FULL TEXT OF HERSCH'S IRAN MISSIONS STORY NOW AVAILABLE

[Nothing Without Hope]

Previously, this information was available only as reports by other reporters who got an advance copy, discussed in at least 3 DU threads (each with some great comments), the first of which is currently on the DU home page:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1156226

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=2959361#2961318

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2959536#2959584

and in Hersch inverviews. Video to one was posted here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1499590

Now you can read the full text of the complete Seymour Hersch New Yorker article, which has just been posted:

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, EMAIL NOW AND DON'T STOP DOING IT!! BUSH MUST BE STOPPED. PRESSURE CONGRESS AND SPREAD THE WORD. THE UNCONSTITUTIONAL LAW THAT GAVE BUSH THE "RIGHT" TO USURP CONGRESS'S POSITION AS THE SOLE BODY TO DECLARE WAR MUST BE SET ASIDE BY COURT CHALLENGE AND/OR REPEAL IMMEDIATELY!!!!

[leftchick]

1. Forward to Dems on the Senate Intelligence Committee!

Thank you for the link!

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. cynic in the room

like they care? I have made repeated references to PNAC in correspondence and they still act like they are ignorant of it

[Nothing Without Hope]

5. Forward to the Repubs too!!!

The response to this must involve both Dems and Repubs. The law that transferred to Bush the power to declare war without the assent of Congress is clearly, fundamentally unconstitutional. The constitution was written that way very carefully to avoid exactly what we now have: a situation where the President can wage his own wars on his whim without any control whatsoever.

Bush is insane -- literally -- and apparently his neocon handlers are as well. If this is not stopped we are headed for nuclear war.

[Dudley_DUright]

3. Thanks NWH

I wanted to read this ASAP (and now thanks to you I can).

[Emillereid]

4. 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.

[Nothing Without Hope]

7. I think Hersch is right - here's why

First, I believe these intelligence people are coming forward because they see this as their only option to get this insanity stopped. They are risking a great deal to do this.

Second, Hersch has a good record on breaking stories like this. He broke the Abu Ghraib scandal and continued to add more evidence with time while the administration was still pushing the "few bad apples" story (which many Americans, sadly, still believe). It was a similar situation -- insiders stepping forward because their sense of the importance of exposing the situation was stronger than their fear of reprisal.

Third, comments in one of the discussion threads of the DU posts of this story (when it was still a report about a report) -- I believe it was the second thread I linked to in my initial post -- directly supported the story by stating that millitary people had said that they would be going into Iran on a mission. It's worth reading all the comments in each of the other threads.

I do believe additional confirmation will be coming out now that the story has broken. There are a lot of people in the government with access to the information who have been hesitating to come forward that now will be encouraged to do so.

[democracyindanger]

18. Academic, or proven investigative reporter?

I'll go with the proven investigative reporter. Further, many of the leaks are from intelligence people who have recently left the CIA during Porter Goss' political purge.

And using Chomsky's logic, could it be that Chomsky is unwittingly aiding the administration by pooh-poohing Hersch's story?

[earthside]

6. Incredibly Important

Besides the promise of more and more war, the startling item in this Hersh article is that the GOPentagon is going to do (or has done) all covert operations. Hersh says that it is a deliberate Bush strategy to hollow-out the CIA, making it mostly a political propaganda tool. Spying and special covert operations against other countries will henceforth be done by the military at Rumsfeld's direction.

This, they (the radical Republicans and neocons) will argue means NO Congressional oversight! This is totalitarian rule. It means NO accountablity to the citizens in our "representative democracy".

Couple the revelations in this article with Bush's statement to the Washington Post this weekend that since he won, it means he made no mistakes ... in otherwords, he is infallible like a god. We are in for a very rough ride ... and it means our republic is long gone.

[Nothing Without Hope]

8. Please keep this kicked! n/t

[Rex]

9. To late

Our days as a republic are coming to a close.

[Nothing Without Hope]

10. Definitely true if enough people believe it is "too late" to oppose n/t

[Rex]

16. There are many ways to oppose those in power

The way you have faith in will never work. It is far to late for the pen.

[robertpaulsen]

11. Kicked and bookmarked.

:kick:

[Nothing Without Hope]

12. .

[Nothing Without Hope]

13. another kick - everyone should read the entire Hersh story n/t

[alexisfree]

14. kick

[poe]

15. Multi-billion dollar energy deals involving Iran, India, Russia and China

"India's just concluded $40 billion deal with Iran is a good starting point...."

"Iran holds 30 percent of it's oilfield while China, which operates Yadavaran, will retain it's existing 50% share along with participation in projects such as exploration and drilling."

"China and Iran's $100 billion deal signed last March is likely to increase by another $50 billion to $100 billion."

"For the US the Iran-China energy cooperation, the Iran-India deal and the Iran-Russia possibilities should be an ominous sign of emerging new trends with broad political implications...."
To read short article go to www.energybulletin.net/4050html

Prediction:US or Israel,if behind the scenes pressures don't work out, will work to either sabotage pipelines and/or bomb Irani infrastructure i.e. electric grids, water facilities, granaries etc. Same old song. Wall $treet's nervous.

[Nothing Without Hope]

17. Why Bush and his handlers think invading Iran will be no biggie

is beyond me. This isn't Saddam hiding in the corner with his safely nonexistent WMDs. This is Iran, which can defend itself and has alllies that will not stand by and let it be bombed pre-emptively by B*.

B* and his enablers are INSANE, truly INSANE. This MUST be stopped.