Report: U.S. Conducting Secret Missions Inside Iran

[intheflow]

The United States has been conducting secret reconnaissance missions inside Iran to help identify potential nuclear, chemical and missile targets, The New Yorker magazine reported Sunday.

The article, by award-winning reporter Seymour Hersh, said the secret missions have been going on at least since last summer with the goal of identifying target information for three dozen or more suspected sites.

(snip)

he White House said Iran is a concern and a threat that needs to be taken seriously. But it disputed the report by Hersh, who last year exposed the extent of prisoner abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

(snip)

Hersh reported that Bush has already "signed a series of top-secret findings and executive orders authorizing secret commando groups and other Special Forces units to conduct covert operations against suspected terrorist targets in as many as 10 nations in the Middle East and South Asia."

Defining these as military rather than intelligence operations, Hersh reported, will enable the Bush administration to evade legal restrictions imposed on the CIA's covert activities overseas.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/01/16/report_us_conducting_secret_missions_inside_iran_1105897316/

[umtalal]

1. I gather they are no longer a secret now. n/t

[bemildred]

2. Yep. Maybe they are bullshit now. nt

[WritersBlock]

3. I'll believe Hersh over * & his co-defendants any day.

Can there be anyone left by now who doesn't think he's going after Iran next? For all intents and purposes, it's admitted in this article:

One former high-level intelligence official told The New Yorker, "This is a war against terrorism, and Iraq is just one campaign. The Bush administration is looking at this as a huge war zone. Next, we're going to have the Iranian campaign."

[leftchick]

5. there you have it! The PNAC agenda right there!

In black and white! For all to see! Eternal conflict in the ME! Armageddon anyone? :scared:

[Just Me]

15. Except PNAC isn't about any "war on terrorism".

It's about global domination of oil.

Will the neoCONimperialists incite another world war?
They've certainly demonstrated a willingness to take that risk, perhaps even want it to happen 'cause they believe military might is the sole basis upon which such domination can be established.

Should we be concerned?
Absolutely. The neoCONimperialists are risking the future of this nation and all its people in addition to people around the world.

[hedda_foil]

20. It's even worse than that.

The neocons' real agenda isn't just global domination of oil resources, it's about total global domination, period. With them as the rulers of the world, of course.

[saigon68]

23. Hitleresque NeoCon Rulers-- "DEATH TO THE RAG-HEADS"

A lot of "ISLAMICS" will feel the sting of The Chimp's whip.

[BlueEyedSon]

70. The GWOT is a PNAC cover just like the Cold War was in the 80's.

You need a big bad enemy all the time to keep the peeps in line.

Yeah, I know PNAC was not around... back then they were the Neocons and the Straussians, but basically it was the same agenda.

(GWOT = Global War on Terror)

[spotbird]

28. Exactly, but remember that it would take an event on the order of

Pearl Harbor to get public support, they have the war on terror.

[warphead]

57. Re: Public Support

I wish that were true. But remember, with the war on terror came Pax Americana/Imperialism that came with the aquested agreement of pre-emptive military action. As the article said, G.W. Bush sees the war on terror as a region wide war. Iran is next. Man, I'm not trying to sound flipant or as if I'm making a joke: Just when I didn't think the man could be any more dangerous or possibly insane.
And if you are right...watch out...if that is what the little dictator thinks it will take to sell a war in Iran, that's what he'll do.
I've got a bad, bad, damn bad feeling in my gut.

[zanana]

60. Welcome to DU, warphead!

Please keep posting.

[Just Me]

73. Hi Ya' "warphead". You are certainly not alone about that gut feeling.

Many if not most of us have been very concerned about just how far these zealots will go to achieve their ideological plan. They've already proven themselves quite willing to "push the envelope", engaging in rather high-stakes risks.

Welcome to DU, "warphead". :hi:

[Sterling]

89. They already had it, 9-11.

They wrote it in their plan then, whammy, 8 months after they take power it happens. Amazing how that worked out.

[Just Me]

98. Does anyone remember "O'Pheera McDoom"?

This individual published an article stating that ObL WANTED TO KEEP GWB IN OFFICE in order to advance jihad immediately after the bombing in Spain. I can't find the damned thing, but specifically remember it being published on AP.

I found it a really odd article by an especially odd writer.

The reason why I mention this is because,...I am stuck between LIHOP and MIHOP these days. Both ObL and GWB are reaching for the same goal,...and one cannot help but wonder, given the Saudi/Bush kindred-spirit thingy and the CIA links and the impeccable timing of messages and the flood of deceit and the ultimate power thingy, whether these two are actually partners or what.

I just wonder whether this whole thing is simply a final chess move against Russia and Asia; with the US, Saudi Arabia and Israel being the the coalition of players; and the EU "newbies" advancing themselves towards being the next player.

*sigh* All I know is,...I am sick of the human race being used by a subhuman/greedy/corrupt corporate rat race,...when we have the capacity to do better than that!!!

[RaleighNCDUer]

77. It's all the same thing. We can't have these terrists denying our

god-given right to their oil!

[Dems Will Win]

30. My friends son told her "Mom, I'm going to Iran"

Special Ops. That was in November.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. Does the boy who wants to be king understand

that this is tantamount ot a declaration of war?

Lets see what the Iranians do with this...

[Newsjock]

8. More importantly ...

... let's see what the Democrats do with this. If anything, alas.

"Rep. xxx said late Sunday that, while potentially troubling, the report of military activity in Iran deserved careful study. The congressman said that he would wait to hear more about the president's plans in Iran before taking a stand."

Wake up, dimwits, and grow a spine already.

[nadinbrzezinski]

31. Speaking of dimwits this is what I fired mine

Dear Congresswoman,

Maybe the stenography corp has not reported on the PNAC plan. But that does not mean that we, the people, have not found out a thing about it. This story is right out of the PNAC agenda, as in phase two.

I wonder what pap, err propagan... err orwellian language will be told to the people to sell this new war? I wonder how many more of our young sons and daughters will die on foreign soil for the dream of domination of a few men. I wonder how long will it take for the Democratic Party to finally realize, the government has been coopted by radicals...

Anyway, if you have not read the PNAC plan, do yourself a favor and do such. Maybe then our future war with North Korea will not be too surprising. Nor will our attack on Europe, or the disolution of all alliances... or... WW III, which is what they want and what they need. After all what they want is world domination, pure and simple.

Oh and as an aside, these operations are akin to a declaration of war on a sovereign state, not that International Law or standards matter to most people in Congress any more, regardless of so called party affiliation. Yes some of us are still smarting over the, we cannot pass a law forbiding torture. How long until that torture is used against US Citizens? Oh and will you allow Patriot II, III, IV et al? Have we indeed crossed the Rubicon?

[nashville_brook]

48. it's out of our hands now

really, it is

[Vitruvius]

19. Yes, under international law, these missions are acts of WAR.

Of course, the UN and the International Court will do nothing -- international law is for little countries & third-world countries; Bu$h's America is above international law...

Any wonder much of the third world thinks the UN is a US stooge?

[punpirate]

24. From the various reports...

... and Hersh's comments, this has been going on since last summer. They specifically decided to use military forces instead of CIA for legal reasons.

That means that having sent troops into a foreign country, the Bushies are specifically required to meet the obligations of the War Powers Act with regard to reporting to Congress.

Since there's no mention of it in the news, did the Bushies, in fact, meet the reporting requirements (by going to the Intelligence committees and therefore, keeping it a secret from the American people, but meeting the reporting requirements), or, have they blown off everyone and ignored the reporting requirements?

[Lostnote03]

38. Agreed......But actually w/ the CIA reorganization full speed ahead

......this suggests to me a sidestepping of intelligence flow.....with the disbandment of the OSP, having already accomplished its "pincer" attack on the CIA, the cabal has entrenched itself w/i the DOD, so that any attempt to challenge its findings will be met with the usual horde of assigned attorneys/officer corp. arguing for its merits....We have certainly moved perilously closer to nuclear exchange, while blaming the Dems all along the way.....

[punpirate]

40. Still, I'm bothered by the...

... lack of detail, particularly in the Globe story, on reporting to Congress of military action. I realize there's a power play at work currently between the military intelligence and the CIA, and the military is determined to hack out its share of the territory, regardless of what Congress has decided, but without that reporting, neither Congress nor the people are going to have a clue about what the Bushies are actually doing.

It's one thing to use the military and then report. It's quite another to simply ignore the War Powers Act reporting requirements on a continuing basis. It also means that more skeptical data analysts in the CIA don't know what's going on, either. This may well be taking the "left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing" syndrome to a completely new operational level. That's friggin' scary.

[Lostnote03]

44. Sibel Edmonds appears to be the only wedge issue involved that can

.....bring "discovery" process into the power matrix....w/ the recent pronouncement of "merit" to her statements while at the same time admonishing the national security defence mantra, I'm hoping that Sen. Grassley will provide more (GOP)moderate leadership by keeping this issue on the front burner of those within the GOP....HE did state that he would personaly oversee her case so to speak....Let the facts speak for themselves and possibly the backlash cometh wrt the issue of "actionable intelligence".....

[Just Me]

50. Congress apparently gave a form of authority,...

,...which I am having trouble locating,...but, I remember an authorization signed by Congress pertaining to Iran which was so ambiguous I thought to myself the neoCONimperialists would certainly abuse that authority.

I can't find the damned thing but when I do I'll post it.

[Supersedeas]

66. so, there must be some Dem Leaders who know the which agency has authority

and what the scope of that authority entails.

Do they take there oversight duties seriously???

[JohnnyRingo]

96. Buxh will just claim Iran to be the next phase of the "War on Terror"

Which he will say ...Was already authorized.

I'm very ashamed of our government.

[Just Me]

101. No. These guys are aggressive schemers. They plan way in advance.

They even go so far as to find ways to undermine the constitution, the judicial system, the legislative branch, the military, intelligence, and the media.

These very dangerous, destructive power-mongers,...play to win,...and they have been devising over several decades.

I just wish people would stop underestimating both the craftiness and the determination of this lot of despots who don't give a damn about the potential of human life but seek to use and abuse humans as "capital".

[JohnnyRingo]

102. I always thought so too....But I don't understand why Iraq war planning

ended at the march into Baghdad.

[Just Me]

100. Here's some executive orders which are pertinent/relevant.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iran/2003/iran-030313-usia01.htm

http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/other_03.html

There may be items in the National Defense Authorization Act which are subject to abuse by these zealots for power (actually, I'm pretty damned sure there are provisions being abused) but, I don't have time to pinpoint that stuff (after all, I'm merely a pajama blogger *LOL*,...someone who's being paid to do their job outta' be on top of this stuff).

I hope I am mistaking executive orders for a cloudy memory of some broad congressional authority being awarded to these dangerous imperialists. If only I had the time and resources to get to the printouts which are in storage.

[teryang]

56. The tangential development of policy making agencies

...within the defense department and elsewhere in the executive branch (as in the homeland defense reorganization of the federal government) is a classic sign of the developement of totalitarian power.

Another manifestation is the blurring of the lines of just who exactly the policy making bodies and officials are. Power seems to actually lie in Rumsfeld and the vice President rather than in the oval office or the Congress.

Policy seems to be formulated in NGO think tanks supported by the defense industry and Israeli defense industry lobbyests. Experts in older more traditional think tanks are simply irrelevant now merely providing a background forum for neo-con ideologues to announce their pet plans for world dominance and new weapons systems. In fact, unless one has the connections of a Seymour Hersh, you can actually find out more about what is going to happen next by listening to the neo-con nerds justifying their next pet scheme on CSPAN interviews or live telecasts of talking security wonks. There they promote their dubious credentials and advance their personal interests by advocating the next war or round of oppressive trade measures or attack on the Bill of Rights.

Now we are the point where the value of the dollar is being supported by bombing and wars. It's the Hjalmar Schacht version of international free trade.

The total disregard for international and domestic law is another obvious sign, which is hardly even noted anymore in the mainstream media. The explanations from "security and intelligence experts" are hardly legal briefs. I give them an "F."

[Zhade]

42. That means b*sh also betrayed the troops - again.

The ones fighting the very small number of very determined terrorists in Iraq, that is - not those killing the general populace.

By taking soldiers for his illegal little adventures in Iran, he's left those soldiers fighting what actual terrorist prescence there is in Iraq out on a limb. Less strength, more death, another betrayal.

[wabeewoman]

43. I've just started reading

Krugman's book "The Great Unraveling" and he makes the point that the neocons are a revolutionary force and gives some rules for reporters to use in reporting their actions:
"1. Don't assume that policy proposals make sense in terms of their stated goals.
2. Do some homework to discover the real goals
3. Don't assume the usual rules of politics apply (because they don't recognize the rules or the anyone having power over them)
4. Expect a revolutionary power to respond to criticism by attacking
and 5. Don't think that there's a limit to a revolutionary power's objectives."
Krugman's book should be required reading for every citizen in this country.

[NYC]

53. Paul Krugman is very perspicacious.

I love Paul Krugman.

[TexasLawyer]

67. The introductory section of "The Great Unraveling"

is about the scariest thing I've ever read. Nothing will ever be enough for the neocons. They will push their agenda to the nth degree until people wise up and stop them.

[PapaJoe]

105. Wow, thanks for sharing this.

Just what is the basis for this neocon ideology? Ayn Rand just doesn't seem adequate. It certainly isn't the Bible. Maybe Mein Kampf?

[rockedthevoteinMA]

6. Why oh why am I not surprised?

Could it be that I have just reached that point where nothing shocks me anymore about these IDIOTS? :shrug:

(oh and nothingshocksmeanymore - great name!) :hi:

[Bozita]

7. Sy Hersh was just on CNN with Wolfie

Lasted 10-15 minutes.

CNN's got to show this interview again today. It's hard to ignore Pulitzer winners with blockbuster reports.

IMHO, this is MUST SEE TV.

[intheflow]

10. Was he talking specifically about this story?

Or were they concentrating on Abu Ghraib sentencing? I don't have cable, so no chance of catching it in repeat.

[Bozita]

18. Interview was ALL about Hersh's Iran report

There's a thread in GD with some of the details.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

9. Getting ready to throw another generation of terrorists on the skittle,

ya gotta love the madness of king george.

[mojavekid]

11. The EU, China, Russia and Japan

aren't going to like this, what with all the paper they have signed concerning investment in Iran. I guess it's "Go it Alone" time again for Amerika!

[Dover]

12. Gee, I wonder if Iran will mistake these special forces for aliens...

and shoot down their reconaissance "space ships"?

[Just Me]

16. Yes. That was a pretty funny article!!! n/t

[BlueEyedSon]

13. "Governing by crises since 2001." nt

[NYC]

54. Creating crises since 2001.

[BlueEyedSon]

59. My bad: "Governing by MANUFACTURED crises since 2001."

:)

[not fooled]

14. geez...

...you'd think that the debacle in Iraq would be enough to dissuade the kooks from pursuing their crackpot schemes. but noooo...apparently disastrous reality is no impediment to attempting to fulfill your fantasies about world domination.

If the media wasn't so utterly corrupt, they would be burning the PNAC agenda into 'Murkans' brains, since every move by this admin has been right out of the PNAC playbook. Instead, only a miniscule fraction of the populace has any idea that our gov't, foreign policy, and defense have been hijacked to further the insane plans of a cadre of psychopaths. Oh well, I guess 200+ years was a good run for this country.

Wonder what the career military thinks about being used as pawns in the PNACers' little games.
:eyes: :crazy:

[PunkPop]

17. That might have been a rhetorical question but I'll answer anyway

The fact that Hersh has this story tells you what they think. His contacts in the Pentagon are career military guys who are as disgusted with these incompetent zealots as the rest of us.

[intheflow]

41. True dat.

My boyfriend was career Army until he got injured and honorably discharged. He's livid over this adminstration's blantant contempt for the soldiers.

[Colorado Blue]

82. What I don't understand is why so many career soldiers and

vets voted for Bush? I know two personally - one who saw Farenheit 911 at the instigation of his wife - and immediately because a Democrat. Yet, on Election Day, he voted for BUSH. For some unknown reason vets identify with Bush, who may have gone AWOL from his guard duties, rather than with a man who went to war! The other voted for him out of pure businessman selfishness as well as the vet thing, but now is having second thoughts (should have had second thoughts on November 2, 2004, duh).

I don't get it.

As far as this Iran thing goes it makes me very nervous. The war in the middle east thing plays into the paws of the Rapture folks. Some people say * is one of them.

Beyond that, Iran is a Shiite theocracy. We armed and trained and put Saddam and the Sunnis into power in the 1980's specifically to combat them, in a war which cost 1,000,000 lives. Now we're backing a Shiite majority in Iraq. Are we now going to war against their religious brethren?

It doesn't look like a good idea, does it.

Maybe it's just business as usual - according to the rules of the British Empire, this is just what they call The Great Game.

[intheflow]

90. I think it's that whole "don't change the pres. in time of war" mentality.

That, and two other things.

First, the armed forces really pound in the idea of blindly following orders. It's hard to get beyond indoctrination (brainwashing) that deeply ingrained. So to me the amazing thing is that so many vets voted against the commander in thief.

Secondly, no one knows the US-Iraq history. I mean, something like 40% of Americans still believe Hussein was responsible for 9-11 in some way! You expect them to know that the US first started working with Hussein in the early '60's? And not only that, but that we bombed and starved Iraqis throughout the 1990's? When I told my mother that, she averted her eyes and said, "Well, now, I don't know about that," as if she was willing herself not to hear the truth. So I guess that's another factor--willful ignorance of Americans to face the immoralty of (and thus their own complience in) this conflict.

BTW, here's my favorite primer on US-Hussein relations: http://www.ericblumrich.com/thanks.html It's a flash movie, and just sounds like Bing Crosby singing if you're stuck in a cubical. But the text is very illuminating, and, I believe, accurate.

Edited to welcome you to DU, Colorado Blue. :hi:

[JohnOneillsMemory]

21. Remote-controlled vehicles means they don't need recruits on the ground.

Eliminating both 'the will of the people' and the people themselves in the pursuit of war has been achieved with the help of Boeing.

Boeing leads production of commercial and military jets, satellites, and missile intercept technology.

The success of remote-controlled planes over the last 5 years like the X-45 which was recently flown by a satellite link from 1500km away means the DARPA/Pentagon/Neo-con 'A-team' can do what it wants while TV Nation watches basketball and 'Major Dad.'

Don't get me started on how this technology relates to the New Pearl Harbor and its consequences...
http://www.janes.com/aerospace/military/news/idr/idr010504_1_n.shtml

[daleo]

33. I could see these being referred to as flying saucers

I guess that explains the other story, about flying saucers over Iran.

[tlcandie]

22. And someone came back at my posting regarding

Arsenal of Hypocrisy and said and with what funds/money?! LoL I guess some just don't get it yet...it doesn't matter...they will find a way and it will be our lives and our money that pays the way for them to do these ignorant things and then privatize for personal gain once we've paid/paved the way for these idiotic/crazy/insane practices of killing and maiming the earth/the universe and all its people!

[maryallen]

47. How about the $2 TRILLION missing from the Pentagon?

That would build a lot of "flying saucers" and similar gizmos?

[baldguy]

25. Just one more illegal act for the Impeachment Committee.

[jayfish]

58. I Wish You Were...

correct. Unfortunately, I think we are more likely to see a religious inquisition than we are impeachment proceedings.

Jay

[LiberalHeart]

26. Bush thinks this new war will distract us from the failure in Iraq. NT

[Mika]

32. What failure?

The Iraqis get a bushco style election in 2 weeks. Freedom.

<end sarcasm>

[Skink]

34. Look it's Great GrandPoppy...

[Massachusetts]

27. "Its deja vu all over again"

Just like Yogi said.

Can you spell Cambodia (Kampuchea)?

[Supersedeas]

35. Time to send Condi and Porter Goss to UN to do a powerpoint presentation

[malmapus]

29. With his "re-election" America game him its stamp of approval

for Iraq and all the other bullshit he's put the rest of us through. I feel saddened for the people who will die thanks to our leaders along with those who have already died. Where will it all end?

[Zhade]

36. We can't let them get away with this again. We have to stop them!

NT!

[reprobate]

37. And just how would you suggest that we stop them?

The congressional democrats have no way or intention of stopping him. He has the courts. He has the M$M.

The only thing he may not have shortly is the military.

"He has much in common with hitler, only no mustache"--Noel Coward

[Zhade]

45. I have no idea when it'll start, but I know how it'll start.

What a mess.

[ashmanonar]

99. yea...

but who do you think really controls the army?

ronald dumsfeld...

[BigMindTinyHead]

39. This seem so much more polite

than blowing up midnight wedding parties in the desert even if it's no longer a secret.

[LevelB]

46. Question

If some of these guys get captured, then what? Are they terrorist detainees of Iran to be tortured and held prisoner for life? This could be similar to the Gary Powers incident.

Also, I do not see us sending any serious numbers of ground forces into Iran or Syria without a draft. And they can't start the draft until Al-Qaeda attacks again on U.S. soil.

B.

[glitch]

76. Shit. You are right. Welcome to DU. nt

[RaleighNCDUer]

81. It won't be a big one, though.

A big AQ attack on a high profile target will be proof that 8 is not keeping us safe. Look for things like the chlorine spill, train wreck, that can be tied to AQ. Not real scary, but scary enough, with expendable peasants as victims. It will get played up real big. Then, next stop, Iran.

[Comicstripper]

49. This better get big

I want this to be the beginning of the end for this administration. The public will not tolerate this. This needs to be investigated, criminally if necessary.

[NYC]

55. I think the public will tolerate it.

Sad for all of us.

[agincourt]

51. It was obvious that a vote for bushler,

was a vote for war with Iran. Don't beleive a word this liar has to say about no draft or troops out of Iraq. They know they can lie with impunity.

[saltpoint]

52. Yes, Mr. Hersh is a very reliable journalist.

Bet the farm on it.

Much of what we know about Abu Ghraib is owed to the keen investigative reporting of Sy Hersh.

[neweurope]

61. Has Hersh recently mentioned that he feels suicidal at times?

Ever since 9/11 and stumbling over PNAC I have been scared of WW III. Over here nobody really believes it... perhaps with the Exception of the French. I get ever more scared.

--------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[sherilocks]

62. Al Jazeera has an article also

with reader comments. Interesting, and chilling. * will have the whole world at war. There will be no winners, just mass destruction.

http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_service/middle_east_full_story.asp?service_id=6657

[Jazzgirl]

78. Aljazeera.com?

Aljazeera.net is the official site as far as I know. Most of the time these sites never cover the same news. I've been trying to figure out for months who the .com people are.

[ernstbass]

63. "freedom is on the march"

This asshole is going into Iran and the public will support it - it sickens me.

[TexasLawyer]

68. Maybe freedom will even "reign"

if we can flatten Tehran, kill a few hundred thousand Iranians, kill and maim a few thousand of our own troops, and occupy a hostile country for a few decades.

You don't mind sacrificing Social Security for that, now, do you?

[semillama]

64. If these are military operations in a sovereign nation,

isn't that considered the equivalent of a declaration of war?

How long before Iran does something to retaliate against these covert ops folks that gets spun as a "first strike against US Forces" and thus providing the facists with the necessary illusion of moral authority to go to war in Iran? "They attacked US, therefore we need the draft to fight them."

[DainBramaged]

65. Bump for the seriousness of this matter

Is anyone surprised that this illegal misadministration is going to wage war on all non-Christians?

[Pegleg Thd]

71. The only thing that the cabal is waiting for

is to drop the first bomb as bushitska is being crowned again as the illegitimate idiot king.:nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke:

[clem_c_rock]

69. What annoys me is that people will read this and still mock the draft

and say something stupid like: "A draft would be political suicide"

[RaleighNCDUer]

83. Politics are only important in regards to elections.

And elections are irrelevant now.

The only political suicide we are likely to see is outspoken opponants of the regime being suicided.

[htuttle]

72. So one day soon, the US bombs some locations in Iran

Moments later, 253 Chinese anti-ship missles come screaming out of the mountains lining the Persian Gulf. Heads up, guys! Then 800,000 extremely angry well-armed Iranians come tearing into Iraq, the Badr Brigades and the other Iranian militia in Iraq start fighting US troops in earnest, then finally, Iranian long-range ballistic missiles come raining down on the Green Zone, our bases in Kuwait, and elsewhere in the Gulf. And much to our chagrin, we learn that the Iranian Air Force's new Russian fighters are really kind of nice, aren't they!

Sounds we're in for an exciting day of television...wonder how the ad pre-sales are going?

BTW, have they come up with a logo and theme song yet?

[peacetalksforall]

74. "to attack Iran to hunt down nuclear and chemical weapons."

This portion of a quote was from an article in the Wash Times quoted in another thread that was just closed down.

Examine this sentence and reason:

To ATTACK
to HUNT DOWN
nuclear and chemical WEAPONS

A group of people in our country intend to -

. use nuclear-chemical weapons as a guise to takeover
. then nation build for their own benefit

A group of people = PNAC, Admin, and the DOD.

How dare they? How dare they?

And every Republican and some Democratic Senators and
Representatives are letting them do this.

Iran and Syria are sovereign countries.

Is everyone in the world going to allow this?

Will all watch and silently approve? Join in a coalition?

Why are their people who still can't see through this?

We have been taken over by our own.

It is clear that they don't want anyone standing up to them.

Sidenote: They were re-playing another one of those endless conferences by the AEI (read PNAC) this morning on C-Span when Mr. Remote Controlled Aircraft himself, The Honorable Dov S. Zakheim, was reporting on the Pentagon Budget. He was Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) during the period (2001-2004) that the billions disappeared from the DOD and who before going to the DOD ran a company that manufactured remote controlled aircraft and who after leaving the DOD returned to the manufacture of remote controlled aircraft. He said that the costs in Iraq a year ago were 1 billion a month and are now 5 billion a month. So what will it cost to go to Iran Syria (and don't forget Cuba). After Iran and Syria, it will also be Jordan and Lebanon, then Egypt. Kuwait and Qatar are already in their hands.

Question - would it be worthwhile to always refer to PNAC, the Admin and the DOD as 'they' - separate and apart from the citizens? They are not us. They are not 'we'. They are madmen who we have allowed to control us and to whom we have given young bodies, minds, and souls for their purposes. The rest of us just need to be contained, as far as they care. They laugh in our face about the money and the law that they have confiscated.

[bajamary]

75. God help us

Once again, it looks like the W boys plan to create another war.

God help us all.




www.4-my-country.com

[Strelnikov_]

79. "Some Lessons Learned—Not Militarily, But How We Did It Politically"

For me, the most chilling statement from the article, and if true an indication that there is nothing we can do to stop this.

From the article:

"In my interviews, I was repeatedly told that the next strategic target was Iran. “Everyone is saying, ‘You can’t be serious about targeting Iran. Look at Iraq,’” the former intelligence official told me. “But they say, ‘We’ve got some lessons learned—not militarily, but how we did it politically. We’re not going to rely on agency pissants.’ No loose ends, and that’s why the C.I.A. is out of there.”

So, does this mean that we were too politically sensitive regarding civilian casualties?

[proudtobeadem]

80. People, we should start wearing pins that say "IRAN IS NEXT"

Then when people ask about it you can tell them about it and/or direct them to this article. This has got to get out to the general public.

[Nothing Without Hope]

84. More good comments on this story plus video of Hersch interview

This story was posted at least two other times on the DU board yesterday, and each time there were interesting comments and additional links that are worth reading:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=2959361

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2959536

There was also a link posted to video of Hersch being interviewed:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1499590

[peacetalksforall]

85. These posts have to get to Congress...they can't claim ignorance again

For months before Iraq...posts similar to these on DU didn't have anough of an effect on the Senate and H of R's. They seemd to play dumb about the REAL agenda of PNAC, the Admin, and the CIA/DOD.

They went ahead and gave the 'authority' to the President to do it to Iraq. There were few heroes who did their homework. There were few heroes who were not afraid of their next election.

Now, there is no peep about this going to Congress.
All I've heard is that the UN is investigating the weapons.

Who is providing authority?

Is Congress again in deriliction of duty to protect our country?

What is the legal and political position before Congress?

Surely, the DIABOLICAL AUTHORITY they gave Bush in one administration still doesn't hold for Iran and Syria?

Does anyone know?

[Nothing Without Hope]

86. FULL TEXT OF HERSCH'S NEW YORKER ARTICLE NOW AVAILABLE

It wasn't available yesterday, so the stories were by reporters describing the article. Hersch also did interviews about it. Now you can read exactly what he wrote:

http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?050124fa_fact

THE COMING WARS
by SEYMOUR M. HERSH
What the Pentagon can now do in secret.
Issue of 2005-01-24 and 31
Posted 2005-01-17

George W. Bush’s reëlection was not his only victory last fall. The President and his national-security advisers have consolidated control over the military and intelligence communities’ strategic analyses and covert operations to a degree unmatched since the rise of the post-Second World War national-security state. Bush has an aggressive and ambitious agenda for using that control—against the mullahs in Iran and against targets in the ongoing war on terrorism—during his second term. The C.I.A. will continue to be downgraded, and the agency will increasingly serve, as one government consultant with close ties to the Pentagon put it, as “facilitators” of policy emanating from President Bush and Vice-President Dick Cheney. This process is well under way.

Despite the deteriorating security situation in Iraq, the Bush Administration has not reconsidered its basic long-range policy goal in the Middle East: the establishment of democracy throughout the region. Bush’s reëlection is regarded within the Administration as evidence of America’s support for his decision to go to war. It has reaffirmed the position of the neoconservatives in the Pentagon’s civilian leadership who advocated the invasion, including Paul Wolfowitz, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, and Douglas Feith, the Under-secretary for Policy. According to a former high-level intelligence official, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld met with the Joint Chiefs of Staff shortly after the election and told them, in essence, that the naysayers had been heard and the American people did not accept their message. Rumsfeld added that America was committed to staying in Iraq and that there would be no second-guessing.

“This is a war against terrorism, and Iraq is just one campaign. The Bush Administration is looking at this as a huge war zone,” the former high-level intelligence official told me. “Next, we’re going to have the Iranian campaign. We’ve declared war and the bad guys, wherever they are, are the enemy. This is the last hurrah—we’ve got four years, and want to come out of this saying we won the war on terrorism.”


(snip)
---------------------------------------------
CALL, WRITE LETTERS, EMAIL!!!
WE MUST PRESSURE CONGRESS TO STOP THIS INSANITY NOW!!!!!

[bajamary]

87. Pray for peace, Work for Justice

God help us all.




www.4-my-country.com

[intheflow]

94. Hey, bajamary!

"Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living."
Mother Jones

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[apple_ridge]

88. This is nothing new to most regulars here, but the closer it gets to

MSM, the better it is for everyone.

The unknown writer who sends bi-weekly reports titled "News from the White House" to www.TBRNEWS.org descibed the whole invasion process back around August. Go through the archives. Pretty frightening stuff.

[AlCzervik]

91. I just saw on the news that the Pentagon is in full attack the messenger

mode. They are all over Hersch claiming that his report puts Merika in danger because it's read all over the world. The strike on Iraq of course put us in no danger at all, it's all Seymour's fault if anything happens.

[Emillereid]

92. In an email from Chomsky he down plays this story and suggests that:

"Sy Hersh is a great reporter, but he's publicizing leaks from US intelligence, and they are not in the business of telling the truth -- rather, making public what they want to be believed.  For years, the US has been trying to rattle the Iranian leadership, as part of the conversion campaign.  Whatever the truth of these stories, they don't amount to much as compared with the very public (though not reported here) dispatch to Israel of over 100 of the most advanced US jet bombers, equipped with "special weapons," and loudly advertised as being capable of bombing Iran. Or of the regular flights at or over the Iranian border from Turkish bases (by the Israeli air force, based in eastern Turkey).  And much else, which has been in the public domain for years.  I've written about it for years, for example."

Could it be that Hersh is being used as a conduit for psychological warfare; that the government is simply trying to rattle the mullahs?? Boy it's hard to know what the heck to believe.

(posted this in another thread on the article that wasn't getting any action -- so thought Chomsky's comment would be better received here.)

[struggle4progress]

93. US rebuts 'Iran covert op' claim

The Pentagon has hit back at claims by investigative reporter Seymour Hersh that US commandos are carrying out covert operations inside Iran. A spokesman said Hersh's New Yorker magazine article was based on rumour, innuendo and conspiracy theories. <snip>

A Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman has described the reports of collaboration with the US over Iran as "far-fetched". <snip>

The BBC's Justin Webb in Washington says that while Hersh could be wrong, he has a series of scoops to his name, including the details of the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal last year. His track record suggests that he should be taken seriously, our correspondent says.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4182365.stm

[David Zephyr]

95. All Bluff. The Bushies Will Never Invade or Piss Off Iran.

"There will, of course, be voices from within the Neocon circles that have GW Bush's ear encouraging him to invade Iran. And it won't be just the Neocons. Ariel Sharon in an unholy alliance with the Sunni Saudis "Royals", who will mutually (and correctly) fear the rise of Greater Iran, will also weigh in heavily for taking action against Iran, but it won't happen." --- David Zephyr, November 3, 2004. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x16512

I keep posting this, but anyway.

The most the Bush cabal can do with Iran is to bluff, to threaten, to insinuate an invasion or covert operation within Iran is underway, to intimidate Iran.

But that's all. There can be no invasion because we would lose. Bush and crowd already know that Iran will be the victor after the upcoming "elections" in Iraq. The entire world knows this except the American people who don't understand the Sunni/Shi'a standoff in the middle east and who are dumbed down by our corporate media that sells advertising by telling the American people that we rule the world, when we don't.

Iran will not be intimidated by Bush and will move quickly with its Shi'a counterparts (Sistani) in Iraq to demand that the U.S. pull its troops out soon.

Iran is in the driver's seat now much to the chagrin of Ariel Sharon and the Saudi (Sunni) "royal" family, Osama bin Laden and the Syrians. It's up to Iran to decide whether or not to let Bush pull our troops out of Iraq with some modicum of dignity or to let the civil war begin.

We need to get out of Iraq. Yes, our nation "broke it", but I differ with those here who think we can "fix it". We can't.

Ariel Sharon got his wish. Bush invaded Iraq, but things did not go as Bush, Rumsfeld and Cheney had hoped for and consequently Israel is now in a far worse situation with a Shi'a, Iranian controlled theocracy in Iraq than it was with the secular Saddam Hussein who posed no threat to Israel whatsoever.

We are about to witness a bizarre coalition of the strangest entities ever like the current Israeli government joining with the Saudi "royal" family in trying create every friction they can between Iran and the United States in hopes that we will invade Iran.

But it won't happen, no matter how much bluster and loud talk we here from Bush and gang because they know they would lose that fight and the United Nations and the world will condemn any such action. Not even a phony "coalition of the willing" for that move.

The U.S. will not invade Iran, but will bark like a toothless dog in hopes to scare the leaders in Iran. They will not be deterred. The U.S. will be asked to leave Iraq and the only question is: how much dignity will the Iranians allow Bush to have when we pull out.

Don't get mad at me. Get mad at the Bush administration who took us into this ill-conceived war that we will have to live with the rest of our lives.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x16512

[seasidelib]

97. CNN wants to know what you think

Wolf ran the story right behind the lead (which was the kidnapping of the arch bishop in Mosul).. his poll question today:

QUESTION OF THE DAY
Would you support the U.S. conducting secret reconnaissance missions in Iran?


Right now it's, 56% yes 44% no

[Massachusetts]

103. CNN

Certainly Not News is nothing more than a propaganda voice for Bu$hco.

[Democrat Dragon]

104. So there you have it folks,

Nuclear WWIII coming to a big city near you. I think I'm gonna pack my bags before it's too late, nuclear fallout can kill.

But look on the bright side, afterall it took a world war to get rid of Hitler, it took a war to get rid of Napoleon, and it took a war to rid of Alexander the Great.

[skyounkin]

106. Looks like the truth, but smells like lies....

Why do I get the feeling that this is smoke, to punish hersh?...Like Dan Rather and the * guard documents thing? This could be their way of getting back at him for Abu Ghirab. I, for one believe Hersh but one way to keep the ignorant masses ignorant is to discredit the reliable news sources. So in a week or so when this thing gains huge momentum, look for ways that *'s admin can kill this story quickly thus discrediting Hersh.....

Oh, and first post!!

[gandalf]

107. Welcome to DU, and:

the story might be the result of a deliberate leak, perhaps to get the message out to the Mullahs?