I fully respect your opinion and all… but do you have any evidence? Thats usually how accusations are shown to be true, at least, I think.

Amer on July 15, 2010 at 3:31 pm

‘Al? ‘Innahum Humu Al-Mufsid?na Wa Lakin L? Yash`ur?na

Jamal on July 15, 2010 at 3:33 pm

????? ????????? ???? ?????????????? ???????? ??? ???????????

Jamal on July 15, 2010 at 3:34 pm

“And Iran threatened to do all kinds of things to them, while keeping them prisoners there.”

I suspect that no only will he never be heard of again, neither will his wife or son. Of course, his wife will be hung upside down and sodomized like Jessica Lynch. It’s muzzie past time activity. His son will become a dancing boy.

In time, all three will perish. As far as how close Iran is to nuclear, the Israelis know without his assistance.

As goes Israel - so goes the World on July 15, 2010 at 3:37 pm

I can’t understand why he didn’t see this coming. I don’t know anything about the rules of attending a Hajj, but if women and children are allowed, why didn’t he take his whole family with him in the first place? Then all of them could’ve defected simultaneously.

Daniel H on July 15, 2010 at 3:56 pm

Debbie, are you sure he wasn’t an Iranian double agent? I would think a true defector would know the risks he would be taking if he was to leave his country against his regime’s wishes. And we all know what is likely to happen to him if he was indeed a genuine defector.

NormanF on July 15, 2010 at 3:57 pm

I partially disagree. It is a victory for Iran. However, it IS NOT a victory that any informed, moral person would cheer. In other words, it is a victory, but a victory for the wrong side. Iran got what they wanted, which was to force this guy to return home by threatening his family. I say that his going back is a victory for Iran in the way that Elian Gonzalez’s return was a victory for Cuba (and for communist sympathizers everywhere).

Gerald on July 15, 2010 at 4:48 pm

Amer writes, “I fully respect your opinion and all… but do you have any evidence? Thats usually how accusations are shown to be true, at least, I think.”

Holding family members as hostages while another member travels overseas is not unusual among the region’s authoritarian practices. My father’s first cousin was among the few Jews still in Syria in the 1970s. He was allowed out to visit family overseas during a brief thaw in 1977, but his wife and family (except for sons who’d escaped years earlier) were held behind as guarantees of his return. (The entire family ultimately did manage to get out.)

Raymond in DC on July 15, 2010 at 4:49 pm

What did this muzzie expect when he returned to iran – a hero’s welcome and his old job. Nobody will probably hear from this guy again.

But there is a positive side to this. iran will probably execute him, and that means one less iranian nuke scientist to worry about.

Jarhead on July 15, 2010 at 4:54 pm

I also think it is somewhat of a victory for Iran, hopefully a Phyrric victory, but they still got him to go back, even if through coercion. Just like Khrushchev’s suppression of Hungary in 1956 was a victory for the Soviet Union (sic). It showed its revolting character, but they still achieved, at least for a time, what they wanted.

Little Al on July 15, 2010 at 5:06 pm

Considering the information he picked up here, I’m sure they’ll put him to work over there, weather he likes it or not. They have the lives of his family as a bargaining point. Unless of course their bloodlust overtakes their sense of priorities. Even if he was a double agent working for them they won’t trust him. So yeah, either way, along with his family, he’s gonna fall off the face of the earth.

theShadow on July 16, 2010 at 1:09 am

he didn’t know his family would be targeted when he planned to defect? or did he convince himself he could somehow get them out with the help of the US?

either way, it seems like a foolish plan to defect without his family in-tow.

howardroark on July 16, 2010 at 10:18 am

Raymond in DC wrote :

“Holding family members as hostages while another member travels overseas is not unusual among the region’s authoritarian practices. My father’s first cousin was among the few Jews still in Syria in the 1970s. He was allowed out to visit family overseas during a brief thaw in 1977, but his wife and family (except for sons who’d escaped years earlier) were held behind as guarantees of his return. (The entire family ultimately did manage to get out.)”

Still, I like to think that the West still believes in the principle of “innocent until proven guilty”.

Amer on July 16, 2010 at 5:25 pm

All humans are untrustworthy. Every single religion, race, creed etc. has its fair share of examples of lying and immorality. I’m sure some would say that Communism was a more deadly threat to the world- Stalin and Mao killed the largest amounts of humans between them in history. All humans are deadly. I could easily point to examples such as the Black slave trade. But please, I’m not defending a foolish idea of complete Islamic purity. I, as a muslim, admit to countless examples of islamic mistakes. But I’m pointing out that we are not the only ones to have done so.

And if all 1.57 billion muslims were to start murdering everyone they considered infidels, I think the world would be a much different place.

And if you wish to take the moral high-ground over muslims… surely that does not mean to fore-go the very principles on which your civilization is based on? Shouldn’t you be an example to the world of ideal human beings?

Amer on July 17, 2010 at 7:38 am