The Department of State (DOS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) colluded recently to issue a visitor's visa, B-1 or B-2 Non-immigrant visa to Seyed Mojtaba Atarodi, an Iranian computer researcher and academic, closely tied to the Iranian nuclear program. He provides the computer technology necessary to control the nuclear weapons and weapons delivery systems for the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Since being issued a visa by DOS, with the approval of ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Visa Security Officers (VSO) stationed at American dipolmatic posts overseas, Atarodi entered the United States and promply conspired to purchase computer technology prohibited for export to Iran.
AP/Yahoo By Douglas Birch And Paul EliasUS Has Arrested Iranian Scientist
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States has arrested and charged an Iranian semiconductor scientist with violating U.S. export laws by buying high-tech U.S. lab equipment, a development likely to further worsen Iranian-U.S. tensions...
But a Sharif University spokesman said he has been charged with buying instruments from the United States. The university official spoke only on condition of anonymity because of the potential repercussions of the case.
Even more of interest, this is not the first Iranian intelligence agent that DOS and ICE have approved visas for:
Describing the problems faced by Iranian scientists visiting the U.S., Hojabri cited an incident in 2006 when more than 50 researchers, executives and engineers from Iran headed for a forum on disaster management in Santa Clara, Calif., were detained and expelled after their arrival because their visas were revoked. The event was organized by a Sharif University alumni group.
And as usual, ICE is playing catch-up to FBI leadership:
Bloomberg By Karen Gullo January 26, 2012
Iranian Professor Atarodi From Tehran Held in U.S. Prison in California
Agents from the Commerce Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security were “uncompromising and meticulous,” Kohn said in a phone interview today.
The question is why is DOS and ICE creating more work for the FBI and Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security? Why is DOS and ICE assisting the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security with their nuclear warfare programs? Inquiring minds want to know. Perhaps this is why ICE is too busy to arrest illegal aliens who demonstrate in front of ICE offices? They are too busy assisting Iran's nuclear program.
