-Caveat Lector-
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Mario Profaca" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: June 19, 2007 2:45:52 AM PDT
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [SPY NEWS] CIA black propaganda OPS against Iran, Syria
and Lebanon
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/
CIA_running_black_propaganda_operation_against_0604.html
CIA BLACK PROPAGANDA OPS AGAINST IRAN, SYRIA AND LEBANON
Raw Story / by Larisa Alexandrovna / [EMAIL PROTECTED] / Muriel
Kane contributed to this article
Jun 4 2007
The Central Intelligence Agency has received approval at least
twice in the last several years to conduct an "information war"
against several countries in the Middle East, including Iran,
Lebanon and Syria, according to current and former intelligence
officials.
In addition, the Bush Administration has been running operations
out of the Defense Department that are not subject to Congressional
oversight, intelligence sources say. These programs appear murkier,
and have included support for an alleged terrorist group in Iran.
A recent ABC News report revealed that President George W. Bush had
signed a presidential finding giving the CIA the authority to
conduct "non-lethal" covert operations against Iran. Former and
current intelligence sources tell RAW STORY, however, that there
have been "at least two" presidential findings over the past few
years which have empowered the agency to run an "open-secret"
information war against Iranian interests, mainly leveraging
resources and assets "within the United States and France."
Although the resources - people, groups, organizations - were not
identified, sources say that they are not terrorist organizations
or groups using violent tactics to achieve their goals. "It's a
propaganda operation," said a former intelligence case officer who
wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the
information. "It is not new or aggressive," the source added,
explaining that the operation has been going on for some time and
has Congressional funding and oversight.
CIA spokesman Paul Gimigliano would not comment about the
allegations made in the ABC report or discuss the existence of the
presidential findings identified to RAW STORY.
"The CIA does not, as a matter of course, publicly discuss
allegations of covert action, whether the assertions are wrong,
right, or somewhere in-between," Gimigliano said. "That's one
reason why the term 'covert action' still exists."
"But it's important to remember that, through the Congress, there
is vigorous oversight of secret intelligence activities," he added.
According to current and former intelligence officials, the various
presidential findings are not limited to Iran. Several countries
within the Middle East - including Syria and Lebanon - as well as
groups such as Hezbollah, are being targeted through what sources
call "black propaganda" efforts.
Iran is being targeted by the CIA's activities with a "pro-
democracy" message, sources say, and the agency is supporting overt
"pro-democracy" groups.
The program's particulars are highly classified. Intelligence
sources stress, however, that the groups being used are rather
mainstream and the operations are almost entirely restricted to
information warfare.
Sources would not identify what mechanism was being employed to
distribute the propaganda, if it included news media, individuals
or organizations, or whether that information was seeping back into
domestic news reports.
One former intelligence case officer did explain that the CIA's
program is operating largely outside of the Middle East and is
aimed at identifying potential allies, as well as using already
existing well known groups through whom information can be
delivered. The type of "information" and the "groups" and
"organizations" involved were not identified.
ABC News may have reported the presidential finding as "new"
because of the recently passed massive intelligence budget. Under
the bill, roughly $50 million was appropriated for the "Democracy
Fund" and the "Broadcasting Board of Governors," both earmarked for
Iran operations.
Sources close to the Select Senate Committee on Intelligence would
not discuss any aspect of the CIA program or comment on anything
relating to the presidential findings.
"This is an area I simply cannot get into," said one source.
Pentagon operation supporting terrorist group kept from Congress
RAW STORY has also learned that the Pentagon is continuing to
conduct more aggressive "black" operations, approved by the
National Security Council and the Office of the Vice President.
Current and former intelligence officials would not identify new
specific covert programs running out of the Pentagon, though
sources stressed these are far riskier and more truly covert
operational activities against Iran than the activities of the CIA.
These operations started almost immediately after the Iraq war and
have continued for several years. Because they can be considered
part of a military operation, they are not subjects to the same
requirements for Congressional authorization as the activities of
the CIA.
The majority of these efforts to destabilize Iran through a covert
war of aggression have been carried out by the Department of
Defense, largely steered by the Office of the Vice President and by
then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.
A series of RAW STORY reports has identified some of the "off book"
or black operations running out of the Pentagon over the last
several years. In 2003, the Defense Department began working with
terrorist and dissident groups in an effort to destabilize Iran,
bypassing traditional intelligence channels. One of the assets the
Pentagon used was a terrorist organization known as Mujahedeen-e
Khalq (MEK), which was being "run" in two southern regional areas
of Iran, including a Shia region where a series of attacks in 2006
left many dead and hundreds injured.
These activities have often been guided by the same individuals
whose actions during Iran-Contra were the reason for a 1991 law on
covert activities which for the first time clearly defined covert
activities and how their oversight should be handled.
During Iran-Contra, the Reagan White House - via the National
Security Council - sold weapons to Iran, an avowed enemy of the
United States, and used the money to fund various terrorist and
dissident groups, collectively called the Contras, to fight a proxy
war against the government of Nicaragua.
Sources say that MEK has been used for intelligence collection, an
activity which has traditionally fallen under the CIA. The
administration also appears to be looking the other way as groups
such as MEK commit acts of violence.
Intelligence sources interviewed for this article all expressed
concern over the lack of attention to the Pentagon's covert
activities. Some believe illegal activities like those of the Iran-
Contra days are now being hidden under the loophole of "traditional
military activities" to avoid Congressional oversight.
Steven Aftergood, director for the Federation of American
Scientists Project on Government Secrecy, says this loophole exists
in Congressional oversight with regards to military covert activities.
"CIA covert actions have to be authorized by a written presidential
finding, which must be provided to Congress," Aftergood said. "By
contrast, DOD operations, including clandestine or covert
operations, are not subject to this procedure.
"As a result," he added, "there may be a temptation to opt for a
purely military action to take advantage of the loophole in
congressional notification requirements."
Covert economic warfare may not be limited to CIA
Another former intelligence official said that the CIA has been
cleared to target Iran's economic interests, but that the approval
is limited to non-aggressive activities. The CIA "has been
empowered to put economic pressure on Iran," the former
intelligence officer stated, but would not elaborate on what the
meaning of "pressure" is.
Yet some suggest that the economic element of the covert program is
either far more aggressive or is being attributed to the CIA when
in fact another agency may be running it.
Foreign intelligence sources say that economic pressure is aimed at
Iran's oil-rich economy, with US efforts serving to "persuade"
financial institutions, oil companies, and international investment
interests to pull out of Iran and even drop already existing energy
projects.
These sources cite the example of an unnamed company that is being
denied financing for energy projects inside Iran by international
banks, indicating that many more such examples exist.
Other possible forms of pressure would include less subtle
activities, such as intercepting supply convoys and confiscating
equipment. Foreign sources are not sure if this covert activity is
in fact part of the CIA program. The Department of Defense did not
respond to comment on this story.
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