How a Shady Iranian Kept the Pentagon's Ear (NYT)

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/07/politics/07INTE.html?ex=1071378000&en=ab097cfba755cd85&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

When clandestine meetings between Pentagon officials and Iranian dissidents were first revealed last summer, the Bush administration played down the importance of the contacts, particularly with one participant — a discredited Iranian deal maker who had played a role in the Iran-contra affair in the late 1980's.

But now officials say the initial meeting with the Iranians was organized with the knowledge of a top national security adviser to President Bush, who also informed George J. Tenet, the director of central intelligence, and Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage.

The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is examining the December 2001 and June 2002 meetings, which were initiated by Manucher Ghorbanifar, an Iranian who acted as a middleman in the Iran-contra affair during the Reagan administration and was long ago labeled a fabricator by American intelligence officials. One important question is whether any senior administration officials were aware of his involvement before the meetings.

Stephen J. Hadley, Mr. Bush's deputy national security adviser, raised no objection when Pentagon officials told him of plans to meet with the Iranians in late 2001, several officials said. A senior administration official familiar with Mr. Hadley's version of events said Mr. Hadley did not remember being told that Mr. Ghorbanifar would be at the meeting.

<snip>
Geez, we're living in a strange land today.

[pinto]

1. stranger and stranger, contact may be Feith, see:

http://www.why-war.com/news/2003/08/08/secretta.html

and of all places

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/10/10/2003/213705.shtml

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

2. Good story from the why war site...

loved the point "you would have thought they learned the last time around."

The Newsmax link didn't work for me though. That's probably a good thing. :toast:

[pinto]

3. Didn't work for me either on repeat, but

you get the drift. Kay's in the Newsmax article.

[DoctorMyEyes]

4. Why not?

We've got all the same players from the Iran-Contra affair era back together in the Bush II administration. If it weren't so dangerous it would almost be laughable.

A reunion of dusty old "masters of the universe" in a new century, with the same plot, the same bit players.... Oh Glory Days and fresh blood!

God Save America