpet sound thingy)

Oh, hello again!

[champu 1]

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Sad to say, but these days, Iranians have more credibility w/ me than Bush and his British poodle.

Being fed up with a perceived lack of credibility in one entity will often drive people to listen to their opponents with an undue vigor. Politicians love this and make use of the response constantly.

When everyone is covered in a dried layer of dirt from all the mudslinging fights gone by, the latest rounds are just comical.

[mpohl 1]

Well, suffice it to say that CIA personnel involved in "extraordinary renditions" is now subject to arrest warrants thru Interpol in 150+ countries. Prosecutors in Germany, Italy, and Spain are very actively pursuing this.

In my opinion, Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld all need to face an International Court of Law for crimes against humanity. In time they will. Mark my words!

Quote

Quote

Sad to say, but these days, Iranians have more credibility w/ me than Bush and his British poodle.

Being fed up with a perceived lack of credibility in one entity will often drive people to listen to their opponents with an undue vigor. Politicians love this and make use of the response constantly.

When everyone is covered in a dried layer of dirt from all the mudslinging fights gone by, the latest rounds are just comical.

[chuteless 1]

Are you so naive that you think the USA doesn't torture?

The propaganda of Joseph Goebels is alive and well, and living in Washington.

[cumplidor 0]

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Untrue... people were bitching about how we treated North Vietnamese prisoners back in the 60's. Surely YOU remember that . You can BLAME whoever you like but I don't think that Bush was president back then.

No, but his daddy was associated with very high level CIA officials during that war, and was appointed director of that agency shortly after that war, so...

[ErricoMalatesta 0]

Well CIA torture comes as no suprise if you take into consideration the CIA are one of the biggest terrorist organizations in the world

[juanesky 0]

Another troll, another one around here that thinks about pregnant birds...

"According to some of the conservatives here, it sounds like it's fine to beat your wide - as long as she had it coming." -Billvon

[Royd 0]

Quote

Hahahaha...

Why do I always seem to hear that little trumpet sound when you post about Bush??

*wah wah wah wahhhhhhh*

(not whining, you know, the bad joke trumpet sound thingy)

It's called Pavlov's dog. She just can't help herself.

[ErricoMalatesta 0]

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Another troll..

Well given that the person making the claim bares the burden of proof I will simply take one uncontroversial case, Nicaragua. So now we come to the cross roads of either 'case closed' or if that one word means nothing to you, then you are in no place to call me a troll.

The CIA continuously operate outside all international laws, with the exception of throwing out a few scapegoats now and then, and have throughout history carried out terrorist acts against the people of numerous countries.

They are one of the leading terrorist organizations in the world.