khosq.com

Iranian security forces arrest 'spy pigeons'

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24530598-663,00.html

SECURITY forces have "arrested" two suspected "spy pigeons" near Iran's controversial uranium enrichment facility, local media reports.

One of the pigeons was caught near a rosewater production plant in the city of Kashan in Isfahan province, according to the report in the reformist Etemad Melli newspaper.

It cited an unnamed source as saying some metal rings and invisible strings were attached to the bird.

"Early this month, a black pigeon was caught bearing a blue-coated metal ring, with invisible strings," the source was quoted yesterday as saying of the second pigeon.

The source gave no further description of the pigeons, their current status nor what their fate would be.

Iran's heavily bunkered underground uranium enrichment plant is at Natanz, not far from Kashan.

It is not the first time the Islamic Republic has accused members of the animal kingdom of collaborating with its enemies.

Last year the country's media reported that 14 squirrels were arrested for espionage.

"The squirrels were equipped with the spy gear of foreign agencies, and were stopped before they could act, thanks to the alertness of our intelligence services," the IRNA news agency wrote.

The activity at the uranium enrichment plant is the focus of Iran's five-year standoff with the West, which that fears it aims to develop nuclear weapons.

Tehran denies the charge.

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 program