CIA claims it brought Iranian scientist Amiri to US over security concerns

Washington, July 17 (ANI): The Iranian nuclear scientist, Shahram Amiri, who returned to Tehran this week was one of two CIA informants whisked out of Iran last year by the agency amid concerns that Tehran had discovered they were providing secrets to Washington.

According to The Washington Post, US officials have revealed that before his abrupt departure for Iran, Amiri was among half a dozen sources that had provided information to the CIA from inside Iran's nuclear program and was subsequently resettled in the United States.

Financial firms outside the CIA's control had given sources reward packages including the five million dollars set aside for Amiri.

Current and former U.S. officials have claimed that Amiri was among a small network of spies inside Iran that had provided intelligence about nuclear programs and sites for several years.

Some were brought out because they wanted to relocate, but Amiri and a second informant were pushed to leave Iran after indications that they had come under suspicion by the country's Ministry of Intelligence and Security.

"There was fear of exposure, one had gotten sloppy in his communications with the agency, but even when told of the exposure risk remained in Iran longer than we thought prudent," a former senior U.S. intelligence official familiar with the cases, said.

Earlier, Amiri had alleged that he was drugged and abducted by the CIA to the United States and was subjected to coercive interrogations on Iran's nuclear program.

U.S. officials, however, have denied Amiri's assertions, saying he defected voluntarily and is concocting stories to enable his return to a country he betrayed.

A former US official also said that when Amiri was resettled in the United States, it was his decision not to try to bring his family. (ANI)