Missing American In Iran Was CIA Agent, AP Sat on Truth For Years
"The American that went missing seven years ago in Iran, and is the longest held US hostage, was working for the CIA and the Associated Press held the story for at least three years.
Bob Levinson, 65, was a former FBI agent and now a report released by the AP and The Washington Post reveals he was actually working for the CIA, as his captors have claimed."
Oh what a surprise. (Not)
The only thing that is surprising about this issue is not that the CIA lied or covered up, nor that the press dissembled, but that more people didn’t outright call them on it. It was easily guessed the man was spying in Iran.
We touched on the official story in 2011 with much incredulity:
"Cigarette smuggling in Iran? .. Really?"
Strange (and timely?) Reemergence of Missing FBI Agent in Iran
[...]In the nearly five years that Levinson has been missing, the U.S. government has never had solid intelligence about what happened to him. Levinson had been retired from the FBI for years and was working as a private investigator when he traveled to the Iran in March 2007. His family has said an investigation into cigarette smuggling brought him to Kish, a resort island where Americans need no visa to visit.
The prevailing U.S. government theory had been that Levinson was arrested by Iranian intelligence officials to be interrogated and used as a bargaining chip in negotiations with Washington. But as every lead fizzled and Iran repeatedly denied any involvement in his disappearance, many in the U.S. government believed Levinson was probably dead.
What is also surprising is that he’s reportedly still alive. The US government and the ’rogue elements’ of the CIA that sent him there CERTAINLY aren’t bothered by his situation. His gaunt face and dire fate get trotted out by the western media every few years when the establishment wants you to hate Iran, but no concrete moves are ever made to actually get the man back. Why? (update: Here’s probably why)
More strangeness in the case was revealed by Above Top Secret in early 2013 regarding alleged ’computer generated images’ of Levinson as released by officials - found here:
The family of kidnapped former FBI agent Robert Levinson released a series of photos that were anonymously sent to them. US Intelligence sources indicate that the photos were almost certainly done by Iranian intelligence and that Levinson is most likely in an Iranian secret prison.
AP Story
In March 2007, the FBI posted a reward for information about the kidnapping with a computerized depiction of what Levinson may look like after being held for 5 years.
FBI Reward Notice: Robert Levinson
Here is the 2007 FBI Computer Image compared to one of the photos released by the family this week:
The ’new’ photo released by the family matches exactly the ’guess’ as released by the FBI years previous. How did the FBI know what he’d look like down to the very HAIRS ON HIS HEAD? Check out ATS.
More on duplicity, spying, and plausible deniability ...
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Missing American In Iran Was CIA Agent, AP Held On To Story For Years
By Patricia Didelot | Inquisitr
The American that went missing seven years ago in Iran, and is the longest held US hostage, was working for the CIA and the Associated Press held the story for at least three years.
Bob Levinson, 65, was a former FBI agent and now a report released by the AP and The Washington Post reveals he was actually working for the CIA, as his captors have claimed.
Through the years, Levinson’s family has denied that he was working for the US government, but on a personal business trip at the time of his disappearance in 2007, while visiting Kish Island in Iran.
However, the report released on Thursday says that the missing American was in the country on a mission to dig up information on the regime.
A source close to the investigation into the missing American’s disappearance, says there’s proof that Levinson was working under contract as a CIA undercover agent, while also working as a private investigator.
A statement published by Paul Colford in the AP blog on Thursday, explains why they are releasing the information now:
“The Associated Press today is publishing an article about serious blunders at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and an effort to cover them up. At the heart of the story is a retired FBI agent, Robert Levinson, who was recruited as a spy by a rogue group of analysts inside the CIA. Without any authority to do so, the analysts sent Levinson into Iran, where he disappeared in 2007.”
“His condition and whereabouts are not known and the Iranian government says it has no information.”
Senior Vice President and Executive Editor Kathleen Carroll says:
“Publishing this article was a difficult decision. This story reveals serious mistakes and improper actions inside the US government’s most important intelligence agency. Those actions, the investigation and consequences have all been kept secret from the public.”
Carroll continues saying, that part of what journalism does is help the public to hold the government accountable for wrongdoing.
“This seems particularly true on this subject at a time when the decisions of intelligence agencies are being extensively debated.” Carroll adds, referring to the recent NSA revelations, following leaks from former contractor Edward Snowden.
[...]
The AP first confirmed the missing American’s ties to the CIA in 2010 and continued pursuing the story. It delayed publishing several times, after the government said “it was pursuing promising leads to get him home.”
“The family is aware of the risk created by this story and are praying for his safety, as they have for six years,” a Levinson family spokesman said Thursday night. “All they want is to bring Bob home.”
The missing American’s family are criticizing the White House’s response to Levinson’s situation:
“Bob is a courageous man who has dedicated himself, including risking his own life, in service to the U.S. government. But the US government has failed to make saving this good man’s life the priority it should be.”
CIA spokesman Chris White said in a statement:
“We have no comment on any purported affiliation between Mr. Levinson and the US Government. The US Government remains committed to bringing him home safely to his family.”
Read the full article at: inquisitr.com
