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http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/5/31/214539.shtml?s=os
U.S. Warns Against Travel to Iran
NewsMax.com Wires Friday, June 1, 2007
WASHINGTON -- The United States warned U.S. citizens on Thursday against
traveling to Iran, accusing Islamic authorities there of a "disturbing
pattern" of harassment after the detention of a fourth Iranian-American for
alleged espionage.
"American citizens may be subject to harassment or arrest while traveling or
residing in Iran," the State Department said after confirming that Ali
Shakeri, a peace activist from Irvine, Calif., who has been missing in Iran
for more than two weeks, is being held at a notorious prison in Tehran along
with three other people.
"Americans of Iranian origin should consider the risk of being targeted by
authorities before planning travel to Iran," the department said, noting
that "dual national Iranian-American citizens may encounter difficulty in
departing Iran."
The alert alleged that Tehran continues to repress numerous indigenous
minority groups and that "some elements" of the Iranian government and
population are extremely hostile to the United States.
Earlier, several international human rights groups urged Iran to immediately
release the four Iranian-American scholars and activists being held on
suspicion of spying.
"As with the other cases this is simply ridiculous," said deputy spokesman
Tom Casey. "He has no standing with the U.S. government, he is not a U.S.
government official, he is not operating or acting on behalf of the U.S.
government. He is a private citizen."
Casey said there had been no response to requests for access to Shakeri or
the others by Swiss diplomats who represent U.S. interests in Iran, and
repeated flat denials that any of the four are spies or are employed by the
U.S. government.
Shakeri, a founding board member at the University of California, Irvine's
Center for Citizen Peacebuilding, was supposed to leave Iran and fly to
Europe on either May 8 or May 13 but never arrived at his destination.
He joins three other Iranian-Americans - academic Haleh Esfandiari, Kian
Tajbakhsh, an urban planning consultant with George Soros' Open Society
Institute, and journalist Parnaz Azima - now in custody in Iran.
Esfandiari, Tajbakhsh and Azima have all been charged with endangering
Iran's national security and espionage, the country's judiciary spokesman
said Tuesday. It was not immediately clear on Thursday if Shakeri has been
charged.
Esfandiari and her organization have been accused by the Iranian
Intelligence Ministry of trying to set up networks of Iranians to start a
revolution to bring down the hardline regime. The ministry alleges that the
Open Society Institute, which seeks to promote democracy worldwide, was also
part of the conspiracy.
But Casey, as well as their relatives and employers, said they were in Iran
visiting family members or engaged in professional work.
"What we are seeing is a disturbing pattern on the part of the Iranians in
efforts to harass these innocent people," Casey said, adding that the
detentions undercut Iran's claims to want a dialogue with the United States.
"It certainly belies any notion that the regime is interested in promoting
any kind of dialogue if they are attacking and harassing these
Iranian-Americans who are doing nothing more than some pretty basic kinds of
human contacts," he said.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called the treatment of Esfandiari and
the other Iranian-Americans "a perversion of the rule of law."
A fifth American citizen, former FBI agent Robert Levinson, has been missing
in Iran since early March and Washington has cast severe doubts on Iranian
claims to have no information about him in response to repeated requests
through the Swiss and others.
The U.S. broke diplomatic relations with Iran after the 1979 Islamic
Revolution and the hostage crisis at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
Perennially poor ties since then have been exacerbated in recent months by
rising tensions over Iran's nuclear program and U.S. allegations that Tehran
is supporting armed groups in Iraq.
Last week, Iran said it had uncovered spy rings organized by the U.S. and
its Western allies.
U.S. Warns Against Travel to Iran
NewsMax.com Wires Friday, June 1, 2007
WASHINGTON -- The United States warned U.S. citizens on Thursday against
traveling to Iran, accusing Islamic authorities there of a "disturbing
pattern" of harassment after the detention of a fourth Iranian-American for
alleged espionage.
"American citizens may be subject to harassment or arrest while traveling or
residing in Iran," the State Department said after confirming that Ali
Shakeri, a peace activist from Irvine, Calif., who has been missing in Iran
for more than two weeks, is being held at a notorious prison in Tehran along
with three other people.
"Americans of Iranian origin should consider the risk of being targeted by
authorities before planning travel to Iran," the department said, noting
that "dual national Iranian-American citizens may encounter difficulty in
departing Iran."
The alert alleged that Tehran continues to repress numerous indigenous
minority groups and that "some elements" of the Iranian government and
population are extremely hostile to the United States.
Earlier, several international human rights groups urged Iran to immediately
release the four Iranian-American scholars and activists being held on
suspicion of spying.
"As with the other cases this is simply ridiculous," said deputy spokesman
Tom Casey. "He has no standing with the U.S. government, he is not a U.S.
government official, he is not operating or acting on behalf of the U.S.
government. He is a private citizen."
Casey said there had been no response to requests for access to Shakeri or
the others by Swiss diplomats who represent U.S. interests in Iran, and
repeated flat denials that any of the four are spies or are employed by the
U.S. government.
Shakeri, a founding board member at the University of California, Irvine's
Center for Citizen Peacebuilding, was supposed to leave Iran and fly to
Europe on either May 8 or May 13 but never arrived at his destination.
He joins three other Iranian-Americans - academic Haleh Esfandiari, Kian
Tajbakhsh, an urban planning consultant with George Soros' Open Society
Institute, and journalist Parnaz Azima - now in custody in Iran.
Esfandiari, Tajbakhsh and Azima have all been charged with endangering
Iran's national security and espionage, the country's judiciary spokesman
said Tuesday. It was not immediately clear on Thursday if Shakeri has been
charged.
Esfandiari and her organization have been accused by the Iranian
Intelligence Ministry of trying to set up networks of Iranians to start a
revolution to bring down the hardline regime. The ministry alleges that the
Open Society Institute, which seeks to promote democracy worldwide, was also
part of the conspiracy.
But Casey, as well as their relatives and employers, said they were in Iran
visiting family members or engaged in professional work.
"What we are seeing is a disturbing pattern on the part of the Iranians in
efforts to harass these innocent people," Casey said, adding that the
detentions undercut Iran's claims to want a dialogue with the United States.
"It certainly belies any notion that the regime is interested in promoting
any kind of dialogue if they are attacking and harassing these
Iranian-Americans who are doing nothing more than some pretty basic kinds of
human contacts," he said.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called the treatment of Esfandiari and
the other Iranian-Americans "a perversion of the rule of law."
A fifth American citizen, former FBI agent Robert Levinson, has been missing
in Iran since early March and Washington has cast severe doubts on Iranian
claims to have no information about him in response to repeated requests
through the Swiss and others.
The U.S. broke diplomatic relations with Iran after the 1979 Islamic
Revolution and the hostage crisis at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
Perennially poor ties since then have been exacerbated in recent months by
rising tensions over Iran's nuclear program and U.S. allegations that Tehran
is supporting armed groups in Iraq.
Last week, Iran said it had uncovered spy rings organized by the U.S. and
its Western allies.
