Monday, January 22, 2007

Were weapons inspectors thrown out of Iran?

Were weapons inspectors thrown out of Iran? Yes, says Reuters and AP. But Larisa Alexandrovna of Raw Story checked the facts and found that it just ain't so; see here and here. She called the IAEA, which denied that any inspections have been impeded.

Three cheers for Larisa! Now the real question kicks in: Just how does a fib like this make it's way into Reuters and AP?

Turns out Reuters quotes Iran's ISNA news agency, which quotes a member of the Iranian Parliament named Alaeddin Boroujerdi. There's an interview with him here. He doesn't seem like the sort of madman who would tell lies designed to invite a war on Iran. So, was he quoted accurately?

Apparently, Iran has requested that some weapons inspectors be no longer designated as such, and ha thus entered into negotiations with the IAEA. The matter seems to concern not inspections per se but objections to those specific individuals. Allegations of spying could play a role here.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

My first guess, when I heard that news was, in light of US's attitude and provacative stand, Iran is sure to suspect CIA spies among inspectors.
Saddam accused the inspectors of the same thing and Scott Ritter confirmed his suspicions later.
So if Iran expelled or questioned any inspectors, chances are that they are CIA spies, and any country that is facing US hostilities and lets CIA spies roam around the country un-impeded is a fool.