High Flying Espionage 'Agent' Caught Spying on Iran's Nuclear Facilities

Remember the Pigeon

As rumors swirl around Iran's nuclear program, it was only a matter of time until a spy would be caught in the act of gathering up-close intelligence.  The first prisoner has been taken and we only hope that it will be returned with all of its feathers intact.

You read that right.  The first spy caught inside of Iran during this time of international intrigue was nothing other than a pigeon, as reported by the London Telegraph's online edition.

Iran arrests pigeons 'spying' on nuclear site Iranian security forces have arrested two suspected 'spy pigeons' near the Natanz nuclear facility.By Our Foreign Staff
Last Updated: 7:45PM BST 20 Oct 2008One of the pigeons was caught near a rose water production plant in the city of Kashan in Isfahan province, the Etemad Melli newspaper reported. It said that some metal rings and "invisible" strings were attached to the bird, suggesting that it might have been somehow communicating what it had seen with the equipment it was carrying."Early this month, a black pigeon was caught bearing a blue-coated metal ring, with invisible strings," a source told the newspaper.The source gave no further description of the pigeons, nor what their fate might be.Natanz is home to Iran's heavily-bunkered underground uranium enrichment plant, which is also not far from Kashan.The activity at Iran's controversial uranium enrichment facility is the focus of Iran's five-year standoff with the West, which fears it aims to develop nuclear weapons. The Tehran government insists its programme is intended to generate power for civilian use only.Last year, Iran issued a formal protest over the use of espionage by the United States to produce a key intelligence report on the country's controversial nuclear programme.It is also highly suspicious of Israel, whose extensive intelligence activities are not known to include the use of pigeons.

The Western world holds its breath until news of the pigeon's fate is disclosed by Iranian officials.  Word is that Amnesty International and PETA are dispatching a special negotiations team to Tehran.  More details as events unfold.