Is this state-sponsored terrorism?

[therealUT]

TEHRAN, Iran — Updated at 1:15 p.m. ET: The Obama administration is denying any role in the killing of an Iranian university professor working at a key nuclear facility. White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said the U.S. "had absolutely nothing to do" with Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan's death and the U.S. condemns "all acts of violence, including acts of violence like what is being reported today."

Published at 9:46 am ET: Two assailants on a motorcycle attached a magnetic bomb to the car of an Iranian university professor working at a key nuclear facility, killing him and wounding two people on Wednesday, a semiofficial news agency reported.

The attack in Tehran bore a strong resemblance to earlier killings of scientists working on the Iranian nuclear program.

It is certain to reinforce authorities' claims of widening clandestine operations by Western powers and allies to try to cripple nuclear advancements.

The bomb killed Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, a chemistry expert and a director of the Natanz uranium enrichment facility in central Iran, the semiofficial Fars news agency reported.

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Witnesses told Reuters they had seen two people on the motorcycle fix a bomb to the car.

"The bomb was a magnetic one and the same as the ones previously used for the assassination of the scientists, and is the work of the (Israelis)," Fars quoted Tehran's Deputy Governor Safarali Baratloo as saying. "The terrorist attack is a conspiracy to undermine the (March 2) parliamentary elections."

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Tehran has accused Israel's Mossad, the CIA and Britain's spy agency of engaging in an underground "terrorism" campaign against nuclear-related targets, including at least three slayings since early 2010 and the release of a malicious computer virus known at Stuxnet in 2010 that temporarily disrupted controls of some centrifuges — a key component in nuclear fuel production. All three countries have denied the Iranian accusations.

But Israeli officials have hinted about covert campaigns against Iran without directly admitting involvement.

On Tuesday, Israeli military chief Lt. Gen Benny Gantz was quoted as telling a parliamentary panel that 2012 would be a "critical year" for Iran — in part because of "things that happen to it unnaturally."

Roshan, 32, was inside the Iranian-assembled Peugeot 405 car together with two others when the bomb exploded in north Tehran, Fars reported.

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Roshan was involved in building polymeric layers for gas separation, which is the use of various membranes to isolate gases. He was also deputy director of the Natanz uranium enrichment plant, in central Iran, for commercial affairs. According to conservative news website, mashreghnews.ir, Roshan was in charge of purchasing and supplying equipment for the Natanz enrichment facility.

A similar bomb explosion on Jan. 12, 2010, killed Tehran University professor Masoud Ali Mohammadi, a senior physics professor. He was killed when a bomb-rigged motorcycle exploded near his car as he was about to leave for work.

In November 2010, a pair of back-to-back bomb attacks in different parts of the capital killed one nuclear scientist and wounded another.

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And in July 2011, motorcycle-riding gunmen killed Darioush Rezaeinejad, an electronics student. Other reports identified him as a scientist involved in suspected Iranian attempts to make nuclear weapons.

Rezaeinejad allegedly participated in developing high-voltage switches, a key component in setting off the explosions needed to trigger a nuclear warhead.

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"Instead of actually fighting a conventional war, Western powers and their allies appear to be relying on covert war tactics to try to delay and degrade Iran's nuclear advancement," said Theodore Karasik, a security expert at the Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis.

'Clean, easy and efficient'
He said the use of magnetic bombs bears the hallmarks of covert operations.

"It's a very common way to eliminate someone," he added. "It's clean, easy and efficient."

US denies killing Iran nuke expert with magnet bomb - World news - Mideast/N. Africa - Iran - msnbc.com

Regardless of who carried it out, will Christians across the globe denounce these acts?

 

[KiffinKiller]

is it still terrorism if victim is sub-human?

 

[lumberjack4]

A state puts a hit job on a civilian. We'd consider it terrorism if it happened to us, but since we (or someone on our side) did it, there's no way it could be considered terrorism.

 

[utvolpj]

completely depends on who's doing the labeling but it would be considered terrorism IMO

 

[OJ]

I think they should kill Ahmydinnerjacket.

 

[utvolpj]

I think they should kill Ahmydinnerjacket.

so kill the unwashed infidels? Sounds solid

 

[n_huffhines]

But who could possibly want an Iranian nuclear physicist dead?

 

[lumberjack4]

But who could possibly want an Iranian nuclear physicist dead?

Ron Paul

 

[therealUT]

I think they should kill Ahmydinnerjacket.

Well, there is one Christian who has decided not to denounce these acts; in fact, it appears as though OJ is encouraging more acts of violence.

 

[lawgator1]

If the goal was just to eliminate the handful of scientists who are advancing the technology in Iran, then I would assume we could come up with something more ... subtle.

But if the purpose is both to off that particular scientist, and perhaps intimidate the others by sending a message, then I can see this technique being employed.

I tend to doubt we "did it." We might have some linkage to it in terms of identifying the guy, intelligence on his whereabouts, that sort of thing. But I doubt we made the bomb or have some direct role with the assailants, themselves.

 

[n_huffhines]

If the goal was just to eliminate the handful of scientists who are advancing the technology in Iran, then I would assume we could come up with something more ... subtle.

But if the purpose is both to off that particular scientist, and perhaps intimidate the others by sending a message, then I can see this technique being employed.

I tend to doubt we "did it." We might have some linkage to it in terms of identifying the guy, intelligence on his whereabouts, that sort of thing. But I doubt we made the bomb or have some direct role with the assailants, themselves.

I'd say it's more likely an Israeli act.

 

[MG1968]

the Obama administration shouldn't have said anything

 

[volinbham]

I don't see it as terrorism - it is an assasination. Words have meaning and assasinations are not necessarily terrorism. Terrorism implies a particular intent - to terrorize. Assasination is aimed at removing a particular individual although assasination could be part of a terroristic plan.

No idea if we had any role.

Why is this a religious issue?

 

[Weezy]

I'm speaking strictly from a how I see it perspective, I associate terrorism with the killing of random citizens with the primary goal of being high casualty numbers.

This is a covert military operation/assassination of a perceived military target.

 

[theFallGuy]

I'm speaking strictly from a how I see it perspective, I associate terrorism with the killing of random citizens with the primary goal of being high casualty numbers.

This is a covert military operation/assassination of a perceived military target.

agreed

 

[utvolpj]

I don't see it as terrorism - it is an assasination. Words have meaning and assasinations are not necessarily terrorism. Terrorism implies a particular intent - to terrorize. Assasination is aimed at removing a particular individual although assasination could be part of a terroristic plan.

No idea if we had any role.

Why is this a religious issue?

you don't see this as sending a message to current/future scientists of the Iranian nuke program?

I'm speaking strictly from a how I see it perspective, I associate terrorism with the killing of random citizens with the primary goal of being high casualty numbers.

This is a covert military operation/assassination of a perceived military target.

so terrorism's only goal is to kill other people?

 

[n_huffhines]

I don't see it as terrorism - it is an assasination. Words have meaning and assasinations are not necessarily terrorism. Terrorism implies a particular intent - to terrorize. Assasination is aimed at removing a particular individual although assasination could be part of a terroristic plan.

No idea if we had any role.

Why is this a religious issue?

Yeah, it'd be "terrorism" if the intent were to put fear in all scientists considering working on Iranian nuclear capability, which I think is likely the motive. We'll probably never be certain about the motive.

 

[volinbham]

you don't see this as sending a message to current/future scientists of the Iranian nuke program?

Not particularly - I see it as an attempt to stall the program by removing key personnel.

Likewise, I don't view an assasination of a leader (say JFK) as terrorism. It is assasination.

 

[therealUT]

I don't see it as terrorism - it is an assasination. Words have meaning and assasinations are not necessarily terrorism. Terrorism implies a particular intent - to terrorize. Assasination is aimed at removing a particular individual although assasination could be part of a terroristic plan.

No idea if we had any role.

Why is this a religious issue?

You do not see this string of assassinations as intimidation to others who might fill their roles in the Iranian nuclear community?

This has not been one simple assassination; this is a series of hits and I would venture to guess that it is very intimidating and terrorizing to said community.

As for the religious issue, I am just interested to see how many Christians will condemn such actions.

 

[therealUT]

I'm speaking strictly from a how I see it perspective, I associate terrorism with the killing of random citizens with the primary goal of being high casualty numbers.

This is a covert military operation/assassination of a perceived military target.

These are unarmed, non-enemy combatants and killing them goes against Geneva Conventions; therefore, this is not a military operation and these men are not military targets.

 

[volinbham]

You do not see this string of assassinations as intimidation to others who might fill their roles in the Iranian nuclear community?

This has not been one simple assassination; this is a series of hits and I would venture to guess that it is very intimidating and terrorizing to said community.

As for the religious issue, I am just interested to see how many Christians will condemn such actions.

I look at terrorism from an intent standpoint. There is insufficient evidence provided to understand if the intent is to intimidate and terrorize.

If Israel took out a nuke facility and people died - I wouldn't call that terrorism unless they intended to initimidate/terrorize a larger group of citizenry. It is what it is - targeting a specific (perceived) threat.

Terrorism is violence intended to intimidate, coerce, induce fear. Assasination can be a tool of terrorism or assasination can be a tool of removal.

 

[n_huffhines]

Seems like it's just semantics

 

[hndog609]

These are unarmed, non-enemy combatants and killing them goes against Geneva Conventions; therefore, this is not a military operation and these men are not military targets.

If the Japanese had taken out Oppenheimer would it have been a terrorist act?

 

[volinbham]

Seems like it's just semantics

So if Israel bombed Iran's nuke facilities would you consider that terrorism? Presumably, civilians would be killed or injured.

 

[therealUT]

I look at terrorism from an intent standpoint. There is insufficient evidence provided to understand if the intent is to intimidate and terrorize.

If Israel took out a nuke facility and people died - I wouldn't call that terrorism unless they intended to initimidate/terrorize a larger group of citizenry. It is what it is - targeting a specific (perceived) threat.

Terrorism is violence intended to intimidate, coerce, induce fear. Assasination can be a tool of terrorism or assasination can be a tool of removal.

According to our government, these acts would be considered as terrorism:

There is no single, universally accepted, definition of terrorism. Terrorism is defined in the Code of Federal Regulations as “the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives” (28 C.F.R. Section 0.85).

FBI — Terrorism 2002/2005

I see where you are coming from with your definition, VB; however, I also cannot see an assassination as something that is non-coercive. In assassinating an individual, one is coercing any individual who takes that persons place to act in a certain manner.