Official Version of Naval Incident Starts to Unravel
WASHINGTON - Despite the official and media portrayal of the incident in the Strait of Hormuz early Monday morning as a serious threat to U.S. ships from Iranian speedboats that nearly resulted in a “battle at sea”, new information over the past three days suggests that the incident did not involve such a threat and that no U.S. commander was on the verge of firing at the Iranian boats.
The new information that appears to contradict the original version of the incident includes the revelation that U.S. officials spliced the audio recording of an alleged Iranian threat onto to a videotape of the incident. That suggests that the threatening message may not have come in immediately after the initial warning to Iranian boats from a U.S. warship, as appears to do on the video.
Also unraveling the story is testimony from a former U.S. naval officer that non-official chatter is common on the channel used to communicate with the Iranian boats and testimony from the commander of the U.S. 5th fleet that the commanding officers of the U.S. warships involved in the incident never felt the need to warn the Iranians of a possible use of force against them.
Further undermining the U.S. version of the incident is a video released by Iran Thursday showing an Iranian naval officer on a small boat hailing one of three ships.
The Iranian commander is heard to say, “Coalition warship 73, this is Iranian navy patrol boat.” He then requests the “side numbers” of the U.S. warships. A voice with a U.S. accent replies, “This is coalition warship 73. I am operating in international waters.”
The dramatic version of the incident reported by U.S. news media throughout Tuesday and Wednesday suggested that Iranian speedboats, apparently belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard navy, had made moves to attack three U.S. warships entering the Strait and that the U.S. commander had been on the verge of firing at them when they broke off.
Typical of the network coverage was a story by ABC’s Jonathan Karl quoting a Pentagon official as saying the Iranian boats “were a heartbeat from being blown up”.
Bush administration officials seized on the incident to advance the portrayal of Iran as a threat and to strike a more threatening stance toward Iran. National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley declared Wednesday that the incident “almost involved an exchange of fire between our forces and Iranian forces”. President George W. Bush declared during his Mideast trip Wednesday that there would be “serious consequences” if Iran attacked U.S. ships and repeated his assertion that Iran is “a threat to world peace”.
Central to the depiction of the incident as involving a threat to U.S. warships is a mysterious pair of messages that the sailor who heard them onboard immediately interpreted as saying, “I am coming at you…”, and “You will explode after a few minutes.” But the voice in the audio clearly said “I am coming to you,” and the second message was much less clear.
Furthermore, as the New York Times noted Thursday, the recording carries no ambient noise, such as the sounds of a motor, the sea or wind, which should have been audible if the broadcast had been made from one of the five small Iranian boats.
A veteran U.S. naval officer who had served as a surface warfare officer aboard a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Gulf sent a message to the New York Times on-line column “The Lede” Wednesday pointing out that in the Persian Gulf, the “bridge-to-bridge” radio channel used to communicate between ships “is like a bad CB radio” with many people using it for “hurling racial slurs” and “threats”. The former officer wrote that his “first thought” was that the message “might not have even come from one of the Iranian craft”.
Pentagon officials admitted to the Times that they could not rule out that the broadcast might have come from another source
The five Iran boats involved were hardly in a position to harm the three U.S. warships. Although Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman described the Iranian boats as “highly maneuverable patrol craft” that were “visibly armed,” he failed to note that these are tiny boats carrying only a two- or three-man crew and that they are normally armed only with machine guns that could do only surface damage to a U.S. ship.
The only boat that was close enough to be visible to the U.S. ships was unarmed, as an enlarged photo of the boat from the navy video clearly shows.
The U.S. warships were not concerned about the possibility that the Iranian boats were armed with heavier weapons capable of doing serious damage. Asked by a reporter whether any of the vessels had anti-ship missiles or torpedoes, Vice Adm. Kevin Cosgriff, Commander of the 5th Fleet, answered that none of them had either of those two weapons.
“I didn’t get the sense from the reports I was receiving that there was a sense of being afraid of these five boats,” said Cosgriff.
The edited Navy video shows a crewman issuing an initial warning to approaching boats, but the footage of the boats maneuvering provides no visual evidence of Iranian boats “making a run on U.S. ships” as claimed by CBS news Wednesday in its report based on the new video.
Vice Adm. Cosgriff also failed to claim any run toward the U.S. ships following the initial warning. Cosgriff suggested that the Iranian boat’s manoeuvres were “unduly provocative” only because of the “aggregate of their manoeuvres, the radio call and the dropping of objects in the water”.
He described the objects dropped by the Iranian boat as being “white, box-like objects that floated”. That description indicates that the objects were clearly not mines, which would have been dark and would have sunk immediately. Cosgriff indicated that the ships merely “passed by them safely” without bothering to investigate whether they were explosives of some kind.
The apparent absence of concern on the part of the U.S. ships’ commanding officers about the floating objects suggests that they recognised that the Iranians were engaging in a symbolic gesture having to do with laying mines.
Cosgriff’s answers to reporters’ questions indicated that the story promoted earlier by Pentagon officials that one of the U.S . ships came very close to firing at the Iranian boats seriously distorted what actually happened. When Cosgriff was asked whether the crew ever gave warning to the Iranian boats that they “could come under fire”, he said the commanding officers “did not believe they needed to fire warning shots”.
As for the report circulated by at least one Pentagon official to the media that one of the commanders was “close to firing”, Cosgriff explained that “close to” meant that the commander was “working through a series of procedures”. He added, “[I]n his mind, he might have been closing in on that point.”
Despite Cosgriff’s account, which contradicted earlier Pentagon portrayals of the incident as a confrontation, not a single news outlet modified its earlier characterisation of the incident. After the Cosgriff briefing, Associated Press carried a story that said, ” U.S. forces were taking steps toward firing on the Iranians to defend themselves, said the U.S. naval commander in the region. But the boats — believed to be from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s navy — turned and moved away, officials said.”
That was quite different from what Cosgriff actually said.
In its story covering the Cosgriff briefing, Reuters cited “other Pentagon officials, speaking on condition of anonymity” as saying that “a U.S. captain was in the process of ordering sailors to open fire when the Iranian boats moved away” — a story that Cosgriff had specifically denied.
Gareth Porter is an historian and national security policy analyst. His latest book, “Perils of Dominance: Imbalance of Power and the Road to War in Vietnam“, was published in June 2005.
© 2008 Inter Press Service
Sounds SO much like a replay of the Gulf of Tonkin event that LBJ used to take us into Vietnam….eery.
And impeachment remains “off the table”… What ARE the Democrats thinking? One more year of this administration allows them continued “opportunities” to lead us again into the so-called preemptive war scenario that this easily could have been.
IMPEACH NOW.////
This should be the number 1 story in the nation, especially as it comes on the heels of the revelation concerning the hoax that was the Gulf of Tonkin incident.
It is critical that all of us should inundate the broadcast networks and demand they correct the impression left by the earlier stories. It is true that they don’t respond to a few - but if a few hundred thousand started raising hell they would listen - and respond - and that is what it is going to take - THE PEOPLE - getting off their asses, shaking off the apathy, avoiding the consumer-driven machine that controls us all, and start raising some serious hell (legal and constitutionally protected hell, of course).
Unraveling? In whose mind? 3 Billion people were fed the initial hype, a few million may dig deep enough to find these factoids that get in the way. The original official version is the seed that got planted in most people’s minds.
Remember the one about the Lobster and the Pot of Water?
What are we going to do about this? If we are sworn to fight terrorists then the Bush administration needs to be removed immediately before they can take more innocent lives. Bush is a mass murderer of Americans - much worse than Osama bin Laden or any other threat. Bush, Cheyney and the other “evil doers” involved need to be arrested and tried now. It is our responsibility to do this - our elected officials have become a rogue government that is terrorizing its citizens as well as the world. The military and other govt. branches need to refuse service to these madmen. True patriots need to take our country back before it’s too late.
If we can only survive until 20 January 2009
How many more lives will waiting cost - won’t that make us equally responsible.
It appears that the Navy is actively debunking the Pentagon. This is a good sign. Professional Armed Services Vs Cheney Politik. It looks like the Services are containing Cheney.
One more thing I can say about the voice broadcast on the video is that it sounded with heavy Arabic accent rather than Persian accent. It is very probable that the message was picked up from an Arab broadcaster.
This year America and the world will live on tender hooks as the war-mongers desperately try to start another shooting war.
By leaving Cheney unfettered to continue his arsonistic attempts to ignite the world the Democratic Party shows that it has the moral fiber of a drunken babysitter.
It’s pretty clear what the administration is requiring of the networks (propaganda, basically) in exchange for the favorable rules that have been given to them by the FCC during Bush’s reign of terror.
The U.S. Navy immage seems to show two guys bouncing around in an outboard. If that ‘terrifies’ the commander of our nuclear armed heavy cruser then we need to change the ex officer.
What’s it going to take for Congress to act and impeach these lying bastards. Are they going to sit around and wait for them to start another bloody and endless war with Iran.
Congress is just as much fault as Bush and Company. They should be going to the press and stating loud and clear that this too is just another Bush/Cheny lie to try to get us into a war with Iran. Pelosi and Reid disgust me, I hope they both sleep well knowing that they are enabling the Bush and Company to add a few hundred thousand Iranian deaths to the few hundred thousand Iraqi’s that they have slaughtered in Iraq for their own enrichment.
Borat says: ” I am coming at you! You will exploooode.” Scary stuff, eh?
Come on guys, can’t you come up with something better than some Borat fake vaguely middle eastern accent? LOL
EXPLOOOODE.
Can someone please tell me again why we are not spending time impeaching this son of a bitch and his sheepish adherents? If they are willing to let the Navy look like idiots so that we can enter WWIII, who is to say they will not do everything in their power to halt the elections too?
I would much rather “waste” taxpayer money and the time of legislators with impeachment proceedings than let these bastards continue on with business as usual. It’s time we wake up.
It was an American trying to imitate an Iranian accent. I know both of these accents very well, and if you listen to “explode”, you will hear a definite American “o” twang coming through. In any case, it was not said with a true Iranian accent.
This is the real scoop about the white boxes from Sexy Press:
Two US sailors were talking about their girl friends when one of them remarked,” I really like to get into her box.”
The Iranians on speedboats who were listening in on the conversation, and whose English knowledge was insufficient to grasp the actual meaning, thought the sailor needed some white boxes to get into. Out of kindness, they then dropped some white boxes in their direction in the water.
What’s the big deal? Its not like World War 3 could start because of it!
“Mayor Quimby believes in revolving door prisons. Mayor Quimby even released Sideshow Bob, twice convicted of attempted murder. Do we really want a mayor like Quimby? Vote Sideshow Bob for mayor.”
Perhaps the white boxes contained tea and they were reenacting the Boston Tea Party. Or, it was a gesture of peace/piece for the sadly ignorant American sailors. Too bad No Child Left Behind left these poor ignoramuses behind. I received a “free education” from public schools, but that was in the 50s and early 60s.
peace,
st john
The ‘heavily accented’ voice issuing menacing threats was probably Israeli. Another psy-ops for mass murder. Israelis and their allies in the US administration do not tolerate obstacles - including patriotic US Naval officials who expose their hoaxes. There are a few clear heads remaining in the upper eschelons of the US Armed Forces which have managed to escape the earlier purges of the Rumsfeld-OSP-Wolfowitz-Feith cabal. Admiral Fallon and other like-minded American officers should have their drivers check their cars before starting the engines - the mafia that took us to war in Iraq and is pushing for war with Iran can get very rough. It is disgusting to have this played out again and again and again. They will never be satisfied until they have destroyed all independent nations in the Middle East using American manpower and treasure - and destroying the US economy and Bill of Rights in the process.
I think a played with a plastic model version of the Iranian speedboats when I was a kid playing in the tub.
I would usually sink them with a soaking wet washrag.
However, I had to use the local pond in order to play with my much larger US Navy ships.
Those babies would only sink if me and my friends used high explosive firecrackers (zebras or cherry bombs).
Even as kids, we knew that our little plastic boats were not on the same defensive (or offensive)levels as our big boats.
If any kid was told by an adult that the little boats would be stupid enough to get near enough to sink a big boat, we would have laughed while throwing a lit cherry bomb at the guy.
I could be wrong (not) but the purpose of this hoax was so Bush could use this lie as an excuse for the fact that his empty try for an Israel/Palestine peace is just to try and improve his war crime record.
Since Iran likes Hamas, his warning in Israel is a message that Gaza will remain left out of the phony peace process… Israel and Fata will gladly accept the US money like all CIA stooges of the past and present and smile for the cameras.
Bush and Israel’s idea of Democracy for Palestine is a one party deal (Fata) with the winners of the election, Hamas left out so that the Racket of War continues…
The way to win wars in our New Age is to End Wars… that is a Win/Win
Does this all make sense now?
One of the reasons put forth for not impeaching these bastards is that it would “distract from the important work Congress needs to be doing.” Just what important work has Congress done in the time it has not spent on impeachment?
Interesting that the ones trying to stop Bush/Cheney from starting another war are the patriotic professionals in the intelligence community and the armed forces. Two institutions that never rank very high among Progressives.
Thanks be to them.
I don’t expect that Congress will impeach. It’s an election year you know, and that would be divisive. More proof, if any were needed, that Congress, and the Democratic Party in particular, are useless.
Here is the video from the Iran Navy. Wise of them to be taping events as they occur.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lR4ewqxMAb0
I wonder where the navy ships get their fuel and how they pay. Pretty soon it seems the US dollar isn’t going to buy much if things don’t change soon.
Ken
P.S. Jim Glover — Win/Win —- imagine that!!!!
At least our MSM (evening news) not only broadcast the first U.S. Government tapes, but also broadcast the competing Iranian version within a couple of days. As of now, the American people are not going to buy this odd incident as a singularly sufficient excuse for anything over-reaching. We’d have to see similar things happen again in subsequent incidents, which are probably unlikely.
Meanwhile, IF this thing was an intentional administration hoax, it would be truly GREAT to get it exposed as such. But it takes more than the Iranians’ word to be “exposure”. We would need some whistle blowers here. Hard to find those? Yes, very hard.
All the official version did was give Cheney a premature ejaculation…..
I agree with Big Money. (Wow, I’ve never said that before)
The first propaganda is widespread. The truth dribbles out slowly and on the back pages, and it’s never really tied to the original Big Lie.
Remember when the Navy shot down the Iranian civilian airliner, killing 367 people? The first story was that the civilian airliner was attacking the ship. Just as stupid as that these motorboats could attack a warship, but that was their story and they stuck to it. For a few days. Then the truth dribbled out.
However, George HW Bush, who was in office at the time, said, “I will never apologize for the United States of America”
Being an empire means never having to say you’re sorry.
I am so sick of this b.s. and the endless fear-based messages that governmnet and power structures endlessly use to get everyday people to align and huddle and react, react, react and divert us from REAL needs and services that have been abandoned.
It’s all a “death focus” in the midst of “life” that needs real tending.
The real wolf at the door is environmental shifts — the need for education, housing and health care — and a national/community cookie jar that is just about empty.
I am not moved by this modern day “Bay of Tonkin” ploy. It’s sick and serves nothing other than the disgusting crew of a few greedy people who stand to capitalize.
Can you say “Tonkin Gulf,” boys and girls?
I knew that you could.
Liberty & Justice,
SJ
www.spartacusjones.com
The US has landed special ops in Iran at least 2 years back, Flown drones over Iranian air space. Can you you say acts of war?
It’s Battleship Potemkin time!
What are the good things that have come from the US of A’s military actions of late. Here is my list:
1. …..
What are the good things that the US of A’s federal government has contributed to the rest of the world lately. Here is my list:
1. …..
What are the good things that the US of A’s federal government has done for its owns citizens (all of us) of late. Here is my list:
1. …..
Oh forget it, I’m stymied. You know, the federal government in the land of DC where there seems to be no integrity, is like a bad movie. Here are the players: the loony deranged executives, the do-nothing congress, the fading justice, the repugnant repugs, the shamful dims, the licking lobbyist, and the hopeless handlers. What a bad joke DC has become….bad for all of us seems to me.
I think I’ll go check out the discussion on altruism. Much more uplifting.
Watch ‘The Secret’ my friends. Watch ‘The Secret’.
It is all about the ‘Law of Attraction’.
Let me start to visualize:
All Troops are coming home. Over the water, through the
air and over land. They all go home to the ones they love
and where they are loved.
Bush et al will be brought to justice. I can see him behind bars
already. The people will wake up from a deep sleep to find out
that there is enough of everything for all of us. All over sudden
the whole world rejoices and decides it is time to use all the
money allocated to military for the health and wealth of the
people.
Dennis Kucinich will be the next president of the United States
Of America, creating a ‘New American Spirit’ that engulfs all
fellow living beings with love and respect.
That we manage to tap into the methane and invent a highest
compression ‘combuster’ that delivers clean energy for free.
Mother Earth will be pampered and nourished, for it is the only
one we have.
I refuse to dive back into the negativity that has taken control
over us. We are free and wonderful beings, not the other way
around.
Just watch it if You haven’t seen it already and let’s make this
wonderful planet the nicest Blue Gem in the whole Universe.
After viewing the Iranian video, it’s clear the USG is lying about the incident, as I first thought. The key is to look at the 5″ guns on the DDGs as they never train on the “threatening” boats. If any threat was sensed, you can bet your booty those guns would be pointed directly at the Iranian camera. Further, when the camera zooms-out, the distance involved becomes clear–about a half-mile of separation–and nothing enters the water.
The whole event shows the world the USG cannot be trusted on any level, and that it certainly does NOT want to advance the cause of peace in the Middle East–the purported reason for Bush’s junket.
As an American Citizen, I am deeply disturbed that my instant reaction to reports such as these are disbelief……. and that this disbelief is supported by good cause again and again. Just last night I was discussing this with a girlfriend who takes her news from TV…..I don’t have a TV…… and I never have had one……Not only is the programming abominable, but as I have repeatedly pointed out, the news is nothing short of propaganda. My conclusion was that while this seemed a highly improbable incident….that any responsible captain after the Cole incident would fire long before boats that were behaving in a threatening manner reached the ranges described…… and my gut reaction was that the incident was probably fabricated……including the video footage…… The chance of carrying something like this off was poor considering the hundreds of sailors on board. Were I a soldier or a sailor…… ordered to keep silent about a fabricated incident, I would consider it my duty to my fellow Americans….. a part of protecting the “constitution” to blow the whistle and blow it loudly!! …….. But perhaps that’s why I wouldn’t have made a good soldier. It seemed highly improbable that there could be an expectation that a few hundred servicemen could be counted on to cover up, so a deception would be incredibly stupid…… But the questions remained…. the lingering feeling of improbability. Have we forgotten Jessica Lynch?? (An American Hero for speaking truth when it was decidedly NOT in her interest BRAVO JESSICA!!!)
Today I find my suspicions confirmed…… and it gives me NO satisfaction…… I look forward to the day when I can listen to what my “leaders” say, and what the news reports……and NOT feel distrustful and sceptical. I understand clearly how the Soviet citizens felt when listening to the reports of such “news” organs as Fox….Oops… I meant to say Pravda.
Howard Wilkinson (not feeling proud of my country these days)
Stonetool January 11th, 2008 2:55 pm Please do not hold your breath waiting for that day. And do not depend upon the sailors or soldiers to drop a dime. They are under incredible pressure. Take the US Liberty for example. Only now are the sailors speaking out and telling the truth.
Anyone report any UFOs durng that dangerous “incindent”?
I thought the whole thing looked hokey from jump street too, and it’s good to see the real Navy professionals have the stones to counteract the Pentagon’s psy-ops propaganda. It was a tempest in a teapot. Unfortunately, few US cable TV viewers will catch the Navy’s corrective follow up. And it certainly was a needlessly dangerous tempest for the White House to brew up nonetheless.
On a related note, can anybody tell me (a former infantry grunt) why the United States Navy is identifying itself in international waters as something called “coalition forces” in the first place?
On the maps, it appears that the straits of Hormuz (where all parties agree this incident happened) is over a thousand miles from Iraq and from Afghanistan, well south down the Arabian penninsula nearest the Emirates and Oman.
Since when did the United States Navy stop calling itself the United States Navy while on patrol in international waters?
Did the US ships mistake the approaching Iranian speedboats for lost Iraqi insurgents or rogue seafaring Taliban? I doubt it.
More likely, the Manichean mindset of the Bush regime has become standard operating protocol from the Hindu Kush sweeeping in a giant arc all the way west to the Kurdish border with Turkey. It’s all become just one big war zone, as far as Uncle Sam is concerned.
And if the locals can’t identify themselves promptly as part of the coalition forces when called upon to do so, they should expect to be perceived as a hostile threat, and expect to be portrayed as such, no matter what the true facts may be.
So much for neutrality.
Bill from Saginaw
Kem Patrick asks, “Anyone report any UFOs during that dangerous ‘incident’?” I think Dennis Kucinich did.
Greenerthanthou January 11th, 2008 2:06 pm:
“Remember when the Navy shot down the Iranian civilian airliner, killing 367 people?”
I remember seeing a video taken on the bridge of the ship that shot the airliner down. At first the bridge crew were jumping up and cheering when their missile hit the airbus. Minutes later when it became apparent that they had just killed hundreds of passengers and crew, they were silent with their heads bowed.
This author was on Democracy Now! this morning. So go to www.democracynow.org to hear or see the interview and discussion on this topic.
If something is announced by the Pentagon, I pretty much automatically dismiss it as BS unless and until there’s independent confirmation. Given the track record over at least the last decade, that’s a pretty safe policy. Usually it plays out like this where they have to scramble and take back the original announcement … for those few who pay attention. I’m sure lots just saw the initial report and won’t find out it was all just more BS.
The goal should be to get all American citizens trained to think that way.
I’m interested in the way the official story is being contradicted by various arms of government these days… in this case the Pentagon, but especially the CIA.
1. The CIA NIE release specifically contradicts the Bush narative.
2. The CIA reveals that Israel has nuclear weapons. (well known, but never officially admitted) - and this while Bush is in the Mideast.
3. CIA reveals that the Gulf of Tonkin was a hoax - (also well known, but released when this Iranian boat incident is in the news).
Any thoughts on this?
EXPLOOODE.
“Despite Cosgriff’s account, which contradicted earlier Pentagon portrayals of the incident as a confrontation, not a single news outlet modified its earlier characterisation of the incident.”
For how much longer you want to blame everything on Bush and Cheney when it is the American media, especially the broadcast media which is systematically preparing the US public for another war, as they did so successfuly five years ago?
Any thoughts on how to deal with this enemy within?
The “threatening message” voice sounded like an Israeli accent.
All of this is trumped up and lies for the U.S. to try to justify another illegal attack on an oil-rich Muslim country that was and is no threat.
You don’t think Bush and Cheney got into office without the support of the American media, do ya?
Try this oldie-but-goodie about all the lies the media told about “Al Gore invented the internet” and all the other things for which the corporate media constantly attacked and ridiculed Al Gore about. Meanwhile, Bush’s ‘compassionate conservatism’ and his inability to name foreign leaders got mostly minimal coverage. It probably won’t be too hard to find someone in 1999 or 2000 telling us that knowing the name of the General who runs Pakistan was really not important and it wasn’t fair too even ask a Presidential candidate the question.
I know the Evilcrats try to constantly slam Bush and Cheney and act like they are the source of the problem. Its a part of their BS, because that leads to the belief that replacing Bush\Cheney with whomever the Evilcrats nominate will solve the problems. The key is, Bush\Cheney are just the faces that the real power in the country puts out there. Ya gotta understand that to know what’s going on.
Understand that, and its no surprise that Bush\Cheney get constant favorable media coverage from the early days of the election until now. Its because the writers\editors of the media and Bush\Cheney essentially all work for the same people.
I am heartened to read that more and more are immediately dismissing such stuff as this. The truth is that these sorts of staged incidents are , upon close examination and careful thought, clumsy and stupidly constructed.
Imagine three speedboats as a danger to three heavily armed and armored warships, despite the USS Cole incident this was not a ship anchored in port, but three at sea, with much rroom to manuever. What, I wonder, wouod be th ejustification for Iran to actually do such as this? Crazy, they are certainly not. Just as we now know they ceased their nuclear program in 2003, we should also know that the Bush administration is clumsy, incompetent, basically very stupid and is going away soon. I only hope that investigations into this administration continue to dig…..and bring to trial and convict as well.
The key is education. To me, the goal would be to have an announcement just like this one to be met with laughter and disbelief. We need to educate people not only that Bush\Cheney and the Pentagon all lie. But that the media we have in this country is absolutely not to be trusted.
No magic wand to do that all at once. Its a process you just keep banging away at, one contact at a time. So, if you know anyone who bought into this story the first day it came out, go back to them and point out the BS that they were conned into believing. Keep doing that until they know not to trust either the source of the lies nor the transmitters of the lies.
Do that well, and you knock a key leg out from the system. For example, the same media will usually slam a candidate they don’t like in the last day or so of an election. So late there’s no chance to respond. For us to win politically, its obviously much better for us if we’ve trained a sizeable part of the electorate to just laugh when they hear that crap too.
Ooops, meant to give a link to an old story about Al Gore and the media in 1999\2000.
http://www.consortiumnews.com/2000/020100a.html
CREDIBILITY…..CREDIBILITY……CREDIBILITY
When, in the course of human events, the Democrats fail to do the peoples business by impeaching this ENTIRE administration…… then let the last straw begin with them.
What nation has a prior history of tricking the US into killing its enemies?
How the Mossad Tricked US into Bombing Libya
The Other Side of Deception by Victor Ostrovsky
{p. 32} It seemed that the whole building was going berserk. Everybody and his dog were looking for information that could stop Jordan’s King Hussein’s efforts for a peace initiative. …
The American Jewish community was divided into a three-stage action team. First were the individual sayanim (if the situation had been reversed and the United States had convinced Americans working in Israel to work secretly on behalf of the United States, they would be treated as spies by the Israeli government). Then there was the large pro-Israeli lobby. It would mobilize the Jewish community in a forceful effort in whatever direction the Mossad pointed them. And last was B’nai Brith. Members of that organization could be relied on to make friends among non-Jews and tarnish as anti-Semitic whomever they couldn’t sway to the Israeli cause. With that sort of one-two-three tactic, there was no way we could strike out.
{p. 113} “It’s the old Trojan dick trick.” He lit a cigarette.
“What’s that?” I couldn’t help smiling; I’d never heard it called that before.
“I knew that would get your attention,” he said, grinning. “Shimon activated Operation Trojan in February of this year.” {the only Shimon in the index is Shimon Peres}
I nodded. I’d still been in the Mossad when that order was given, and because of my naval background and acquaintance with most of the commanders in the navy, I participated in the planning for the operation as liaison with the navy.
A Trojan was a special communication device that could be planted by naval commandos deep inside enemy territory. The device would act as a relay station for misleading transmissions made by the disinformation unit in the Mossad, called LAP {footnote: LAP: LohAma Psicologit. Psychological warfare, or, as it’s known in the West, disinformation}, and intended to be received by American and British listening stations. Originating from an IDF navy ship out at sea, the prerecorded digital transmissions could be picked up only by the Trojan. The device would then rebroadcast the transmission on another frequency, one used for official business in the enemy country, at which point the transmission would finally be picked up by American ears in Britain.
etc
http://www.the7thfire.com/new_world_order/zionism/mossad/how_the_mossad_tricked_US_into_bombing_Libya.htm
Bush’s legacy, moron, already is well known.
I, for one, was very disappointed that they weren’t cartoon drawings of boats attacking the Navy ships.
That the person who designed this provocation didn’t think the Iranians would have their own video equipment and thus the ability to refute the USG propaganda shows the ignorance and hubris of same USG.
Those U.S. Destroyers are huge and heavily armored. You can be sure they carry enough nukes to trigger Armageddon.
And they go like hell too. You would need a boat at least as good as the cigarette boat Rodney Dangerfield had in Caddyshack just to keep up with them. Those Iranian motorboats couldn’t even keep pace with those modern destroyers, let alone damage them.
Thenk Goodness for Common Dreams, Huffington Post is under the influence of Government Hackers. By the way Common Dreams, could you post more topics relavent to the economy, please and thank you.
To think that this encounter could have conceivably led us into WW III leaves one feeling numb.
In case you missed the Fox Republican debate from South Carolina last night (and I have a feeling most of you did), the question was posed to all the candidates as to whether or not they felt the proper action was taken to avoid a confrontation with the speed boaters.
You may have heard Huckabee’s, “If I were Commander in Chief and this incident occurred, those in the speedboats would be seeing the gates of Hell!” They all tripped over themselves agreeing that the commanders in charge reacted appropriately until it came time for Ron Paul to answer the question.
He was the only one who actually questioned the MSM’s account of what happened. To paraphrase him, “Heck, I’m already reading that the story we’ve gotten on this isn’t the way it happened at all!”
For God’s sake, isn’t there SOMEONE who can protect this planet from “accidental” incineration?
There won’t be a second chance to get it right. No Emily Litello’s to say, “Never mind.”
“National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley declared Wednesday that the incident “almost involved an exchange of fire between our forces and Iranian forces”.”
Where the hell is Howdy Doody when you need him?
If Stephen Hadley is any indication of how a Bush-appointed National Seucurity Advisor is going to respond to Iranian speedboats patrolling their own territory in the Strait of Hormuz, we had better count our blessings we are still alive!
To make matters worse, New Hamshirites voted for John McCain who wants to keep us fighting in the Middle East for the next “hundred years” or longer.
This mentality is positively frightening!
Umm ……… why would suicide boaters wear life jackets?
Thank god the almighty hairy one has determined that the world is in danger from three ragheads in a unarmed 19 foot BayLiner ski boat!
Holy Chit Bushmonkey!
You’ve unlocked another secret hiding place for WMD’s!
What a brilliant phucking president we have!
The incident in the strait of Huormuze is just the 1st in many steps that
is ultimatly going to lead to Bush resigning, Cheney taking over, suspending
the constitution and canceling the 2008 elections just like Musharrif
in Pakistan
US propaganda under suspicion of war neurosis! Video of alleged iranian provocation at Strait of Hor
1 comment
US propaganda under suspicion of war neurosis! Video of alleged iranian provocation at Strait of Hormuz… uhhhh so provocative, the distance of the speed boat to the US destroyer is so far, you might not even see them… definitely not hear them saying “I am coming to you… You will explode in a few minutes”… smile
http://worldcontent.twoday.net/stories/4600131/
And below the iranian point of view with video (Click on the camera icon to view the video) :
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=38190§ionid=351020101
http://bellaciao.org/en/article.php3?id_article=16413
Some economists predict a difficult time for the US economy this year. A recession would mean oblivion for the Republican party however a war with Iran might just about save their collective hides.
What would be the reaction of the US to the Russian navy playing war games in the Gulf of Mexico?
And Bush is going to supervise a middle east peace agreement this year. Bush a peacenik?
A writer submitting this synopsis as the basis for an historical novel would be laughed out of any self respecting publisher’s office.
Can you wonder that the rest of the world sees the present US administration as candidates for strait jackets and padded cells?
In Guantanomo, of course.
“…not a single news outlet modified its earlier characterisation of the incident.”
I can just hear my right-wing “buddy” ranting, railing and literally foaming at the mouth with rage about the need to immediately begin nuking Iran off the face of the map.
He, of course doesn’t read Common Dreams or anything else that isn’t MSM and will never see the picture of the puny, little boats that supposedly “menanced” our heavily armored and armed behemoths that are also protected by aircraft and submarines.
I don’t know about Texas. I think we would be better of without it altogether, but that is just my personal opinion. Mr. Paul seems to have some interesting opinions. At least he is facilitating some discourse regarding liberty, if you know what I mean.
Regardless, I’m glad I decided not to go through with that possible ROTC Navy Scholarship when I was going to college. For the navy to be involved in such an incident seems to be a true embarressment.
Where is the skier. Did the US navy shoot him.
So why aren’t there the big American flags on the war ships to identify themselves? There are flags all over the place, flags on lapels, flags on cars, 50 flags behind the right-wingers whenever they get up to speak, so why weren’t they flying high on the war ships? Anyone know? I didn’t see them in the pictures.
I think it’s the other way around; the U.S. military is trying to provoke Iran, and why not? The warmongering U.S. government with the world’s strongest military are always shopping for war, especially now. And how does the U.S. know it was the Iranian Revolutionary Guard?
The Chimp and his lapdog Condi are blabbering about how “dangerous” to world peace Iran is. They need to look in the mirror to find out who really is. Rice talks about Iran spreading its “tentacles” worldwide — while the U.S. has over 700 bases around the world………haha
Bush talks about “evil” in regard to Iran. I guess he’s never looked in the mirror. He’ll see real evil there, the imbecile hypocrite.
The “threat to world peace” is the the President of the United States and his supporters…
The U.S media is useless as source of anything representing the truth or journalism. They should stick to what they do best, following Brittney Spears around and quoting official sources.
They are becoming a laughing stock .
Looks like only I can see my comments. That’s funny as can be. :-O
Right on alirandyabi! I don’t think they can really do it, but it’s sure what they’re up to. And the Navy deserves some accolades and respect as well. I think it’s only a few Pat Robertson brass who will break ranks with their oath to protect and defend, but I keep thinking about Pershing’s charge of the Bonus Army. I think we should come up with a Smedley Butler Day or something ASAP. This WCRR et aux crowd are really just running dogs and sophomoric. Yale should pull it’s bequoth degree because he obviously didn’t do the required reading for the required classes. Something painfully obvious to the casual observer. Don’t stand in the way when all these Bushies figure it out. There are some egos who just can’t yet believe they’ve been played for suckers and betrayed. But they will.
Custom fit tailored information on the screen. Nobody gets the same info.
ROTFLMAO
Well at least I had my enlightenment last night. Even though I had to watch
‘The Secret’ twenty times to start to see the first major results.
People will talk to each other again.
When we will have replaced negative ‘political’ positions with positive and well feeling
substitutes for everybody. It is definitely very easy to achieve.
Musharraf too, uses the inferior way, because every way that does not emphasize the
efforts to achieve bliss and well being for all members of the citizenry must be considered
as such. That way, that not only tolerates torture, suffering and death, but perpetrates it,
only sole purpose of self indulgence in power on the expense of everybody else. Always
the poorest ‘Others’. That is undoubtedly the least inferior of all ways.
We will stop spending one single American Cent for anything that is even remotely related to,
or connected with harm.
We will then fix what we have broken.
And move on.
Let’s make this Planet nice for everybody.
I mean it.
I lost a line…
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7181929.stm
US doubts over Iran boat ‘threat’
An alleged threat to blow up US warships “may not have come” from Iranian speedboats involved in a recent stand-off, the BBC has learned.
The voice on a Pentagon tape could instead have come from another ship in the area or a transmitter on land, senior US Navy sources told the BBC.
………………….
When I first heard the tape I thought it might be an American sailor making a joke that was picked up on the radio system.
Then I see McCain on tv talking about how this incident has indicated how important it is to have a president who will be tough with Iran..and he is in front of an audience who supports his extremely poor judgement about what happened with the Iranian boats.
Sometimes it seems like there is very little sanity in the world.
I usually refrain from making the same comment on two different articles, but since this article has similarities with the other just a few earlier here goes:
The whole incident was made up to give Bush leverage on his mid-east trip. What better way to make a point than to put Iran speaking from a defensive position with the disclaimer of being the agressor. If Bush was without this false flag ‘provocation’ he would be slammed by the press & leaders of other countries in the region. Of course he is not going there to really discuss options with enemies, so much as to back-slap & celebrate with his friends about the subjugation of that ole meddlesome Iraq.
Three countries, since 2000, have threatened to stop trading oil in US dollars, and change to another fiat currency:
Iraq-invaded
Iran-US nowtrying to figure out how to invade
Venezuela-on the US shitlist
Do the math. Little speedboats don’t attack US warships (or any other warships) in the confines of a narrow 21 mile wide straight when, if aggression is really the intent, they can do it very easily with the land-based missiles they DO possess.
Paul Magill Smith–I completly agree with the Euros for oil analysis of the current adminstration’s rationale for their behavior. I also wonder how many antiwar critics will remain so after fuel for vehicles goes to $5+ per gasllon and food stuffs and retail merchandise being sold out of big box retailers and malls are similarly increased due to their dependence on petroleum for their existence.
The sneering Cheney is a disgusting, vile, and craven politician, but his analysis that “our way of life is non-negotiable” may be the most accurate thing either he or the neocon Nazi imperialists running our government have said.
Feuhrer Bush has seemed to forgotten the lesson of his primary mentor and natural political Godfather, Adolph Hitler. He has gotten himself smack into a multi-front wat with inadaquate military forces to accomplish such a task. That’s probably the primary reason that Venezuela and Nigeria have not been invaded (along with Russian and Chinese willingness and capacity to destroy the dollar by releasing all their reserves onto the world market).
It’s quite clear that the popular media in the US and UK (Fox, Sky, BBC - any Murdoch owned organisation) are now totally incapable of giving a true account of events. Unless you look further, away from the mainstream press, you will never find the truth or balanced reporting. The big problem, is that the majority of people are so lazy, that they just sit back and eat whatever is fed to them.
I would love to know what percentage readers like ourselves on Common Dreams make up. Could it be as much as five percent?
I rather fear that we have slipped back in time (in mindset), and that the moronic majority will follow like sheep, unquestioning and servile.
This “incident” was obviously timed to coincide with Bush’s visit to the middle east to impress our allies in the region with our tough resolve to contain the ever threatening Iran. Just some pathetically transparent PR I suspect…and as for the white boxes…the boat creww had just finished their Kentucky Fried chicken dinners and the empty boxes got tossed overboard…
Keep in mind, Lemmings, Evil bastards like those we have “leading” the Drones are too elite to get blood on their own bank books. As the elite swine in New York said when the then courageous rioted because of the laws that kept quizlings of Georgie-boy’s ilk from “serving” in the civil war; The Masses? Don’t worry about the masses. We’ll hire one half to kill the other half. As long as there are enough amoral pigs like those in Blackwater alive, or idiots who will risk all to murder and die for elitist liars, the problem will always be there.
there is some reassurance in the fact that Cheney can only build “Tonka” rather than “Tonkin” incidents these days. The clock cannot run out fast enough!
It’s sad that we have a government who deceitful that every new threat to our well being is instantly met with skepticism from a wary public. I don’t know what would happen at this point if there were an actual threat to our security????? In a way that is frightening. Because I don’t think anyone would take it seriously. The Bush Administration has lied so many times anything coming from them is instantly discounted as more of their fear-mongering. I know when I saw the first picture of this incident it was disbelief. There is a huge Navy Cruiser on the left and a tiny craft on the right that could easily be sunk if a wake it the wrong way. Or at least blown out of the water with no effort. Don’t these people have anything better to do with the next year in office than indulge in nonsense like this??????
Huckabee’s quote: “If I were Commander in Chief and this incident occurred, those in the speedboats would be seeing the gates of Hell!”
Huckabee is another right-wing Christian dictator waiting in the wings, planning to kill people without any proof of wrongdoing and sure that the people he killed will go to Hell.
The U.S. is the greatest threat to world peace — not Iran, not Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, etc.
To me the larger issue is that Iran has to put up with American war ships and planes relatively close to its coast. In my view, the Iranians cannot view this as a ‘friendly gesture.’ That being said, I also think it is naive to regard these Iranian boats as harmless. Remember what happened to an American ship during the Clinton administration while docked in a so-called friendly port? There is no doubt that, in its insanity, the current administration is trying to provoke Iran, because the presence of war ships off one’s coast cannot be regarded as anything other than provocative.
For a good fright, read how fox news cooked this story and fed it to maw and paw backwoods.
Note the use of the words “fast boats” in place of the less threatening “speed boats”
If it pisses you off enough, take a moment to send fox an angry email to tell them we don’t appreciate the propaganda.
http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2008Jan12/0,4670,USIran,00.html
According to Wikipedia, inbound vessels must pass through Iranian waters the Strait is 21 miles wide at the narrowest point.
Strait of Hormuz: Navigation
“Ships moving through the Strait follow a Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS), which separates inbound from outbound traffic to reduce the risk of collision. The traffic lane is six miles wide, including two two-mile-wide traffic lanes, one inbound and one outbound, separated by a two-mile wide separation median. To traverse the Strait, ships pass through the territorial waters of Iran or Oman under the transit passage provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.”
It’s a good thing this is turning out to be another hoax, since the official version makes us look pretty silly. There is a longstanding rumor among our adversaries, long ago in Vietnam, more recently in Africa and today in the Middle East, that Americans are cowards. This perception of the commanders of our giant armored warships pissing themselves over some unarmed guys in little bitty speedboats is more damaging than the truth, if it hopefully emerges, that nope, it was just our doofus government trying again in their own klutzy way to come up with a casus belli.
At the Republican debates, the Presidential candidates were chomping at the bit to demonstrate just how tough they would be on Iran, just how eager they were to go to war.
Only Ron Paul, as usual, had it right completely and immediately, saying that governments invent incidents. He reminded viewers of the Gulf of Tonkin.
The media has done everything they can to squash this man and his message.
There are numerous examples of governments manipulating public sentiment so that they, too, are clammoring for war. What is unique to the Bush administration is how childish and obvious his “strategies” are. I really think a bunch of third graders could have come up with a more believable video. This is a stupid, stupid man. He couldn’t even manage to have background noise commensurate with speedboats racing along the ocean. He couldn’t have a decent script or a believable Iranian accent.
Also, the Strait of Hormuz is right of the coast of Iran. We have given Iran every indication to believe that we are hostile to them and on the brink of war. What do we expect?
“Ron Paul . . . had it right completely and immediately, saying that governments invent incidents. He reminded viewers of the Gulf of Tonkin.”
And yet, how many days after USN (forget Ron Paul and posters on this and similar sites) officers had made statements on the record contradicting the “official” version of what occurred, here is an excerpt from a piece that the NYTimes on line ran for many hours on its home page:
**********************************
January 12, 2008
Iran Encounter Grimly Echoes ’02 War Game
By THOM SHANKER
WASHINGTON — There is a reason American military officers express grim concern over the tactics used by Iranian sailors last weekend: a classified, $250 million war game in which small, agile speedboats swarmed a naval convoy to inflict devastating damage on more powerful warships.
In the days since the encounter with five Iranian patrol boats in the Strait of Hormuz, American officers have acknowledged that they have been studying anew the lessons from a startling simulation conducted in August 2002. In that war game, the Blue Team navy, representing the United States, lost 16 major warships — an aircraft carrier, cruisers and amphibious vessels — when they were sunk to the bottom of the Persian Gulf in an attack that included swarming tactics by enemy speedboats.
“The sheer numbers involved overloaded their ability, both mentally and electronically, to handle the attack,” said Lt. Gen. Paul K. Van Riper, a retired Marine Corps officer who served in the war game as commander of a Red Team force representing an unnamed Persian Gulf military. “The whole thing was over in 5, maybe 10 minutes.”
If the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, proved to the public how terrorists could transform hijacked airliners into hostage-filled cruise missiles, then the “Millennium Challenge 2002” war game with General Van Riper was a warning to the armed services as to how an adversary could apply similar, asymmetrical thinking to conflict at sea.
****************************
The body of the entire article contains 995 words. Not one of them so much as hints at the information attributed by Porter to military officers. The closest approach to any deviation from the standard version is “Although Washington and Tehran continue to duel over details of the encounter”. Were the Shanker article to have presented the matter as, “Although in hindsight it has been acknowledged by Navy officers that . . . one can, in light especially of an August 2002 simulation prepared after the small boat attack on the USS Cole, all too readily understand the immediate reaction of officers confronted with . . . “, I would have found the article informative and reasonable. But that is not how the article is written.
Sorry — here’s the link to the Shanker piece on the simulated small boat attack on USN warships: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/12/washington/12navy.html?_r=1&hp&oref=login
I’ve been saying this for over a year: IF CONGRESS REFUSES TO DO ITS CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY AND IMPEACH BUSH/CHENEY, THEN WE THE PEOPLE MUST DO THAT BY SETTING UP AN EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLES’ IMPEACHMENT TRIBUNAL to do the necessary work. Bush and Cheney MUST NOT be allowed to leave office without accountability for their crimes. The elected representatives in both the Senate and House no longer represent ordinary Americans and their interests, so they are very much part of the problem and complicit in the crimes. Ultimately and soon we need a parliamentary multi-party system of the sort the rest of the civilized world lives under. First we need to clean out the corruption and rot in this country’s capital.
Gulf of Tonkin II.
FYI: Blackwater coverup
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080112/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/blackwater_prosecutions
Lying has now become a way of life for Americans: from the idiotic president downwards. No wonder the rest of the world barely but tolerate the US with irritated silence.
The United States of Horror is crumbling!
The foundation is chock full of lies, racism, genocide, and grand larcenies. Such a horrible structure is an eyesore for the whole world.
I was horrified that this incident came up just days before teh New Hampshire Primary and everyone said it favorited Hillary and McCain and sure enougn they did get a small bump- actually Hilalry and barack TIED!!! not winner or loser- both of them got 9 delegates and they were 3 points apart and now there is an investigation of if the optical scanner actually made a diffence too- we are so close always- anything can tip the ballance including some made up story about some ships- rigth on THAT weekend.
Go Barack Obama - real peacemaker and inclusive leader who will untit us and lead us to peace. Everybody get busy helping him right now!!!!! I made a lawnsign for the strategic spot in my town to go to the primary. I am going to tell returning students to immediately order their absentee ballots for teh feb 5 supertuesday.
They will go to any olengths to create a Iranian style Gulf of Tonkin caper, as the cross-eyed asshole in the Oval Office would rather go out with a bang…than a whimper.
As he said: History. Who cares? We’ll all be dead anyway.
Well at least the tabloids said that Laura scratched Little George’s face…
it ain’t impeachment but I’ll take what I can get!
like the Bible it is the story that counts…
“…not a single news outlet modified its earlier characterisation of the incident.”
More than just staying with the official Pentagon version, I was disturbed, but not at all surprised, when CNN(TV) used what can only be described as a propaganda gimmick to further the Bush administration’s fear campaign. This was the afternoon when Hillary’s “tearing-up” incident was being repeated ad nauseum on CNN. Over and over we see her in a vulnerable moment. Right after one of these segments CNN then went right to the Gulf of Hormuz non-event. We then see, along with dialogue, video of some US war ships followed by separate video of three small patrol boats (presumably Iranian)-firing their weapons at some unseen target (looked like rockets or missles) as they raced over the water somewhere. What the Hell! For some viewers the message must have been, “Weak, sniveling Hillary making decisions dealing with a very provocative international incident?” No way! There is no liberal main stream media. What an amazing sales job by the radical right. The US corporate media are directly involved with selling us not only Iraq but Iran too. If we the people ever get our democracy back these criminal propagandists must be held accountable!
I can’t believe how gullible anybody would have to be to think this was real. Come on. Who wants this war? Who has something to gain? And who is going to run around in a trio of speedboats and threaten a warship, and announce their intentions minutes in advance?
This stank of a hoax on its face.
Does anyone recall “the Gulf of Tonkin Incident”?
It seems that the sailors on the ships involved didn’t remember it!
It may be a REAL LONG TIME before I believe anything our government says again.
It’s the BURGERS:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1070329053600562261
“The U.S. Navy immage seems to show two guys bouncing around in an outboard. If that ‘terrifies’ the commander of our nuclear armed heavy cruser then we need to change the ex officer.”
That kind of depends what the boat may be loaded with. The USS Cole was attacked by just such a vessel.
The way know that Bush is lying is pretty simple…….. His lips move.
This of course applies to virtually all the TV news coverage of events. I do not and never have owned a TV……. and probably never will. Bad programming, insulting advertizing, and propaganda…….. Personally I think this media has outlived any redeeming value it might once have had……. if it ever had.
Howard
GUT CHECK
I have seen the enemy and it is us….
pacplyer January 11th, 2008 7:32 pm
Thank god the almighty hairy one has determined that the world is in danger from three ragheads in a unarmed 19 foot BayLiner ski boat!
No pacplyer, the world is in danger from ignorance like yours and those who ignore their responsiblity to this world to ferret out bigotry and thoughtless hatred wherever it is found.
So would aggressive Iran really attempt to provoke the innocent and amiable USA into bombing that would destroy Iran?
Could threatening messages from a speedboat really cause fear to a US gunboat?
No one should have taken this seriously.
RE: AndyUK January 12th, 2008 7:52 am
The latest info I heard on the matter is 25-30% of people have the internet as their primary news source. This is why Net Neutrality is such an important issue we should fight like bloody hell to assure.
ARDEE
i think PACPLYER was joking. (being sarcastic.)
but for a good laugh go to: www.presstv.ir and click on the heading: ‘filipino monkey’ source of u.s. radio threat.
The important thing to remember is that no amount of bombs dropped on Iran could possibly cause as much damage to Iran as it would to America (or whats left of it).
THE LORAX — Yes, wherever we drop bombs, they land on us
NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLING AUTHOR “SMELLS A RAT ON THE NEOCONS RE: IRAN” — CHECK OUT THIS AMAZING VIDEO !!
In a short 2 minutes video trailer for his upcoming novel “The Shell Game” best selling author, Steve Alten, SUGGESTS AN EXPLOSIVE CONDEMNATION OF WHAT THE NEOCONS MAY HAVE PLANNED FOR US:
http://theshellgame.net/911.htm
Check out the important short video above, and share this widely!! AMAZING VIDEO CLIP.
WOW BILL DOUGLAS– A new
WEAPON of MASS UN-DECEPTION
Bush Authorizes New Covert Action against Iran
Global Research, May 23, 2007
ABC News
Brian Ross and Richard Esposito Report:
ABC News, May 22, 2007. The CIA has received secret presidential approval to mount a covert “black” operation to destabilize the Iranian government, current and former officials in the intelligence community tell the Blotter on ABCNews.com.
The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the subject, say President Bush has signed a “nonlethal presidential finding” that puts into motion a CIA plan that reportedly includes a coordinated campaign of propaganda, disinformation and manipulation of Iran’s currency and international financial transactions.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=5734
*************************************
I’ve posted the link to this article time and time again when it comes to stories on Iran.. and they are just that. STORIES, not facts. The fact is those speedboats had no flags on them and they’re blue.. they could easily be UN speedboats for all we know.
It’s just more baiting and switching brought to you from Neocon heaven, aka the Pentagon, Washington DC.
What was the name of that book by the right-vilified guy “Lies and the Lying Liars who Tell Them?” It’s early and I’m still groggy so I can’t remember the guy’s name. Yawn. Oh, yeah, Micahel Moore (the coffee just kicked in).
Answer for twoblueday at 9:04 a.m. — must have been decaff — Lies (And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them): A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right (Hardcover)
by Al Franken (Author) “Asking whether there is a liberal or conservative bias to the mainstream media is a little like asking whether al Qaeda uses too much oil…” (more)
Key Phrases: lucky duckies, corporate speeches, attack journalism, White House, Bill O’Reilly, The New York Times (more…)