The Washington Monthly: (h/t Bill W)
IRAN’S WEAPONS….Tina Susman of the LA Times reports that Iranian involvement in Iraq’s civil war may not be everything it’s been cracked up to be:
There was something interesting missing from Maj. Gen. Kevin Bergner’s introductory remarks to journalists at his regular news briefing in Baghdad on Wednesday: the word “Iran,” or any form of it. It was especially striking as Bergner, the U.S. military spokesman here, announced the extraordinary list of weapons and munitions that have been uncovered in recent weeks since fighting erupted between Iraqi and U.S. security forces and Shiite militiamen.
….A plan to show some alleged Iranian-supplied explosives to journalists last week in Karbala and then destroy them was canceled after the United States realized none of them was from Iran. A U.S. military spokesman attributed the confusion to a misunderstanding that emerged after an Iraqi Army general in Karbala erroneously reported the items were of Iranian origin.
When U.S. explosives experts went to investigate, they discovered they were not Iranian after all.
As Kevin Drum points out, this was a small post on the LA Times Iraq blog. Not the front page of the LA Times, just a small online note. Would any of us have heard about it otherwise? How many times have we heard that Iran is supplying the “enemy” in Iraq? That seems to get through the media loud and clear. Why, it’s almost as if the media is simply relying on the Pentagon and the White House talking points. Hmmm….
No Trackbacks To “If an Iranian Weapon Bust Turns Out Not To Be Iranian…Does Anyone Hear A Sound?“
I read that article last night.
And your right. We probably won’t hear a sound about it in the MSM.
I wonder what tipped them off that they weren’t Iranian. I saw an official powerpoint presentation a couple of years ago of “seized Iranian” ordinance and noticed that:
– The writing had Latin lettering instead of Arabic.
– There were English abbreviations (ie: “CAT” for catalog, “SER” for serial).
– The dates were European style numbering instead of Arabic, and written in a format that is unique to the US (month-day-year).
It doesn’t take an expert to figure these things out.
When are we going to do something about a government that manufactures justifications for going to war to kill non-judeo-christian peoples of the world?
I am ashamed of what our so-called “democratic” republic has become, when even those who are supposed to provide the checks and balances on insane leadership do nothing substantive to deal with domestic war criminals.
Once again the neoconservatives want to spread the wars. A timeline:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.....entralAsia
About 9 months ago I watched a program on the Military Channel and the subject was a man who invented the very same type of i.e.d. that is so devastating to military vehicles as well as military personnel! The interesting thing about this story was that this guy who invented this type of explosive is an American -I REPEAT-AMERICAN and that says volumes about the B.S. that the msm is trying to shove down America’s collective throats!The msm would have us believe that this horrific explosive device was thought up and manufactured ONLY in Iran and I say BULLSHIT. More lies from the very people who are supposed to be keeping us informed about conditions on the ground in Iraq,but, they ( the msm) would rather lie to us so that they may protect the chimp and co.
I’ve never understood the whole Iranian weapons meme. Wouldn’t it be totally logical to find Iranian manufactured weapons in Iraq regardless, since they are immediate neighbors? If handguns were illegal for sale in DC, but you found criminals with guns they had bought in Virginia, would law enforcement say “Virginia is supplying armaments to criminal gangs in DC and we need Virginia to stop”? The whole thing is such bullshit.
oh it doesn’t matter that the weapons are not actually Iranian; the important thing is for the American Sheeple to BELIEVE they are Iranian. Don’t you understand how the game works?
Crying wolf has been a constant practice of the worst administration ever. It would be ridiculous to believe them.
But, but, but they are a terrorist nation, responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women and children, oh wait…shit…that would be us.
Even though it’s not in the name, aren’t Muslims technically Judeo-christian since they identify themselves as decendants of…Cain’s brother or something like that, I can’t remember.
Ex-Canuck @ 3:
I just want to know if the weapons had “Stark Industries” marked on the side…
It is as if the News Networks has not learned a thing from the recent NYT ex-pentagon military analyst scandal. They are still just echoing Pentagon talking points when it comes the Iraq war and War on Terror in general.
For more on the recent scandal from someone who read the 8,000 pages release by the Pentagon and on how the Networks are still keeping a closed lid on it, pretending it never happened:
www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/
blaME @ 12:
Research is expensive, repetition is not.
Ooops.
Well the Iranians would have supplied them with weapons if some American entrepreneur had thought of it fir$t. Just becasue a $mart capitali$t beat the idealogues to the punch, doesn’t mean that we aren’t ju$tified in bombing those who harming u$ by sitting on oil that is rightfully our$.
Bethynyc @ 11:
“ACME”, beep, beep!
The wing nut neocons and their shit brain apologists will just roll out a new talking point that makes sense to their clueless masses. One reader’s response to Tina Susman’s article now blames the lengthening involvement by claiming the war would have been over two years ago but for Iranian involvement! They can be flexible in their games of deception.
We know from the past that the Pentagon would not lie about facts to start a war on purpose just for political reasons…however Satan would, hmmmmm!
Shocking!!!
Blue Taliban Osama Buddha @ 2:
Thank you I was going to point out ….Exactly…the same thing…They all looked like US Ordinance when I saw all the News stories 2-3 years ago…and I was thinking to myself…what…won’t …these people do (and manufacture stories(…to spin, this war, the direction they want it to go.
Wonder where these weapons came from? China? Russia?
Haze @ 20:
The article says they (the weapons) had european markings…read it!
but… but… Clinton, Clinton, Clinton….
Most of the guns used in murders in DC are from Virginia. Plans to invade have been shelved because DC is a lot smaller and has a lower budget.
I don’t understand…we invaded iraq,
we are mettling in their affarirs,
plus are creating who knows how many covert/overt crimes against iran,
and yet somehow they are not allowed to defend themselves?
What with all those Weapons of Mass Destruction missing and what not.
Somewhat OT, But significant.
The public relations executive whom Senator John McCain’s campaign had chosen to run the Republican National Convention this summer resigned his post on Saturday after a magazine reported that his firm had lobbied for the military junta that runs Myanmar.
The executive, Doug Goodyear, said in a statement that he was stepping down as the coordinator of the convention, which will be held Sept. 1-4 in Minneapolis-St. Paul, “so as not to become a distraction in this campaign
Mr. Goodyear is the chief executive and a founding partner of the DCI Group, which has offices in Washington and Phoenix. He offered his resignation after Newsweek reported that his firm had been paid $348,000 in 2002 to represent the junta.
I’m just saying …..
The media isn’t “relying” upon the Pentagon, it’s employed and deployed by the Pentagon (and the White House). We really aren’t doing ourselves any favors by continuing to hope that the so-called media and press are actually going to perform the task of journalism in anything other than isolated instances. That hope is a delusion. They are propaganda organs that exist for no other reason than to manipulate. And because delusional hope seems to spring eternal, we are always being shocked by some lie or some ommission. Indulging in that hope is a means of helping the manipulation succeed. Calling attention to the lies, an action which nobody who is a trusting consumer of the propaganda is likely to become aware of, probably does nothing to enlighten those who are in greatest need of seeing truth.
I don’t know what the solution is, but continuing to be shocked by something we should all always expect seems to just perpetuate the process. The press/media is irredeemably corrupt and strikes me as being beyond hope of fixing. Got to get more and more people hitting the blogs, because it is the only remaing arena where a free press that is dedicated to the principles of journalism still exists.
Another republican lie exposed. There is no proof the government of Iran provides weapons to kill Americans in Iraq.
Bottom Line: Republicans are liars and cannot be trusted.
Oh the iron of American’t Ignorance
http://tinyurl.com/4vw5xx
L.A. Confidential @ 29:
I meant irony of course.
Heck, it seems like anyone with a copy of Shotgun News could be an International Arms Dealer.
McCain the Liar @ 28:
Republicans are liars and cannot be trusted.
I remember my grandma saying that when I was a little kid.
Best tip-clue-advise I have ever been given.
L.A. Confidential @ 29:
Wow. That picture truly says a thousand words.
So they weren’t from Iran.
Where WERE the weapons from…? I assume it’s someplace that exposes a member of the Bush Administration, since they’ve never let little things like facts stand in the way of propaganda before. The only thing that ever gives them pause is potential legal problems for their troupe of war profiteers.
CatAtomic @ 34:
wonder if they can be traced back to the teenage arms dealer Efraim and his $300 million arms contract by any chance !
who else do we know that was buying up European munitions and shipping them to Iraq…
bigironal @ 5:
The tank-splitting IEDs was a technology used since WWII. A small Marxist terror group in Europe during the late-80’s killed a bank CEO sitting in an armored car using the technology on the back of a bicycle.
So what is the technology? A copper plate set next to an explosive aimed in one direction (sort of like a claymore mine with a copper plate next to it). The explosion deforms the plate, while turning it into a sharp projectile, slicing through some of the thickest steel armor.
The picture that goes with this post shows stacks of such copper plates. While the media was trying to pin the manufacture of those plates on Iran by saying they “were too technologically complex”, even the official Pentagon word was saying that was false. Those plates were pumped out by a hole-in-the-wall machine shop in Baghdad.
Blue Taliban Osama Buddha @ 36:
Copper smithing and other ‘3rd world’ tech is old as humanity, its the west with its reliance on deskilling labor and micro cell high tech manufacturing that finds this tech baffling.
A kid (with a an interest in weapons history) with a book from the library could design these weapons.
USSalkaselsior @ 10:
Abraham is claimed as father of both the Jews, and more lately, the Muslims (pre-Islam, I guess the difference was between Hebrews and other non-Hebrew semitic peoples). By his concubine, Hagar, he first fathered Ishmael (claimed by Muslims), and by his wife, Sarah, he then fathered Isaac (claimed by Jews). Jesus and Mohammed were said to have been able to trace their lineage to Abraham (Most people don’t know their begats for more than 2 or 3 generations).
The claim is not simply one of heredity - based on Biblical scripture, the firstborn of Abraham was to be the heir to the “god’s chosen people” status symbol, as well as divinely-granted right to the land of Cannaan. Oy!). A recipe for disaster.
Historically, the relationship of the Muslims and Jews has been one of tolerance. This relationship changed in the last half of the 20th century (for both obvious and subtle social/political/cultural reasons).
Christianity is nothing like Judaism or Islam, culturally or historically. It is a weird hybrid of Judaism and pre-Christian European religions/philosophies.
There is no such thing as a “judeo-christian” tradition or heritage.
All that said - religion is bullshit (complex bullshit, but bullshit nonetheless).
Marcus Aurelius @ 38:
Well technically you can say the same for Judaism as it was originally a polytheistic religion that borrowed heavily from Asian religions and then later got mixed up with Nordic and Greek mythologies seeing as they were in the crossroads of European trade routes to Asia.
Other than that, agreed.
More on topic, big surprise there. The republicks have been shopping various fictions about Iran since at least 2004, why would it change now, they’re even regurgitating some of their own stories.
L.A.
Come to Canada and the cheapest gas is in Ontario-Toronto area–$5.00/USA gallon
In Quebec is past $6.00/gallon. To Americans–It’s our cheap oil sent to you that keeps your military going and going. 80% of USA foriegn oil comes from Canada–Lucky you !
Just wait when all free medical care kicks in.
I suspect Belgium. damn sprouts and weapon dealers. distasteful.
Typical of the MSM..
I remember the boat incident, where deadly Iranians in rubber boats armed with radios were caught patrolling their own waters. Before I saw the footage the media made it out as though an entire Iranian naval fleet had fired its payload at one of our ships.
Anyone who relies on the LA Times for the truth is a fool.
If you get this sorry corporate paper cancel it. Same goes for the the NYT WAPO and Chicago Trib. Cancel them. They sold us one war. They can’t be trusted now.
Personally I have no doubt that Iran is supplying weapons to factions inside of Iraq. They certainly have a motive, a history, and enough reports from various quarters. As would we if it was our neighbor. But Ahmadinejad’s rheotoric is just getting crazier and crazier and last week he was even chided by the mullahs to stop talking about the “hidden imam” and start doing something about the economy.
When the Iranian mullahs chide you for sounding like a nutter? Oh boy. The situation in Beirut is likely more Iranian posturing for a tighter grip on Israel. I dont agree with military strikes but we should use the UN to contain him.
Lies and propaganda…
It is so shocking the whole ‘Iranian’ connection is like the Alkyda connection with Sadam, no?
The enimies if America are in the White house.
It is clear we will have no justice.
Hel