Iran arrests Jundallah ringleader, Rigi

[joeblow]

Iran arrests Jundallah ringleader, Rigi
Tue, 23 Feb 2010 04:41:49 GMT

http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=1 ... =351020101



Abdolmalek Rigi, ringleader of the Pakistan-based terrorist group of Jundallah, was captured in an operation on Tuesday.

Reports say Rigi was captured on a flight from Dubai to Kyrgyzstan.

Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar told reporters that Rigi was arrested outside the country as he was preparing for a new act of sabotage.

The minister added that he was consequently transferred to Iran.

Zahedan Prosecutor Mohammad Marzieh also told Fars news agency that the notorious terrorist was arrested early Tuesday in a pre-planned operation.

"Rigi's arrest was eventually made through a series of security measures taken for a long period of time. He is now in Iran and will be handed to security and judicial officials," he said.

The Jundallah group has claimed responsibility for numerous terrorist attacks in Iran. The group has carried out mass murder, armed robbery, kidnapping, acts of sabotage and bombings. They have targeted civilians and government officials, as well as all ranks of Iran's military.

In their latest attack, which occurred on October 18, more than 40 Iranians — among them 15 members of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), including top commanders, in addition to several tribal elders — lost their lives when Jundallah terrorists carried out an operation in the border region of Pishin, located in Iran's southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan.

Citing US and Pakistani intelligence sources, the news group of an American televison network, ABC, reported in 2007 that the terrorist group "has been secretly encouraged and advised by American officials" to destabilize the government of Iran.

Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh revealed in another report in July 2008 that US Congressional leaders had secretly agreed to former President George W. Bush's USD 400 million funding request, which gave the US a free hand in arming and funding terrorist groups such as Jundallah militants.

The Pakistan-based terrorist organization denies having any link to Washington but Rigi's brother, arrested earlier and now in Iran's custody, confirmed in an interview with Press TV that the Jundallah leader had, in fact, established links with the US administration.

Abdolhamid revealed that a go-between, named Amanollah-Khan Rigi, put the terrorist group in connect with the US administration, which had promised the anti-Iran terrorist group a safe haven in Pakistan.

"His name is Amanollah-Khan Rigi. He is my father's cousin. He was a royalist during the Shah's regime," Abdulhamid told Press TV.

"After the [1979] Revolution in Iran, he left the country via Pakistan and sought asylum in the United States."

Abdulhamid said the Americans had asked Amanollah-Khan to forge a link between the US and Jundallah. "The Americans asked him [Amanollah-Khan] to introduce them to [Abdolmalek] Rigi in Pakistan and that's how link was established."

He also claimed to have visited the US Embassy in Pakistan to seek more US cooperation with the terrorist group.

"The most important issue that I raised was Jundallah's security in Pakistan," he said.

"I told the Americans that we needed support from the media, newspapers, radios and satellite channels to get our message across to the Baluch around the world," he said.

According to Abdolhamid, the Pakistani government was well aware of the whereabouts of the Jundallah terror group.

"It is impossible to believe that Pakistan is unaware of Jundallah's presence on its soil," he said. "Pakistan is a perfect haven for Jundallah."

AR/JG/DT

[joeblow]

Iran grounds plane with Rigi holding US-issued passport
Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:46:09 GMT

http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=1 ... =351020101



The photo shows Rigi's fake Pakistani ID card, issued under the name of Saeed Ahmad.

Iran's security officers grounded the plane carrying the ringleader of Jundullah terrorist group Abdolmalek Rigi in one of Iran's southern ports, informed sources say.

As initial reports indicated that Iran's most wanted man was captured on a flight en-route to Kyrgyzstan from Dubai, a source talking to Press TV on condition of anonymity confirmed that Rigi and one of his deputies were captured after their plane was brought down by security forces in an airport in the Iranian Persian Gulf city of Bandar Abbas.

Iran's intelligence minister says the leader of Jundallah terrorist group was at a US base in Afghanistan 24 hours before his capture, in possession of a US-issued, forged Afghan passport.

Iran's Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi said Tuesday that the leader of Jundallah terrorist group was at a US base in Afghanistan 24 hours before his capture, in possession of a US-issued, forged Afghan passport.

According to Moslehi, the country's intelligence apparatus had been tracking Rigi for five months prior to his Tuesday arrest.

The terrorist leader was at a US base in Afghanistan 24 hours before his capture, the minister added showing a photo of Rigi's presence at the Iranian base taken by Iran's intelligence officers.

According to the intelligence minister, Rigi also met with NATO military chief in Afghanistan in April 2008 and also had links with some EU member states, as well as visiting such countries.

He noted that Iran received no assistance from regional intelligence services in the capture of Rigi.

Jundullah, which has operated in Iran's Sistan-Baluchistan and Pakistan's Baluchistan provinces, has carried out a number of attacks against high profile Iranian targets, especially the government and security officials.

Jundallah is responsible for several terrorist attacks inside Iran. In October, the group claimed responsibility for a bombing that left over 40 people dead in Iran's southeast.

Jundallah was also behind a blast at a mosque in Zahedan that killed over 20 people in May 2009.

Rigi's brother Abdolhamid is also in Iran's custody. He has admitted that Jundallah receives orders from the US to carryout attacks in Iran.

An ABC News report in 2007 reported that the Jundullah terrorist group 'has been secretly encouraged and advised by American officials' to destabilize the government in Iran.

In another report in July, investigative journalist Seymour Hersh revealed that US Congressional leaders secretly agreed to George W. Bush's $400-million funding request last year for a major escalation of covert operations against Iran.

Observers say that it is through such covert funding that the US arms and finances anti-Iran terrorist groups such as the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) and Jundullah.

Other US intelligence agencies, such as the CIA, have their own secret and separate budgets to fund terrorist and insurgency operations against Iran and other nations that do not submit to America's will.

The group's ringleader, Abdolmalek Rigi, has described his terrorist cell as a 'nationalist movement' and denied any links to Washington. However, many Sunni Baluchis were among the victims of the most recent terrorist attack by Rigi's followers.

MT/MB

[joeblow]

Iran expounds on Rigi's links with CIA, Mossad
Tue, 23 Feb 2010 09:55:38 GMT

http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=1 ... =351020101



Iran's Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi

Iran's Intelligence Ministry says Abdolmalek Rigi, ringleader of the terrorist group Jundallah, was at a US base 24 hours before being captured by Iranian forces.

Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar told reporters on Tuesday that Rigi was arrested outside the country as he was preparing for a new act of sabotage. He was consequently transferred to Iran.

In a news conference following Rigi's capture Tuesday, Iran's Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi shed light on certain details regarding Rigi's arrest as well as his links with foreign elements.

Moslehi said that Americans utilized an Afghan passport for Rigi, a declaration which adds to already existing evidence on Rigi's links with the US.

Moslehi said that Rigi had contacts with CIA and Mossad and had even met the NATO military chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer in Afghanistan in April 2008.

According to the minister, Rigi had also contacts with certain EU countries and traveled to them.

He had been monitored for the five months immediately prior to being captured by Iranian forces, Moslehi added, reiterating that no foreign intelligence service assisted Iran in Rigi's capture.

The minister said Iran reserved the right to sue the US and UK as, according to the minister, they coordinated Rigi's terrorist attacks within Iran.

The Jundallah group has claimed responsibility for numerous terrorist attacks in Iran. The group has carried out mass murder, armed robbery, kidnapping, acts of sabotage and bombings. They have targeted civilians and government officials, as well as all ranks of Iran's military.

AR/JG/DT

[joeblow]

US offered Rigi 'extensive aid' for Iran attacks
Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:43:06 GMT

http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=1 ... =351020101



The captured ringleader of the Jundallah terrorist group, Abdolmalek Rigi

The captured ringleader of the Jundallah terrorist group, Abdolmalek Rigi, has confessed that the US administration had assured him of unlimited military aid and funding for waging an insurgency against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The following is the detailed transcript of Rigi's confession, stated in Farsi, as broadcasted on Press TV.

"After Obama was elected, the Americans contacted us and they met me in Pakistan.They met us after clashes with my group around March 17 in (the southeastern city of) Zahedan, and he (the US operative) said that Americans had requested a meeting."

"I said we didn't have any time for a meeting and if we do help them they should promise to give us aid. They said they would cooperate with us and will give me military equipment, arms and machine guns. They also promised to give us a base along the border with Afghanistan next to Iran."

"They asked to meet me and we said where should we meet you and he said in Dubai. We sent someone to Dubai and we told a person to ask a place for myself in Afghanistan from the area near the operations and they complied that they would sort out the problem for us and they will find Mr. Rigi a base and guarantee his own security in Afghanistan or in any of the countries adjacent to Iran so that he can carry on his operations.

"They told me that in Kyrgyzstan they have a base called Manas near Bishkek, and that a high-ranking person was coming to meet me and that if such high-ranking people come to the United Arab Emirates, they may be observed by intelligence people but in a place like Bishkek this high-ranking American person could come and we could reach an agreement on making personal contacts. But after the last major operation we took part in, they said that they wanted to meet with us.

"The Americans said Iran was going its own way and they said our problem at the present is Iran... not al-Qaeda and not the Taliban, but the main problem is Iran. We don't have a military plan against Iran. Attacking Iran is very difficult for us (the US). The CIA is very particular about you and is prepared to do anything for you because our government has reached the conclusion that there was nothing Americans could do about Iran and only I could take care of the operations for them.

"One of the CIA officers said that it was too difficult for us to attack Iran militarily, but we plan to give aid and support to all anti-Iran groups that have the capability to wage war and create difficulty for the Iranian (Islamic) system. They reached the conclusion that your organization has the power to create difficulties for the Islamic Republic and they are prepared to give you training and/or any assistance that you would require, in terms of telecommunications security and procedures as well as other support, the Americans said they would be willing to provide it at an extensive level."

Iran's security forces arrested Rigi on Tuesday by bringing down his plane over the Iranian airspace, as he was onboard a flight from the United Arab Emirates to Kyrgyzstan.

MP/MB

[Mystic_Man]

Wasn't on CNN so it might as well have not happened as far as how much any of this coming out will effect anything. In most Americans' minds Iran's still developing WMDs, hell Saddam might be still doing so from beyond the grave for that matter. I saw it on South Park and most people believed South Park about 9/11 not being a false flag so why not?