FT: (Iran) Fugitive says he met missing ex-FBI agent

[Eugene]

Fugitive says he met missing ex-FBI agent
By Guy Dinmore in Washington and Najmeh Bozorgmehr in Tehran

Published: April 13 2007 05:08 | Last updated: April 13 2007 05:08

An American fugitive living in Iran since he murdered an Iranian
opposition activist in the US in 1980 has revealed that he met a
former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent shortly before the
latter disappeared on the Iranian island of Kish a month ago.

US authorities have been anxiously seeking information about the
former agent, Robert Levinson, for several weeks. The Iranian
foreign ministry says it is trying to clarify his whereabouts.
US officials suspect he is in Iranian detention.

-snip-

Mr Salahuddin, known in Iran as Hassan Abdulrahman, said he was
detained by officials in plain clothes at 11pm and taken from the
room he shared with Mr Levinson to be questioned about his Iranian
passport. Mr Salahuddin was freed the next afternoon and told by
the officials that Mr Levinson had flown back to Dubai.

-snip-

His account of their meeting confirmed the suspicions of friends
of Mr Levinson in the US who believe he was arrested after meeting
Mr Salahuddin.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/c945bb2a-e93f-11db-a162-000b5df10621.html

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So Mr. Levinson went to Iran to investigate cigarette smuggling on behalf
of a tobacco company. Why shouldn't the Iranians believe that?