Missing in Iran: Hunt for Bob Levinson

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Did you watch our show last night about former FBI agent Bob Levinson last seen in Iran in March? It is peculiar that the person he was last known to be with — in Iran in March — is the man the FBI wants here in the United States for an assassination of a former Iranian official (an official under the Shah) just miles from our U.S. Capitol.

In 1980 the official was living in Bethesda, Maryland since the Shah had been overthrown and no doubt Iran was an unsafe place for him. But as it turned out for him, so was Bethesda. According to reports, the assassin dressed up as a mail carrier and went to the door of the official's house. When the official opened his door, the assassin opened fire and fled.

At the time of the killing, I was just one year out of law school in Washington, D.C. and the killing made giant headlines. I remember reading every article at the time since it sounded like a James Bond movie. As time moved on, the story, of course, faded and I had forgotten about it. Last night when I interviewed the Levinson family about Bob, I almost fell over when they connected their missing father to this event almost 27 years ago. I suddenly remembered how the assassination had dominated headlines 27 years ago.

Bob Levinson's family says the 1980 assassination in Bethesda has nothing to do with Bob being former FBI and now missing in Iran — just a coincidence. I have zero information as to whether it is a coincidence or not. I admit I do think it peculiar. At the very least I am suspicious of the assassin meeting with Bob Levinson. Did the assassin think Bob is current FBI?

What complicates matters in the search for Bob Levinson is that we have no diplomatic relationship with Iran and all efforts to locate Bob Levinson must be done through a helping country. The family says Switzerland is helping them, but obviously Switzerland is not currently successful — Bob disappeared six months ago and there is nothing to suggest that the mystery will end soon.

The Levinson family is desperate to find Bob. He is the father of seven and married to his wife for many years. Last night his wife and oldest child told us they are making plans to go to Iran to find Bob, but that the State Department is encouraging them not to go since Iran is a dangerous place for Americans.

Tonight, if all goes as I would like and plan, we will tell you more about the 1980 assassination. I want to dig deeper into this story. If other news somehow trumps this story and we don't do it, I still am going to spend time today looking at it.

Now, on a completely frivolous level, I must be stuck in the 7th grade — someone sent me the following from a Web site and I thought it funny:

Wednesday, Floody Wednesday... Or Is It?
August 8th, 20007
Remember that little flood TVNewser told us about over at FNC this morning? The one that conjured up the amazing mental picture of Bill O’Reilly strapping on his orange floaty arm-bands, which was quickly followed by the image of a waterlogged Roger Ailes doing the doggie paddle while a nose-plug wearing Geraldo reclines on one of those giant, rubber noodles, alternately splashing a bikini-clad Greta Van Susteren and stroking his giant mustache?.....
[from Jossip]

Apparently there was a false report that our bureau in NYC got flooded yesterday… in any event, the above was so stupid that it struck me as funny. I confess, I do like dumb humor. When I first got it, as I laughed, I thought, “Some people have way too much time on their hands” and then I thought, “maybe I do, too… since I obviously read it and took it one step further by posting it.” I must be just as bad.

Now for some e-mails:

E-mail No. 1 — This first e-mail refers to the email from my husband that I posted yesterday on the blog:

Next time I know to be on the look out for the camera button on the side of the phone. Frankly I could do without a camera in my phone and this is the first that has the button on the side. I can't even begin to tell you how many pictures I have taken of myself!
Karen Kirwan
Plantation, FL

E-mail No. 2

Hi Greta,
I am not a Democrat, nor a John Edwards supporter, but Geoffrey Fieger is RIGHT! Michigan is not the only place that is rife with CORRUPT JUDGES.
GO JEFF!
Rhonda
Berkeley Springs, WV

E-mail No. 3

Greta,
The Michigan judges should be impeached if they are engaged in illicit practices. That is why we have TWO co-equal branches of government and a junior partner in the courts. (See Article III, Section 1, 2 Paragraph 2). This is the reason the founding fathers restricted judges because of judicial misconduct.
Don [Laster]

E-mail No. 4

Thanks for the singular expose' of the one and only Geoffrey Fieger tonight. He is one of the most arrogant, indignant, self righteous and pompous humans alive today. Any sensible human worrying about whether he "fears" anyone is ridiculous. Obviously he is a tort lawyer and as far as I'm concerned anything and everything that can be foisted onto him and his modus operandi is justified. It was rewarding to hear him complaining about how bad he has it. May he join his chosen candidate, John Edwards, in groveling in defeat at every turn. Both deserve it along with finally being humbled like one of his former clients Jack Kervorkian. A little stint in prison would do him good.
Ken Feneley
Clare, MI

E-mail No. 5

How ironic Geoffrey Fieger is afraid of death but defended Dr. Death!
Pat Banks
Canoga Park, CA

E-mail No. 6

Hi Greta, Why is Paige Birgfeld using her maiden name when she has had two husbands? And children?
JR

E-mail No. 7

Hi Greta,
Is the Southern missing mom case similar to that of the Southern beauty queen who disappeared last year or so?
It seems to me that the beauty queen also left her keys, wallet and cell phone in her apartment and her credit cards were not used??? The missing mom also bears a striking resemblance to the beauty queen.
Liz
San Diego, CA

ANSWER: Do you mean Tara Grinstead ? There still is no word about her…

E-mail No. 8

Greta,
There's a question you didn't ask about Jennifer Kesse's picture on the dating Web site.
Does the personal information that was posted along with the picture on the dating Web site match Jennifer's actual personal information (especially likes/dislikes that wouldn't be on the parents' website)? There might be some odd connection between the person who posted it and Jennifer. It may not just be a cruel hoax. Remember how Shawn Hornbeck posted to his parents website while he was being held.
Alan Wilson
Sarasota, FL

E-mail No. 9

Hi Greta,
Do the authorities know anymore about the DA that is missing, I believe it was from Pennsylvania.
I am sorry to say I cannot remember his name. I remember he was going to retire. He had a girlfriend. He drove his mini Cooper to an antique mall in the countryside. His car was found. I think cigarette butts in ashtray? I believe they also found the hard drive for his laptop in the nearby river, quite sometime after he disappeared.
Someone thought they spotted him in a restaurant somewhere in Texas and took a picture, but his family said no, it was not him.
Has he ever been found? Maybe I missed it. Every time I see a mini Cooper, I think of him and what happened.
Sincerely,
Sue Nyland
Clancy, MT

ANSWER: The DA's name is Ray Gricar and there is no news. He simply vanished.

Now for an article that caught my attention:

• Police capture diaper-wearing monkey who was 'on the lam'

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Police say a diaper-wearing monkey who was loose in downtown Madison for several hours after biting a woman this morning has been captured.

The monkey business started early today when a 20-year-old woman reported being bitten on the thumb as she tried to pet the animal.

The woman says she was walking by a downtown nightclub where a man had the monkey on a leash inside its beer garden. People walking by were petting the monkey.

But the woman was bit and suffered four small punctures in her thumb before she had her turn.

The woman went to the hospital, where a doctor said the monkey should be tested for diseases. Police immediately launched a monkey-hunt.

They found the man and his monkey within a few hours but the monkey escaped before an animal control officer could arrive. Several hours later, the monkey was captured and quarantined.

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