Sunday, October 14, 2007

Putin’s Trip to Iran Begins with a Plot

Two days prior to the arrival in Tehran of Russian president Vladimir Putin, the Russian Special Services have been warned of a plot to assassinate Putin while attending a summit of Caspian region heads of states in the Iranian capital.

Russia’s Interfax said security services had been told that suicide bombers and kidnappers were training to kill or capture Putin on his visit.

“A reliable source in one of the Russian special services, has received information from several sources outside Russia, that during the president of Russia's visit to Tehran an assassination attempt is being plotted,” the report said.

Iran's Foreign Ministry dismissed the report as totally baseless.

Putin flew to Germany today for consultations with Chancellor Angela Merkel before his planned trip to Tehran on Tuesday.

On Friday, Putin met the US Secretaries of State and Defense in Kremlin. Putin’s trip to Tehran will be watched closely in the West. The western leaders have urged the Russian president to take a hard line with the Iranians on the nuclear issue.

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