IRAN SEES SPIES EVERYWHERE, INCLUDING IN JAHANBEGLOO

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 DUBAI 004108

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 7/3/2016
TAGS: IR PREL PHUM PINR
SUBJECT: IRAN SEES SPIES EVERYWHERE, INCLUDING IN JAHANBEGLOO

REF: DUBAI 3263

DUBAI 00004108 001.2 OF 002


CLASSIFIED BY: Jason L Davis, Consul General, Dubai, UAE.
REASON: 1.4 (d)

1.(S/NF) Summary: Intelligence Minister Mohseni Ejei accuses
detained Iranian intellectual Ramin Jahanbegloo of helping US to
try to start a "velvet revolution" in Iran, but says the case is
not yet complete. A friend of Jahanbegloo says other
well-placed contacts cite similar charges against Jahanbegloo
and that the supreme leader says he will be charged with
espionage. This contact recommends indirect but persistent
pressure from the US on Iran to free him. Mohseni Ejei accuses
the US of trying to topple the Islamic government and training
Iranians as spies. However, he claims Iranian
counterintelligence abilities allow Iran to know US decisions
made "behind closed doors." End summary.

Jahanbegloo Accused of Plotting a Velvet Revolution with US
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2.(U)) In his first press conference since taking office,
Iranian Intelligence Minister Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei said
July 2 that Iranian-Canadian professor Ramin Jahanbegloo was
arrested on suspicion of working with the US to start a "velvet
revolution" in Iran. He clarified, however, that the
Intelligence Ministry had not finished its investigation of
Jahanbegloo's case.

3.(S/NF) Mohseni Ejei's comments support what a reliable contact
told Acting Consul General the day before. This contact claims
to be a close friend of Jahanbegloo and says he is actively
working for his release. He and other friends have heard from
former Majles Speaker Karroubi, one of Expediency Council Chair
Rafsanjani's sons, and others that the Intelligence Ministry's
cultural office initiated Jahanbegloo's arrest and that a
"double agent" claimed Jahanbegloo was promoting an "orange
revolution." (This contact did not mention any link to the US.)
His sources have heard that Jahanbegloo, detained in early May,
was being held on a four-month warrant. Presumably he could be
released then, but the contact also heard that the supreme
leader told former Iranian Ambassador to France Sadeq Kharrazi
that Jahanbegloo would be charged with espionage. On the other
hand, the contact takes some hope from indications, such as
Supreme Council for National Security Deputy Secretary Ali
Monfared's message to Jahanbegloo's wife to call him any time,
that not all in the government were convinced of his friend's
guilt.

4.(S/NF) This contact thought the government had deliberately
chosen Jahanbegloo, who is not a hardcore political activist but
rather a secular-minded intellectual, in order to intimidate the
'thinking class' as well as the 'activist class.' This contact
also believes the Iranian government is using Jahanbegloo's
detention to test the West to see how much an issue it makes of
the case during this time of intense focus on the nuclear issue.
That said, the contact's advice to the USG, echoing other
contacts reported in reftel, was not to make it a US issue with
Iran, but to push Iran indirectly. He suggested going to
others, such as the UN and the EU, and asking them to raise the
issue in their direct contacts with Iran.

5.(S/NF) This contact said he and other friends of Jahanbegloo
are trying to frame Jahanbegloo's case as an international
issue, encouraging notables from around the world to sign
petitions. They also have been trying to get the Arabic press
to focus on Jahanbegloo's case because the Iranian government
cares more about what the Arabic street thought of it than the
Western street, but to date they have had no success. He asked
that the US do anything it can to get the Arabic press to pick
up the issue.

6.(S/NF) This source, who claims to be in close contact with
Jahanbegloo's wife, said he does not think Jahanbegloo has been
tortured. However, his interrogator (nfi) is skillfully
manipulating his wife by being her only point of contact,
calling her, sometimes allowing, sometimes withholding contact
between her and her husband, etc. This interrogator asked her
to tell the BBC that her husband is fine, but she refused.

Mohseni Ejei: US Trying to Topple Regime
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7.(U) According to Mehrnews.com, Mohseni Ejei in his press
conference also accused the US of trying to topple the Islamic
Republic by training elements inside and outside the country.
The enemy is trying to show that the government is inefficient.
Furthermore, "they are making numerous efforts to foment

DUBAI 00004108 002.2 OF 002


insecurity and tension in Iran" and have allocated more than the
$75 million officially announced to be used to "train spies."

8.(U) Mohseni Ejei praised Iran's counterintelligence
capabilities. The intelligence ministry "keeps track of and is
ready to deal with all internal and external measures" against
the government. "We are currently in a good position in terms
of conducting technical intelligence activities and are even
aware of some decisions that the enemy makes behind closed
doors."

9.(U) Regarding recent ethnic unrest in Khuzestan, Sistan-va
Baluchestan, East Azarbaijan and West Azarbaijan, he said ethnic
groups are not threats but opportunities for the Islamic system.
However, the US is trying to use both ethnic groups and
non-governmental organizations in Iran to fight against the
country. In the case of Azarbaijan, the people did not "allow
the enemy to exploit the situation." Regarding NGOs, "They (the
US) take various NGO members abroad to educate them. Recently
some people have been officially invited to be trained in the US
under the pretext of attending scientific seminars or for
business or employment. The initial financial assistance given
to them is not enough to arouse suspicion that they have been
invited to be trained as spies."

10.(S/NF) Comment: The contact quoted above is reportedly a
close friend of Jahanbegloo, and this friendship clearly colors
the advice he is giving the US. He is afraid that his friend
will pay the price if the US publicly pounds Iran on
Jahanbegloo's case. At the same time, he does not want the US
to forget about his friend's situation in the pursuit of a
nuclear solution. His advice of quiet, consistent pressure is
likely the best in the current situation.

11.(S/NF) Comment continued: Mohseni-Ejei's general comments
about the threat of spies everywhere indicates a general
paranoia that should be used to demonstrate the government's
disconnect with its population. In our public rhetoric, we
should ask why the Iranian government does not trust its people
and why it wants to withhold from them the education that can
come from interacting with outside organizations on all types of
issues, including civil society.
BURNS