From the WaPo:
The Iranian nuclear scientist who claimed to have been abducted by the CIA before departing for his homeland Wednesday was paid more than $5 million by the agency to provide intelligence on Iran’s nuclear program, U.S. officials said.
Shahram Amiri is not obligated to return the money but might be unable to access it after breaking off what U.S. officials described as significant cooperation with the CIA and abruptly returning to Iran. Officials said he might have left out of concern that the Tehran government would harm his family.
“Anything he got is now beyond his reach, thanks to the financial sanctions on Iran,” a U.S. official said. “He’s gone, but his money’s not. We have his information, and the Iranians have him.”
Amiri arrived in Tehran early Thursday to a hero’s welcome, including personal greetings from several senior government officials. His 7-year-old son broke down in tears as Amiri held him for the first time since his mysterious disappearance in Saudi Arabia 14 months ago.
In brief remarks to reporters at Imam Khomeni International Airport, Amiri said, “I am so happy to be back in the Islamic republic,” and he repeated his claims of having been abducted by U.S. agents. He said CIA agents had tried to pressure him into helping them with their propaganda against his homeland and offered him $50 million to remain in the United States.
Amiri, who flashed victory signs as he stepped into the airport, also said that he knew little of Iran’s main nuclear enrichment site. “I’m a simple researcher. A normal person would know more about Natanz than me.”
He was greeted by Hassan Qashqavi, a high-ranking Foreign Ministry official, as well as a deputy interior minister and a deputy science minister.
Amiri’s request this week to be sent home stunned U.S. officials, who said he had been working with the CIA for more than a year.
Whether the agency received an adequate return on its investment in Amiri is difficult to assess. The size of the payment might offer some measure of the value of the information he shared. But it could also reflect a level of eagerness within the U.S. intelligence community for meaningful information on Iran.
Let’s assume for a moment that you’re an Iranian scientist who wants to help overthrow the Ahmadinejad regime. Let’s assume that you decide to work with U.S. officials to do so but that after a while, you see that in fact, the United States isn’t serious about it and that in fact, they’ve made moves that instead seem to bolster the regime and weaken her enemies.
Is there little wonder that you get cold feet about the whole thing? I mean really.
Amiri was likely a very willing player in the beginning who became discouraged the longer he had to deal with Obama and his minions.
And so he flopped. His hope for change dashed by the ideology of Barack Hussein Obama.
Lots of hope for change dashing going on with this President.
