Seymour Hersh Exposes New US Covert Operations In Iran (VIDEO)

The New Yorker's Seymour Hersh reports on how the Bush Administration has stepped up covert operations against Iran:

Late last year, Congress agreed to a request from President Bush to fund a major escalation of covert operations against Iran, according to current and former military, intelligence, and congressional sources. These operations, for which the President sought up to four hundred million dollars, were described in a Presidential Finding signed by Bush, and are designed to destabilize the country's religious leadership. The covert activities involve support of the minority Ahwazi Arab and Baluchi groups and other dissident organizations. They also include gathering intelligence about Iran's suspected nuclear-weapons program.

Clandestine operations against Iran are not new. United States Special Operations Forces have been conducting cross-border operations from southern Iraq, with Presidential authorization, since last year. These have included seizing members of Al Quds, the commando arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and taking them to Iraq for interrogation, and the pursuit of "high-value targets" in the President's war on terror, who may be captured or killed. But the scale and the scope of the operations in Iran, which involve the Central Intelligence Agency and the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), have now been significantly expanded, according to the current and former officials. Many of these activities are not specified in the new Finding, and some congressional leaders have had serious questions about their nature.

Under federal law, a Presidential Finding, which is highly classified, must be issued when a covert intelligence operation gets under way and, at a minimum, must be made known to Democratic and Republican leaders in the House and the Senate and to the ranking members of their respective intelligence committees--the so-called Gang of Eight. Money for the operation can then be reprogrammed from previous appropriations, as needed, by the relevant congressional committees, which also can be briefed.

Read Hersh's full report here.

Watch Hersh discuss his article on CNN below:

Comments

[rwe2late]

The US military and CIA conduct these "covert" operations in many countries, perhaps 80. They have been doing this for some time, and activities include assassination, planting bombs, renditions, and torture of prisoner/captives.

http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=9447

They hate US not for what we supposedly believe, but for what is being done overseas in our name by our government.

[oregonrain]

So true . Margret Thatchers son was implicated in a coup in africa. The London times did a piece on this , but nothing in the US MSM said a word . The article went on to say that , the US had given it's "ok" for the coup . MS. Thather's son was said to have helped fund the coup . Yes , we are everywhere !

[MikeDu]

You reminded me that the U.S. gov. officially deplores sectarian violence in Iraq but that someone in Intelligence had leaked a statement, in much e same way as this Iran piece, that the U.S. had put plans in the works to 'El Salvadorize' Iraq as far back as 04.

[Moshe]

Let me guess . . . the GOP has just revealed its campaign strategy for November, once again assisted by spineless enablers in the DEM leadership.

I was wondering how the DEMs were going to blow the huge lead they have now before November . . .

Now we know.

Thanks again Nancy and Harry.

With DEMs like that, who needs the GOP.

[syllepsis]

I hope people abandon BOTH parties in droves, to punish them the only way they can be- at the polls.

[earthwealth]

There would be hope when majority of Americans including their elected officials can point America on the World Map! THE MOST PRESS FREE COUNTRY HAS THE MOST UNINFORMED POPULATION! And you expect them to elect “informed” politicians?

[Diana]

Well, that's stupid! As much as I despise the Vichy dem enablers, not voting dem or voting for a third-party candidate, enabling bush3 would be disasterous! A mccain/bush 3 administration would be replete with more attacks on soverign nations, more alito's and roberts', and would include the literal end of the middle class.

Even Obama, perhaps a DLC dem in disguise, would not go that far. We gotta take what we can get at this point, as sick as it might make us feel.

[demigod]

SO - we are terrorists now ? No, really. If right now we have special forces covertly carrying out "missions" in Iran, which I assume include destroying infrastructure and eliminating human "targets" - then how are we, the American people, any different from al Qaeda ? We are the "good guys" - al Qaeda says the same thing. Our tactics are exactly the same, it appears. How is this different from what we claim Iran is doing in Lebanon or elsewhere ? How can we claim what they are doing is wrong ? I guess what they have been doing has never been wrong, it just goes against our "goals" - nothing is wrong if it furthers your goals, right ? You can have the highest ideals out in front, and do anything you want out back, right ? What makes us think we have the right to control Iran's destiny ? We can't - they're a major nation with oil money. The more we threaten the more they want the bomb. They are extremely dangerous - we are playing with fire.

[frl]

seymore hersh said on "fresh air" that the u.s. is actually financing terrorist groups who are against the gov. of iran. in fact, he said that the u.s. has actually had them in the u.s. to train. so terrorism is o.k. as long as its against the iranians.

[tommybones]

We've been doing this, and much much worse in dozens of nations across the globe, particularly since the end of WWII.

[earthwealth]

On September 21, 2001, in the Evening BBC News interview with Colin Powel, his response to a question from reporter was:” any country that interferes in another countries affair with the goal of regime change, is committing act of terrorism”. Per Colin Powel definition, you may be correct

[DFreedomMan]

Because we are fighting for the 'right side'. Demi- if Iran has its way, Isreal will be nuked, then all hell, literally, will break loose.
Seymour Hersh should be tried for treason for letting it leak. He is a swine.

[frl]

the nie report was very one that was very carefully put together, and last year it was put out saying that the nuke threat from iran was virtually non-existant since 2003. bush/cheney went ahead after this report with the operations. any way "right side/wrong side, chosen people..." wow. scary stuff. didn't know, but do we go to war for the sake of isreal? is that putting americans first??

[biglover]

DFreedom Man. Israel could wipe Iran off the face of the map. Israel has more Nukes than we do. Iran is not even close to getting a nuke but Israel and we already have them as does Pakistan and India. You need to stop listening to Fox News and do some of your own research but I doubt you will because you are one of too many people who just listen to the MSM for your information and republicans love people like you - the more ignorant the better.

[bigdaddyvike]

Israel has somewhere between 70 and 200 nuclear warheads, last time I heard. (But who knows?) That''s enough firepower to turn Iran into a parking lot. (once voiced by the great Buddy Ryan). And btw Seymour Hersh is one of the best investigative journalists this country has ever produced. People like him tell people like you and I the stuff nobody else will. Stuff that we should be told, but never will be by the neocons.

[piul05]

Instead of now, try always...the "now" only applies to general awareness that the picture might not have been as rosy as it has been painted by past administrations. Apart from the most obvious US involvement (Iraq, Vietnam, Nicaragua, Chile, Iran, El Salvador, Somalia, Cuba, etc...), and there have been others forgotten in time and memory because things didn't come to a climax - like American submarines based on the Guanabara Bay in Rio de janeiro in 1964 in support for the military coup - it'd have been a civil war hadn't the democratically elected government capitulated; or American ships heading t towards the Portuguese coast in the period preceeding the 1974 Revolution - an interference only stopped by the then German Chancellor Willy Brandt who told the Us that Europe was not part of their backyard.

Much of American prosperity, identity and ethos has been built on its assymetrical relationship with the rest of the planet. I'm afraid, this is a habit that it is still not willing to kick off, with dire consequences to all of us.

[earthwealth]

I must add that it is ironic that the same economical sanction that we imposed on Iran during the last 30 years has prevented Iran from expanding their oil industries and consequently their export capacity is hurting us in our own wallets! There is nothing wrong with enrichment. Especially if the country is a signatory to NPT. Unlike Israel, Iran is certainly a NPT member. Once Iran start using nuclear energy to produce electricity, the unused oil and natural gas would be available it the World Energy Market and consequently will affect the price of oil and eventually your pocket book.

[DFreedomMan]

earthwealth......
Can I get whatever you're smoking? Why would the #4 (I believe) oil power in the world ever want nuclear power? Global warming??Hmmmm...not. To get nukes and wipe out Isreal, starting WWIII? Hmmmmmm...probably...yeah, thats it!
Religious psychos have no business running a country, let alone having nuclear power.

[biglover]

DFREEDOM MAN -- you are even more ignorant than I first believed. There is no unlimited source of Oil - not even in Iran and Iran knows it. They want to be able to use nuclear energy for their future needs - as maybe we should too.

Israel can knock Iran off the face of the earth tomorrow. But she would rather we do it for her and we take the hit for it. Israel has more nukes than we do and is capable of protecting herself. Israel has built an underground hospital so that if she were ever attacked she could survive underground for a long time. How did Israel accomplish this. With the 4 Billion dollars we send them every year and with the billions they get from their wealthy american supporters. Don't cry for Israel - Israel is looking out for Israel while we suffer for it. You can google Israel's underground hospital and see for yourself.

[earthwealth]

I certainly do not smoke the same stuff you do. You probably are sitting on a beach near Tel Aviv and making fun of your slaves here. Or perhaps you are only 7 years old and have no sense of economics. One thing is clear. The price of oil will not be cheaper tomorrow. It would not be wise for Iran to use $150 - $200 per barrel oil to generate electricity, when the same could be done much cheaper using nuclear fuel. Not to mention the benefit for reducing the air pollution and green house gas that is resulted from burning petroleum products.
If we with 6000+ atomic warheads or Israel with 150+ atomic warheads still being afraid of a small country that has been under sever international sanctions for almost 30 years, why do we have such a huge collection of military weopans in the first place? Is that because of having too much extra funds and no other purpose to spend it for? Or may be we have been lied into believing that all that tax money was spended to protect us was waseted!

[ADR]

You all read this part, right?

"...and, at a minimum, must be made known to Democratic and Republican leaders in the House and the Senate and to the ranking members of their respective intelligence committees..."

To say that only Bush has a hand in this operaton, and nobody here points a finger at the Democrats in Congress, are just a bunch of hypocrites -- or should I say HuffPocrites?

I wonder how much Mr Obama and Mrs Clinton know about this?

Also, if this were 1944 and Mr Hersh was reporting, this is what the article would be titled: "Seymour Hersh Exposes New US Covert Operations In Plan to Invade Nazi Germany via Normandy"

[syllepsis]

Are we at war with Iran?
Or are we liasing with organizations on our own terrorist lists here?
And nobody is defending the Democrats. Their behavior is indeed indefensible.

[EndAllWars]

So you're saying Iran attacked and conquered Europe and we're about to liberate Europe?

What's with all these artificial associations that are being made of Iran with Nazi Germany? Iran is a 3rd world country with all sorts of economic problems. Germany was one of the most technologically advanced and industrialized nations.

[Deeg]

That has to be one of the worst analogies I've ever read. Maybe you could make a car analogy while you're at it...

[markjsand]

We do not have diplomatic relations with Iran.

Iran is lead, finances attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq.The U.S. should not be in Iraq but Iran's actions cause the needless death of thousands of U.S. troops.

In t past (pre Iraq) Iran backed terrorist attacks against the U.S. in the region and the world. Most in Lebanon including the multiple attacks on our embassy and the truck bomb that killed 500 marines.

Iran has murdered thousands of Americans over the years and gotten away with it because our government did not want to enrage the American public which would lead to war. Evidence suggests Iran knew about 9-11 and helped finance the operation. Bin Laden's son found shelter in Iran after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan shows there were contacts between Al Queda and Iran. The relative silence of the U.S. could soon change . However, the Bush government has zero credibility with the public because of Iraq

Regardless of your feeling about the Bush administration and Iraq, Iran is a very dangerous enemy of America and this will not change even if we leave Iraq or Bush leaves office.

The best response to their behavior is to respond in kind. Full and ruthless covert war against Iran. Target religious hierarchy, Al quds, their global business networks. Hurt them and hurt them good.

[syllepsis]

Zero credibility because the Administration claimed Iraq helped finance the 9/11 attacks too, you could have added, but didn't, because it would refute your current set of lies..
i see the right wing is distorting intelligence for its own purposes again. I don't know which, at this point, is more detestable- that the right wing is still lying, or that people are still willing to believe them.

[pbcrunch]

You do know Iran is a two-bit power that is probably more useful to us in its current state than the anarchy that will ensue if we invade, right? But, you're apparently of the school that thinks Iran is somehow or another an actual threat to the United States when it is only our idiotic politicians' rhetoric that makes them threatening...

"It may be said with rough accuracy that there are three stages in the life of a strong people. First, it is a small power, and fights small powers. Then it is a great power, and fights great powers. Then it is a great power, and fights small powers, but pretends that they are great powers, in order to rekindle the ashes of its ancient emotion and vanity. After that, the next step is to become a small power itself." -- G.K. Chesterton

[tommybones]

Your myopic view of U.S./Iranian history is seriously lacking in balance and perspective. In order to fully understand why our nation is beating the drums of war with Iran, we need to begin with our relationship with Iran since the end of WWII.

In 1953, the CIA backed a military coup that deposed the DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED IRANIAN PARLIAMENT, which resulted in the installation of a brutal dictator (and CIA puppet) who repressed the Iranian population while catering to the United States multi-national corporations for the better part of 25 years. It need not be mentioned how we would react if another country backed a coup that overthrew our own democracy, forcing us to live under a ruthless dictator for several generations, while systematically stealing our resources. In any case, the years of repression led to a rise in Islamic fundamentalism. Extremism relies on anger and hopelessness as its greatest recruitment tool, and the decades of U.S.-supported repression took its toll on the Iranian people. The Islamic revolution in 1979 removed the U.S. puppet and resulted in the much talked about hostage crisis. Once again, looking in context at the egregious U.S. meddling in Iran, can we really complain about the taking of our embassy in Tehran? Especially when one considers the fact that the President Carter, in the midst of the uprising, sent a General to the embassy to help facilitate yet another military coup, to re-install the Shah.

[tommybones]

HuffPost's Pick

Anyway, the new Iranian government was deemed a United States enemy, with a stated goal of "regime change" happening almost instantaneously. We then backed Saddam Hussein with military supplies and know-how, massive financial "grants" and logistical support in his illegal invasion of Iran a few years later. Close to a half million Iranians died in the war with Iraq, in large part due to the U.S. support. It need not be mentioned how we would feel if another country supported a massive illegal invasion of our homeland, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dead Americans.

As if backing the illegal Iraq invasion wasn’t enough, the United States added insult to injury by escalating the conflict and therefore the massive death count by playing both sides of the war through the illegal selling of arms to Iran during what came to be known as the Iran/Contra scandal. The funds acquired from the illegal arms sales to Iran were used to pay for yet another illegal endeavor; the proxy war against the peasants in Nicaragua, who were guilty in the eyes of the Reagan administration of having the audacity to want to control their own natural resources, instead of merely catering to U.S. multi-national corporations, as is the correct “order of things.” This war resulted in the United States being condemned as a terrorist State by the United Nations.

[biglover]

Hey tommybones. I hadn't read your post but I just posted the same thing and the link to the story.

[MajorKong]

This sounds like a rehash of the "Saddam Hussein is responsible for every bad thing that happened in the world after 1991 including the Oklahoma City bombing" propaganda we heard before the Iraq invasion.

[Deeg]

"Iran has murdered thousands of Americans over the years and gotten away with it because our government did not want to enrage the American public which would lead to war. Evidence suggests Iran knew about 9-11 and helped finance the operation. Bin Laden's son found shelter in Iran after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan shows there were contacts between Al Queda and Iran. The relative silence of the U.S. could soon change . However, the Bush government has zero credibility with the public because of Iraq

Regardless of your feeling about the Bush administration and Iraq, Iran is a very dangerous enemy of America and this will not change even if we leave Iraq or Bush leaves office."
-----

Where's your evidence? I'm calling bushit, back it up or shut up. And links to right wing blogs don't count as evidence.

[biglover]

In the 1953s the United States initiated a coup against the sitting Minister of Iran named Mossadeq so they could put their own man in (Shah of Iran). The reason, because of the fear that Iran wanted to nationalize the oil industry (which meant that our big oil companies wouldn't have control) It is all here. Go read for yourself. America does not have clean hands and it is America's own failed policies that have led us to the rotten situation we are in know and all for oil and all for power. I recommend reading this article and then come back and make some of your silly ass posts. Get informed America.

http://www.nytimes.com/library/world/mideast/041600iran-cia-index.html

[teeda155]

If another country were doing this, we would call them "terrorist"! I am sooo angry.

Impeachment should begin today.

[LibRS]

Good lord. Grow up and live in the real world please.

[tommybones]

Seems to me he was acknowledging the real world... perhaps you should try it.

[EndAllWars]

And real world is what, where terrorism is OK if we conduct it?

[frl]

am listening to hersh on "fresh air" now... the administration (i.e. cheney) seem to think that they can provoke iran to do something against the u.s. (as in, kill americans) so that then there is a real reason to go to war with iran. these people are just sick... and the damn congress that we elected are even worse for allowing these criminals to get by with this stuff!!!

anyone on here feel as helpless/hopeless as i do??

[EndAllWars]

Why are we not in the streets protesting the policies that don't represent us as a people? Why are we allowing this country to run down the path to dictatorship under the guise of "defending' this country against the claimed countless enemies abroad?

Why do we have so many enemies? Why is it that most other Western democracies do no have this paranoid view of the world and aren't being attacked? If it's a reason other than an overly agressive and violent foreign policy and the gross abuse of the powers we have attained as a superpower I'd like to know.

[Soothsayer08]

On CNN Jack Cafferty's blog question today is...should we bomb Iran or let Israel do it? I can't believe how may idiots are in favor of the US bombing Iran. Did anyone stop to think of why the Neo Cons let the gas prices get so high. They think people will think it's okay to go into Iran for cheap gas, just like they thought the same about Iraq. Is there no thought of the people from these countries, we will pay for these crimes one day or either our kids and grandchildren will have to.

[EndAllWars]

Don't you love how we're given two choices to choose from, as though those are the only two choices?

It's akin to asking "Should we go outside and start shooting randomly or should we stay inside and shoot randomly?"

How about other choices: "Are our extremely myopic, aggressive, violent foreign policies helping our country or are they doing more to hurt us?"

[oregonrain]

I find the timing a bit odd. As it says in the article , the prez must inform congress . Now , congress is on yet ANOTHER break ! If there was a congress person that objected , i must have missed that bit of news .

[willfarnaby]

USA = apex cadre of gangsters and terrorists built atop a foundation of ignorant, oblivious, moronic slave-drones who represent a pathetic imitation of the informed, civilized citizenry required by any actual, functional democracy.

[Anne1776]

NO MORE WAR!
Here's the protest- July 4th, 12:00 p.m. Central Time. Meet 15 minutes before. Protests will be held at ALL state capitals. Meet before on the WEST side. Walk around the capital for an hour with signs and singing "Give peace a chance".

Protests will also take place in large cities- Dallas, Houston, Miami, Las Vegas, Las Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, New York City, Boston. These meetings will be at the COUNTY courthouses. IF the county has more than one courthouse, meet on the West side of the CRIMINAL courthouse. Because it would be CRIMINAL to go to war with Iran!

If you can get a group together in smaller cities, DO IT!

NO WAR WITH IRAN!

[jtmoney]

Are any of you really suprised by this? I'm only suprised it took this long for this to come out.

[syllepsis]

Pure, unadulterated stupidity here, if not treason.
read this:
"The story of how Al Qaeda, whose name is Arabic for “the base,” has gained a new haven is in part a story of American accommodation to President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan, whose advisers played down the terrorist threat. It is also a story of how the White House shifted its sights, beginning in 2002, from counterterrorism efforts in Afghanistan and Pakistan to preparations for the war in Iraq. "
And this:

"But while Mr. Bush vowed early on that Mr. bin Laden would be captured “dead or alive,” the moment in late 2001 when Mr. bin Laden and his followers escaped at Tora Bora was almost certainly the last time the Qaeda leader was in American sights, current and former intelligence officials say. Leading terrorism experts have warned that it is only a matter of time before a major terrorist attack planned in the mountains of Pakistan is carried out on American soil. "

No, let's be traitors and terrorist-enablers, and topple Iran al Qaeda-style. If this is not impeachable, what in God's name is?
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/30/washington/30tribal.html

[WhimseyKate]

This is getting old: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result." The pattern of this path to war is a copy of the tactics used to get us into the mess in Iraq. Manipulated intelligence is being fed to congress, who for political reasons, have been cowed into giving the admin. what it demands. We're going to let two oilmen get us into another shooting war in an oil-rich nation for purely political and economic reasons, unless the American public says "Stop!" Do we never learn?

[syllepsis]

Congress is only too happy to sign its prerogatives away. Why this should be defies reason. Read David Bromwich's essay on HP for the most plausible theory.
The other theory is that they are being blackmailed, or are actually complicit. I can only wonder WHAT they being blackmailed with. After all, Larry Craig and David Vitter are still in the Senate, while Eliot Spitzer-

Ah, I see.

[Soothsayer08]

I think it's the threat of Anthrax. Remember it was only Dems who were victims? Maybe they have been warned.