Spy pigeons and secret squirrels in Iran

Are America and Israel using specially-trained pigeons to spy on Iran?

That's the question being raised by new reports out of Iran that its security services have arrested two suspected "spy pigeons" near its well-guarded Nantaz nuclear site.

One of the pigeons, security officials said, had a black-coated metal ring and invisible strings.

Ah-ha!

Clearly a spy pigeon.

Of course, the pigeon, as pigeons are wont to do, could have picked up the ring and strings in some trash dump, or on some freighter, or just about anywhere else.

It could just as easily be detritus.

Then again, they could be spies!

It isn't that outlandish.

As the International Spy Museum in DC notes: "Since the early days of espionage, homing pigeons have been a spy's best friend."

As the image above (courtesy of the museum) shows, pigeons have been equipped with cameras before. (This one became a spy in World War I.)

And, just last year, Iran arrested 14 squirrels for spying.

"The squirrels were carrying spy gear of foreign agencies, and were stopped before they could act, thanks to the alertness of our intelligence services," Iran's state-sponsored news agency reported at the time.

So, if squirrels have clearly been enlisted to spy for the West, why not pigeons?

The whole idea may sound outlandish to those non-conspiracy theory readers out there.

But just remember: It was not that long ago that the CIA spent five years and millions of dollars to equip and train spy kitties during the Cold War.

The classic, and very real, code name for the secret program to spy on the Soviet Union: Operation Acoustic Kitty.

And, for those who question the reports of spy squirrels, just remember Secret Squirrel, the animated 1965 spy who, along with Morocco Mole, fought for Truth, Justice and the American Way!

(Thanks to Israelity Bites for alerting Checkpoint Jerusalem to this important spying news...)

Comments

[Cat2303]

What a great story. Here's some more on it:

http://blogs.news.sky.com/foreignmatters/Post:8c2a2858-01ab-4ab8-9291-42bd4afa79b6

[Cat2303]

Haha, great. Some more on this at:
http://blogs.news.sky.com/foreignmatters/Post:8c2a2858-01ab-4ab8-9291-42bd4afa79b6

[Cat2303]

Haha, great. Some more on this at:
http://blogs.news.sky.com/foreignmatters/Post:8c2a2858-01ab-4ab8-9291-42bd4afa79b6