MISSING AMERICAN CITIZEN IN IRAN

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 067683

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
DUBAI FOR IRPO
USDOJ FOR FBI EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR HULON

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/15/2017
TAGS: AR ASECIR KISL KJUS LE PGOV PREL PTER FBI PRT KTFN
SUBJECT: MISSING AMERICAN CITIZEN IN IRAN

Classified By: NEA: JAMES F. JEFFREY, ACTING


1. (U) This is an action message ) please see paragraph 5.



2. (S) The United States has reason to believe Iranian
security services targeted and detained retired FBI Special
Agent Bob Levinson on March 8, 2007, during a trip to Kish
Island. Iranian authorities may have believed he was still
in USG employ. Tehran has not acknowledged detaining
Levinson, but strong circumstantial evidence points to
official Iranian involvement. Press and other reporting
indicate he arrived on Kish Island, checked into his hotel,
and met with U.S. citizen (and federal fugitive) David
Belfield. Additional reporting indicates that Iranian
Ministry of Intelligence Service agents may have detained
Levinson during his meeting with Belfield.


3. (S) Recent actions by the Iranian regime ) including the
detention of a prominent Iranian-American academic and an
Iranian-American RFE broadcaster ) have heightened the
Levinson case,s profile.


4. (S) The United States has made five formal inquiries )
through the Swiss Channel ) to Tehran seeking information on
Levinson,s disappearance. Embassy Bern first inquired about
Mr. Levinson on March 12. At that time the Iranian
government indicated it had no information. The United
States formally asked the Iranian government for assistance
in Swiss Channel messages, dated April 2, April 4, and April

15. The Iranians responded to these notes on April 18,
indicating their government had not detained Mr. Levinson and
had no additional information. We sent two more Swiss
Channel messages on April 21 and May 14, which provided the
Iranian government with additional details and outlined
allegations of Iranian governmental involvement in the
disappearance. To date, we have received no formal response
from the Iranians to these latter messages.


5. (SBU) ACTION: Posts should approach host governments to
enlist their support in making informal and formal inquiries
to the Iranians about Amcit Robert Levinson.


6. (U) The information contained in below Non-Paper may be
shared with host governments.

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BEGIN TEXT OF LEVINSON NON-PAPER
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United States Citizen Robert A. Levinson, born March 10,
1948, has gone missing in Iran. Mr. Levinson was an agent
with the Federal Bureau of Investigation until his retirement
10 years ago. The United States believes Mr. Levinson was
visiting Iran for research on a book regarding Russian
organized crime. At the time of his disappearance Mr.
Levinson was not working for the United States Government.

The United States through the Swiss Protecting Power in Iran
first inquired about Mr. Levinson on March 12. At that time
the Iranian Government indicated it had no information. The
United States formally asked the Iranian Government for
assistance in three separate Swiss Note Messages, dated April
2, April 4, and April 15. The Iranians responded to these
notes on April 18, indicating their government had not
detained Mr. Levinson and had no additional information. The
United States sent two follow-up Swiss Note Messages to
Tehran on April 21 and May 14. To date, the United States
has not received any response from Tehran.

According to immigration officials at Dubai International
Airport, Mr. Levinson departed UAE at 10:45 on March 8, 2007,
aboard Kish Air Flight Y97141. That same day Mr. Levinson
checked in to the Hotel Maryam on Kish Island. Press reports
and other reporting indicate Mr. Levinson met with Dawud
Salahuddin (also known as David Belfield and Hassan
Abdulrahman) at the Hotel Maryam. During their meeting
Iranian security personnel entered the room and detained both
Levinson and Salahuddin. Salahuddin was subsequently
released, but Mr. Levinson did not return to his room and no
one has seen him since. (NOTE: Dawud Salahuddin is an

STATE 00067683 002 OF 002


American Citizen who was indicted in the United States for
the murder of Ali Akbar Tabatabai - a former Iranian diplomat
under the Shah ) in Maryland in 1980. He fled the United
States and is now a resident of Iran)

Mr. Levinson has serious health concerns and requires
medication, making a determination of his welfare and
whereabouts particularly urgent.

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END TEXT OF NON-PAPER
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