Iranian Deputy Defence Minister Disappears

Via peopledaily.com.cn -

Western intelligence services may have kidnapped a former Iranian deputy defence minister who went missing in Turkey, Iran's police chief was quoted as saying yesterday.

Ali Reza Asgari was on a personal trip and vanished after arriving in Turkey from Damascus, Iranian police chief Ismail Ahmadi-Moghaddam was quoted as saying by the Iranian ILNA news agency.

"It is possible that former Deputy Defence Minister Asgari was kidnapped by Western intelligence services because of his Defence Ministry background," Ahmadi-Moghaddam said.

"He went missing after three days stay in Turkey. Police inquiries show he has not left Turkey," he said, adding there was no indication Asgari had died or had been hospitalized.

Turkish media reports said Asgari, 63, a retired general in the elite Revolutionary Guards, went missing after checking into an Istanbul hotel on February 7.

Turkish newspaper Milliyet, citing unnamed officials, said Turkish intelligence and police had found Asgari opposed the Iranian government and had information on its nuclear plans.

The West says Iran's nuclear program is a covert attempt to make atomic bombs, a charge which Teheran denies.

A Turkish Foreign Ministry official, who declined to be named, said it was following the case at the request of Iran but did not consider it unusual.