Scary Iran Plotter Pleads Guilty

Manssor Arbabsiar has reportedly plead guilty to the plot to kill the Saudi Ambassador.

I look for a more detailed description of the plea deal.

But if he has indeed plead guilty we’ll never get the answer to a question I’ve had: whether the government withheld cigarettes from Arbabsiar–who smoked 4 packs a day when he was arrested–until he waived his Miranda rights. He was due in court on Monday to determine whether his confession would be deemed consensual, The hearing would have covered details about his early captivity–including whether he had his glasses to read the waiver and, I suspect, whether the cigarette he had right before he signed it was tied to its signing.

One more note: last we heard, Arbabsiar’s lawyer had submitted a sealed brief responding to a report the head of the High Value Interrogation Group had done while observing Arbabsiar’s interrogations. At least according to the docket, the government has not responded to that brief.

Update: Here’s the plea. He clearly confesses to attempting to assassinate the Ambassador and states that the $100,000 transferred to the US supported that purpose.

Update: According to the AP, Arbabsiar said he only understood about half of what was said in English at his plea hearing. That was another of the complaints Arbabsiar had about his Miranda waivers: that they were presented in English and he didn’t understand all of them. The corrupt doctor for the government claimed his English was fine, even while admitting he sometimes had to ask Arbabsiar to repeat himself.