6 Weeks Ago-Bush Signed Secret Order Authorizing COVERT Offensive Against Iran

[kpete]

A CounterPunch Exclusive
Democrats Okay Funds for Covert Ops
Secret Bush "Finding" Widens War on Iran
By ANDREW COCKBURN

Six weeks ago, President Bush signed a secret finding authorizing a covert offensive against the Iranian regime that, according to those familiar with its contents, "unprecedented in its scope."

Bush’s secret directive covers actions across a huge geographic area – from Lebanon to Afghanistan – but is also far more sweeping in the type of actions permitted under its guidelines – up to and including the assassination of targeted officials. This widened scope clears the way, for example, for full support for the military arm of Mujahedin-e Khalq, the cultish Iranian opposition group, despite its enduring position on the State Department's list of terrorist groups.

more at:
http://www.counterpunch.org/andrew05022008.html

[spanone]

1. k&r

[williesgirl]

2. Someone needs to stop these madmen and NOW. rec'd

[DS1]

3. and 20 years from now we'll be bombing the Mujahedin-e Khalq

in Iran and Iraq

[Tangerine LaBamba]

4. I've had this horrible feeling for months

that Fuckface is going to pull something in Iran and then prance out of office.

After all, that's what his old man did with Somalia.

[maxpower]

17. Spot on

I've had the same feeling

[Plucketeer]

42. Hell!

He's been telling us as much thru the last year or so. Dropping less than subtle clues to establish a rationale. And Admiral Fallon didn't just walk out for nothing. He walked out because he was worried about how he'd be judged if he was complicit in adding the final screws to the coffin the US Military machine will be put to rest in after it's collapse!
ANOTHER war, and Hawk-head McCain ready to step up and take the colors. It's GOTTA be the only strategy the GOP has to hold onto one branch of government. :grr:

[chill_wind]

5. UP! n/t

[bleever]

6. Everything is under the table, outside the law, or in the shadows.

K&R.

[ben_meyers]

7. Who are the Democrats that supported this?

FTA

All this costs money, which in turn must be authorized by Congress, or at least a by few witting members of the intelligence committees. That has not proved a problem. An initial outlay of $300 million to finance implementation of the finding has been swiftly approved with bipartisan support, apparently regardless of the unpopularity of the current war and the perilous condition of the U.S. economy.

How reliable is Andrew and counterpunch? I just can't imagine how the Democrats could go along with this, and then to keep it secret for 6 weeks.

I ain't buying it.

[Preston120]

8. I understand it is the same folks would wanted TeleCom Immunity.

[drm604]

23. I have the same question.

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if they tried something like this, but how reliable is this story? What are his sources for this information?

[BlueCaliDem]

38. Would funding be included in the Kyl/Lieberman Amendment Hillary voted for? eom

[siligut]

9. Search inside; how do we stop these gangsters?

Iran has always been on the radar. Rather than allow an oil-free energy to develop, the PNC made a plan to obtain more oil. They are all about the money. I wish there was a god, and a hell for those who would sell our existence, but I know better.

[SC-Texas]

46. Iran

A covert interdiction is bad why?

The cold war was conducted with covert operations. It kept us out of bad places and out of overt shooting wars for the most part.

[AzDar]

10. K & R...

:puke:

[wildbilln864]

11. k&r! nt

[donheld]

12. K & R too

[calimary]

13. More sneaky shit from a VERY sneaky shit.

I just heard Ed Rollins on a CNN repeat say "this presidency is finished." We can only hope. Not soon enough for me, though.

[defendandprotect]

33. "this presidency is finished" . . ..

I also thought Ed Rollins was finished -- ?

[calimary]

43. Ain't that the truth? His glory days are, thankfully, FAR behind him.

Unfortunately the rest of us are still picking up the pieces. Bastards sure can do damage.

[file83]

14. Yeah, but with Bush and what Army?

Folks, this is just Bush trying to make himself feel important during a very depressing time in his life. His moment in history is coming to a close, but under a very disappointing cloud of failure.

He's signing shit like this to make himself feel important, but he couldn't start any sort of military campaign "from Lebanon to Afghanistan" if he tried. There simply isn't enough military left to do anything like that - not with out a draft. And as far as I know, there is no draft right now.

Short of that, this is just Bush's pipe dream to drown his blues in becoming the biggest failure in the history of American Presidents.

[immoderate]

16. Well, he could lob a few bombs...

or send some cruise missiles, and leve the mess for the next president to deal with. :scared:

--IMM

[skepticscott]

28. I've always suspected

That Shrubbie has been dying for any excuse to lay a nuke on somebody, somewhere. I think he hates the fact that Truman is the only president who's done it, and wants to add that to HIS resume. It would be like a permanent dose of Viagra for the rest of his life.

[immoderate]

44. Yup, it's hard to overestimate his sickness.

His notion of power is violence.

--IMM

[bananas]

27. "including the assassination of targeted officials"

He doesn't need an army for that.

[defendandprotect]

32. What about privatizing more troops -- who's even monitoring all that s---?

Halliburton/Blackwater . . . expanding?

[denem]

41. "history is coming to a close, but under a very disappointing cloud of failure".

It's not clouds of failure I'm worried about it. More like the "totally obliterate" variety.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

15. Kicking

because it is very important -

My husband and I were talking about this yesterday and am happy to find this post today.

Thanks Kpete :hi:

[pleah]

18. k&r We are soooo fucked.

[Cleita]

19. So now can we arrest him for treason?

Only Congress shall declare war according to the Constitution, which he swore an oath to uphold.

[ben_meyers]

25. You mean the same Congress that approved

the initial 300 million to implement this plan? Might have to arrest them all.

[Cleita]

29. Well, many of them. At least they should be investigated.

However, with our judicial system in tatters, I don't know who will have the patriotism and courage to initialize what should amount to bringing all these criminals in government to justice.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

20. Leading us to our mutually assured destruction. F'n tyrants in the WH.

[BlueJac]

21. Throw the fucker in prison, he is a fool.

[TomClash]

22. LOL - this is not new nt

[liberal N proud]

24. And Nancy Pelosi is doing commercials at the beach

:nuke:

[ekwhite]

26. This is just like the bombing of Cambodia and the secret war in Laos

all over again, except dumber and with even more potential for disaster. The Bush administration appears to be determined to start another war before the November election.

[Cleita]

30. I'm reading "Reasons of State" by Noam Choamsky.

It was first published in 1970 about the Vietnam War. Chomsky dissects the Pentagon papers and tries to find out what's true and what's official lies. I haven't even finished the first chapter yet and it seems like this is the playbook that is being used to get us into this Middle East mess. Yes, Iran and Syria can be our new Cambodia and Laos.

[defendandprotect]

34. Bush has been trying to get Israel to attack Syria for two years!

As far as I can see our right-wing armed their right-wing and we've owned Israel for quite some
time now . . . !!! Our roadway into the Middle East ---

[defendandprotect]

37. The thing that really worries me about this is that it's close to election time . . .

[bhikkhu]

31. So if anyone is wondering why their Government seems defensive...

or not too pliable or tolerant, its because we have an active covert war underway.

Poppy must be proud.

[defendandprotect]

35. Push & Rec

[Olney Blue]

36. Here we go....

[bluerum]

39. This of course, is how the US went after Saddam initially. By trying to

encourage an inside job.

[Turner Ashby]

40. I'm wondering.

If covert operators were caught (that would be our Delta Troops) would the Geneva Convention apply, or would they be detainees, subject to OUR new rules of waterboarding, and trial by ambush with the death penalty applied. After all, Iran could point to the US as setting the standard. I doubt they would be dressed in military garb.

[EFerrari]

45. Kick