“Putting these lessons to work might well begin by respectfully talking and listening to Iran.”
-- Henry Precht, U.S. foreign service officer, retired

I wonder if there would be time...

I just happened across Mr. Precht’s “Lessons from Iran hostage crisis”.

Anyway, it seems Iran has a history of receiving ‘spies’ to their land who pose as diplomats. The Iran Hostage Crisis of 1979 was thinly based on this precept.

Does the CIA use US Embassies? I would say it’s logical.

Were the 90 hostages of 1979 all CIA operatives? I would say this is illogical. Those foreign service officers released prior to the 444 day stand-off were women, non-Americans, and non-whites -- because none of these could ever be CIA operatives.

...Right?

Now, would England send an agent to pose as a diplomat to a proposed political hot-bed, one that could, according to our own president, soon degrade to a war-zone? I would say it’s logical.

But then, who is David Reddaway?

“The row over Reddaway, who according to hardline Iranian newspapers has links with British intelligence and is Jewish by origin, threatens to cool relations between the countries.”
http://www.vizzavi.co.uk/Archive/2002/Feb/08-290998.html

“He is not, in fact, Jewish, and the BBC has been told that he is not in MI6. His name, incidentally, does not appear on the notorious list of MI6 officers which was published on the internet some time ago -- and which is still posted.” (personally choosing not to repost the notorious list here)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/middle_east/newsid_1808000/1808253.stm

I think I would like to hear Iran’s evidence that singles Mr. Reddaway out to be an MI6 agent -- I mean, other than the fact that he’s highly qualified to work for the U.K. in Iran.

Dan