Saturday, September 16, 2006

strobel is channeling larisa

* for more fun at Brooks' expense, here

* strobel:
" In an echo of the intelligence wars that preceded the U.S. invasion of Iraq, a high-stakes struggle is brewing within the Bush administration and in Congress over Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program and involvement in terrorism.

U.S. intelligence and counterterrorism officials say Bush political appointees and hard-liners on Capitol Hill have tried recently to portray Iran's nuclear program as more advanced than it is and to exaggerate Tehran's role in Hezbollah's attack on Israel in mid-July.

The struggle's outcome could have profound implications for U.S. policy.

President Bush, who addresses the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, has said he prefers diplomacy to stop Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, but he hasn't ruled out using military force.

Several former U.S. defense officials who maintain close ties to the Pentagon say they've been told that plans for airstrikes - if Bush deems them necessary - are being updated.
[]
The IAEA's written protest, dated Tuesday, was echoed privately by U.S. intelligence analysts, who saw the House report as an attempt to discredit the CIA and other agencies on Iran.
[]
Some officials at the CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency and the State Department said they're concerned that the offices of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney may be receiving a stream of questionable information that originates with Iranian exiles, including a discredited arms dealer, Manucher Ghorbanifar, who played a role in the 1980s Iran-Contra scandal.

Officials at all three agencies said they suspect that the dubious information may include claims that Iran directed Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group, to kidnap two Israeli soldiers in July; that Iran's nuclear program is moving faster than generally believed; and that the Iranian people are eager to join foreign efforts to overthrow their theocratic rulers.

The officials said there is no reliable intelligence to support any of those assertions and some that contradicts all three.
[]
Adding to the unease, Rumsfeld's office earlier this year set up a new Iranian directorate, reported to be under the leadership of neoconservatives who played a role in planning the Iraq war.

Current and former officials said the Pentagon's Iranian directorate has been headed by Abram Shulsky. Shulsky also was the head of the now-defunct Office of Special Plans, whose role in allegedly manipulating Iraq intelligence is under investigation by the Pentagon's inspector general.

Some officials say they fear the office, whose existence was first reported by the Los Angeles Times, is being used to funnel intelligence from Ghorbanifar, the arms dealer, and an Iranian exile group known as the Mujahedeen Khalq.
[]
Bill Murray, a retired CIA station chief in Paris who met with a Ghorbanifar associate and found his claims about Iran to be bogus, called the office's establishment "a big bell ringer."

"That is outright manipulation of information to suggest a predetermined policy," Murray said."
strobel is channeling larisa.

(update: larisa in the comments notes that much of Laura's work in the strobel's article too)

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, it is about five of my articles and 3 of Laura's (which are usually very long, so more like 8 in Larisa years)... nice to see he cites someone, even if that publication reported none of what he writes about.

I respect Strobel a great deal. But I make it a habit of citing where needed and when people do not do that, it makes me quite angry. The Internet has made linking to citations very easy. I don't understand the problem.

In any case, thanks Luke for noticing. At least we have a second report now on Gorba's payroll.

Oh, did not see any of your friends mention their thoughts on the film, now that someone uploaded the whole damn thing to Google.

lukery said...

Larisa, great to see your work getting so much attention - even if you don't. The LAT credit was hysterical.

re the film, Noise wrote:
"I saw it. Thought it was well done. Sure would like to see a member of Congress watch this Documentary and then respond to the families questions without MSM spinning.

Can't believe members of Congress (both parties) have gotten such a free pass."

and calipendence's dvd will be arriving this week.

Anonymous said...

Congess has a copy. The producers went office to office and handed it out. Now if they discuss it or not is a whole other matter.

lukery said...

heck - i'll be happy if they watch it.

btw - are the producers happy or upset that it was uploaded to google?

lukery said...

laura is saying that the LAT credit was hers

Anonymous said...

Ah, but if it had New Yorker, then they would have written Hersh reporter in the New Yorker... in any case, woo hoo Laura, i assume screw me.

I am taking my marbles and going home:(

lukery said...

yeah - it's outrageuos. yuo shuold email him - and maybe next time he'll 'remember' next time

Anonymous said...

I did email him... but am happy the story is getting out. I was just looking at my grammar above. New rule, never post comments when on the road.

Re: producer's and google: they are not pleased. remember, all of us did this for free. i have no points in the film. we had many people give us equipment, provide tech work, and so forth on credit. we all paid our own way to travel and for documents, and such.

it is not even about a profit, it is about owing money, that is the point. we owe loads of money. so if we/they break even, it will be a miracle. but the hope now is to make enough to pay our "tab."

lukery said...

Bummer about Google. I thought that would be the case - but then I saw that it was up at mediachannel.

How are the DVD sales?

Superteemu said...

Just finished the film on Mediachannel.

The part that really got my attention was the "taliban convoy & pakistani funding", on about minutes 50-72. Well done, and I guess news even to many of the more informed viewers.

Pattern of WH evasion was also well presented (especially Bush answering on testimony with Cheney). Otherwise, I was a bit saddened to notice that scores of 9/11 documentaries have made me a bit numb to admin incompetence and grieving family members. :(

lukery said...

thnx superteemu - i thought those two things were done well too