My 1st "Breaking" diary!
From the ABCNews website:
Bush Authorizes New Covert Action Against Iran
May 22, 2007 6:29 PM
Brian Ross and Richard Esposito Report:
The CIA has received secret presidential approval to mount a covert "black" operation to destabilize the Iranian government, current and former officials in the intelligence community tell the Blotter on ABCNews.com.
The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the subject, say President Bush has signed a "nonlethal presidential finding" that puts into motion a CIA plan that reportedly includes a coordinated campaign of propaganda, disinformation and manipulation of Iran's currency and international financial transactions.
"I can't confirm or deny whether such a program exists or whether the president signed it, but it would be consistent with an overall American approach trying to find ways to put pressure on the regime," said Bruce Riedel, a recently retired CIA senior official who dealt with Iran and other countries in the region.
This is no saber rattling, this is war by other means.
Richard Clarke himself seems to verify the rumor;
"There are some channels where the United States government may want to do things without its hand showing, and legally, therefore, the administration would, if it's doing that, need an intelligence finding and would need to tell the Congress," said ABC News consultant Richard Clarke, a former White House counterterrorism official.
So much for secrecy though.
But actually this is being given a "good news" spin;
Current and former intelligence officials say the approval of the covert action means the Bush administration, for the time being, has decided not to pursue a military option against Iran.
Nothing happening people, just move along.
See, Dick Cheney didn't get his wish;
"Vice President Cheney helped to lead the side favoring a military strike," said former CIA official Riedel, "but I think they have come to the conclusion that a military strike has more downsides than upsides."
Duuuuhh!!
But wait, it may spin out of control;
Still, some fear that even a nonlethal covert CIA program carries great risks.
"I think everybody in the region knows that there is a proxy war already afoot with the United States supporting anti-Iranian elements in the region as well as opposition groups within Iran," said Vali Nasr, adjunct senior fellow for Mideast studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.
"And this covert action is now being escalated by the new U.S. directive, and that can very quickly lead to Iranian retaliation and a cycle of escalation can follow," Nasr said.
My point is this; if we get to know this, what is going on that we do not know is much much greater.
The next war has already started boys and girls. I remember Col. Hackworth said, way before the Iraq invasion started, that the "black ops" were well under way. A new Gulf of Tonkin or a drone shootdown is upon us any time.
I also remember reading in the Pentagon Papers about Col. Lansdales exploits in Vietnam well before the war went "hot".
So let's discuss Monica's testimony on the Attorneygate scandal but let's keep an eye on Iran or we will be blindsided.
WHERE ARE YOU GENERAL CLARK!!!???? I know, very busy with the Stop the War in Iran movement. He seems like the only one that makes sense now. Specially after Barak Obama seems to have joined the Iran is next chorus.