Missing Iranian spy chief 'defected to West' (Updated & Bumped)

The disappearance and defection of Ali Reza Azkari is Iran's worst nightmare. This guy knows where ALL the bodies are buried. WMDs, defense strategies, meddling in Iraq, this guy knows it all and will likely be only too happy to spill the beans.

A former Iranian spy chief was suspected last night of defecting to the West, raising the prospect of a timely intelligence bonanza amid tensions with Teheran.

While the speculation was impossible to verify, it is hard to imagine a more tantalising prospect for Western intelligence agencies than the defection of General Ali Reza Azkari, who is known to have served in Lebanon in the 1990s liaising with Hizbollah.

Skilful debriefing could shed important light on Iranian arms smuggling to the Shia militia, although he would also be pressed for secrets of Iran's nuclear programme.

Citing "informed sources", the London-based Arabic newspaper Asharq al-Awsat said Gen Azkari had defected to the United States.

Update: Iranian General Reportedly Held in N. Europe

Unconfirmed reports now indicate that Gen. Ali Reza Asghari, the former Iranian Minstry of Defense official who disappeared in Istanbul in early February, is being interrogated in a northern European country while being processed for transfer to the United States.

Update II:Former Iranian Defense Official Talks to Western Intelligence

A former Iranian deputy defense minister who once commanded the Revolutionary Guard has left his country and is cooperating with Western intelligence agencies, providing information on Hezbollah and Iran's ties to the organization, according to a senior U.S. official.

Ali Rez Asgari disappeared last month during a visit to Turkey. Iranian officials suggested yesterday that he may have been kidnapped by Israel or the United States. The U.S. official said Asgari is willingly cooperating. He did not divulge Asgari's whereabouts or specify who is questioning him, but made clear that the information Asgari is offering is fully available to U.S. intelligence.

This is the first confirmation of this we have gotten from the US government albeit anonymous.