Last month on Fox News, Ret. Gen. Thomas McInerney, one of the Pentagon’s propaganda team of military analysts exposed by David Barstow in the NYT, openly called for the US to begin committing “tit-for-tat” terrorist attacks by proxy inside Iran.
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McInerney: Here’s what I would suggest to you. Number one, we take the National Council for Resistance to Iran off the terrorist list that the Clinton Administration put them on as well as the Mujahedin-e Khalq at the Camp Ashraf in Iraq. Then I would start a tit-for-tat strategy which I wrote up in the Wall Street Journal a year ago: For every EFP that goes off and kills Americans, two go off in Iran. No questions asked. People don’t have to know how it was done. It’s a covert action. They become the most unlucky country in the world. …
Media Matters’ exhaustive research into the NYT story shows that McInerney appeared on Fox News 144 times since Jan 2002, and according to this bio from last year’s “Intelligence Summit,” McInerney is on the Board of Directors for several companies with defense-related contracts that would seem to benefit from his pro-war propaganda. For example, Alloy Surfaces Company (ASC), whose contracts for “ammunition and explosives” with the Department of Defense appear to have grown from $15 million in 2002 to more than $169 million in 2006. A conflict of interest, perhaps?
The tactic that McInerney advocates of using Iranian opposition terrorist groups to carry out acts of terrorism inside Iran is not new, nor far-fetched. A little digging turned up numerous articles alleging that the pentagon had already been using the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) and other groups in cross-border operations into Iran, at least until shortly after Sec Gates took over (Some news reports of attacks in Iran here, here, here, here, here. Iranian news video here).
The MEK (aka MKO, NLA, PMOI, NCRI) is a terrorist group, as designated still by the State Dept, that has killed US troops and civilians before back in the 1970s. Even Bush’s first deputy secretary of state, Richard Armitage, said of the MEK, “I lived there [in Iran] for a year, and it was during that time that our people were killed by the MEK, assassinated. … So from my point of view they were terrorists.” David Ignatius wrote in the WaPo that back in 2003 the US actually rejected a deal with Iran to exchange MEK captives for several top al-Qaeda leaders.
The White House apparently doesn’t want you to know about the MEK.
In Dec 2006, just days after Rumsfeld was forced to step down, the NYT published a heavily redacted op-ed by Flynt Leverett and Hillary Mann. Though none of the info was classified, all of which had previously “been extensively reported in the news media,” much of their article was blacked out because the “White House intervened” before it went to print. In response, Leverett and Mann followed up with an accompanying piece “What We Wanted to Tell You About Iran“ where they provided citations to previously reported sources for all of the redacted info. Raw Story compiled those sources in their “The redacted Iran op-ed revealed” and, surprise, many of the articles refer directly to the MEK terrorist group, but there had been nary a mention in the portions the White House allowed.
So, to recap: One of the Pentagon’s propaganda TV analysts who has clear ties to defense industries that would likely stand to benefit from any increased hostilities is advocating that the US ought to use a terrorist organization to commit acts of terrorism against Iran in response to alleged Iranian involvement in attacks against US forces in Iraq, which might be true, or maybe not. And if that wasn’t outrageous enough, it seems that Bush may have been authorizing such tactics already.
Filed Under: Fox News, Iran, Media Criticism, Military, Robert Gates, War Coverage
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Sickening.
General Confusion.
General Stupidity.
General Incompetence.
General Hypocrisy.
My, my, Uncle Sam is hypocritical once again.
God, how I loathe American exceptionalism. This is one of the reasons why I emphasize with the Iranians, particularly when we bully them. The Mullahs aren’t cute and cuddly, but to outright provoke them is just idiotic. Iran has multiple groups to squeeze against us. Only a fool would imagine that they wouldn’t. And a fool is sitting in the White House and three more are running to succeed the incumbent fool.
Ah… so much like torture, terrorism is only ok when WE do it.
I’m just SO fucking proud to be an American right now I could spit!
Excuse me…uh General, sir….ummm…could i have a blueprint of your brain. I’m building an idiot.
Great moniker, “Pentagon Propagandist General”. Like a warning label.
Nothing puts out a fire like more fire.
Gosh, is that what we’ve come to as a nation?
Heart of Darkness?
We have to descend to the same level of inhumanity to somehow “defend” ourselves?
Salute the Vaterland and Eternal War!
(but not necessarily in that order)
Please Digg this.
there’s just no leaving crazy town is there?
Any moron-American who endorses such a batshit crazy idea as this has absolutely no fucking right to whine about 9/11 and what a tragedy it was.
Bush’s regime can’t afford an Iran war. The costs of occupying a country 4 times as large as Iraq with 3 times the population and mostly hilly terrain would equal the entire budget for the military for this year. Damn that man in the White House for his idiocy.
Anybody see the current headline on the corporate news channel CNN?
McCain predicts Iraq war won by 2013
What an interesting year to pick! So here’s the deal. You elect me once and in 2012, when I’m up for re-election, you elect me again, and I’ll deliver Iraq in the first year of my second term.
It’s a “Wag the Dog” scenario. You don’t see Jaws til the 3rd reel.
Ahhh… the never-ending cycle of the only U.S. foreign policy we know.
Support terrorists until they milk us dry, wonder why they turned on us, find another terrorist group to support…
anger rising.
mister war criminal over here seems to be proposing operation TPAJAX, part deux.
and, note how well TPAJAX played out… (hint: we created the conditions that allowed the theocratic regime to take over iran)
more information on this traitor: http://www.netstarsys.com/family/mcinerney.html
These idiots get more and more bizzare as time goes by. I wish we could ship all of them over there and bring back all our troops that want to get out of this assine war.
If I had a time machine I would love to go back to the 2000 election year and make sure the Supreme Court didn’t make chimpy our president. It’s been nothing but bad things since then.
No surprise there.
US sponsoring terrorism in NATO - Gladio Operations
US sponsored terrorism in Iran in 1953 coup
US sponsored terrorism in Guatemala
US sponsored terrorism in Chile
US sponsored terrorism in Indonesia/East Timor
US sponsored war with Iraq v Iran
US sponsored terrorism in lead-up to Vietnam war
But the US government is a government that supports “democracy.”
Forget tat
Just show me the tits.
ysbaddaden @ 19:
roflmao
Rebel Patriot @ 18:
Support democracy? Our government? They’ve never supported democracy. The US policy was “he’s our bastard, so we’ll support him.” Then they wondered why people ran to the USSR…>.>
How’s that old saying go?
An eye for an eye …
… until the whole world is blind.
geneHUSSEIN214 @ 12:
Any moron-American who endorses this batshit crazy idea better be enlisting, or be prepared to be drafted or see their children drafted. And best keep their complaints to themselves.
The biggest problem with this nation of children called America, is that the people want to have it both ways. They want cheap gas, but don’t want to conserve, they bitch about lost American jobs but are not willing to pay a premium to buy American, they want to fight a “war on terror” but don’t want to make the real sacrifices for it, they want they want they want…without dealing with the fact that wanting has costs tied to it.
Gawwd this country really makes me ill.
This stinking SOB is a WAR PROFITEER plain and simple [Please. Do not suggest acts of violence on our site-Sitemonitor].
Oh by all means ! I mean it’s not like the US doesn’t have enough wars or enemies already. Nothing says “We want peace” like publicly mooning your enemy and daring them to respond.
edgecity @ 14:
Heh, even Grandpa knows he probably won’t be alive by then. Typical politican…talking shit knowing he won’t have to suffer the repercussions.
General_Rennenkampf @ 21:
This country cannot support democracy, because it is no longer one itself. It is an oligarchy at best, a concealed dictatorship at worst. The process in America known as an election is not a honest election. It is a confirmation of preselected elite appointees/sock-puppets.
IRAN, Hasn’t attacked a neighbor in over 300 years. Doesn’t have a substantial Navy. Been fucked over by the the CIA. for years. And we call them the bad guys. sickening.
Should we put ourselves on the state sponsored terrorism list now?
Tim @ 28:
The formal term is stawman.
Rebel Patriot @ 27:
The US always was an oligarchy. The Founders did not imagine that the government they created would extend the franchise to black men (as it did in 1865) and then to women (as it did in 1920.) Our nation wasn’t a full tyranny, not like Francisco Lopez’s Paraguay, but it certainly was a partial one until the 1960s.
Tim @ 28:
and people think that the “civilians” taken hostage in the Iranian uprising were innocent bystanders too.
nah, nothing bad ever happened to the Iranians from the US diplomatic bag. Nah the CIA didn’t help the Savak in its reign of terror and murder…
You could ask a relevant question about the sources for the Bush admininstrations intelligence on Iran over at Marcy Wheelers salon in regard to spying and intelligence at 3 p.m today at firedoglake
Rebel Patriot @ 32:
Supporting the Shah was one of the worst things the US did. The Shah was one of the most brutal rulers on the planet. Khomeini was hardly an improvement, but then he was their bastard, not ours. Iran has been invaded multiple times, including WWII. Damn the idiots who think that actions can occur without consequences…
How the GOP plans to win:
6. Fan the fear: Ignore the critics, Republican wise men say — there is still no better way to win than to stir up concerns about Democratic patriotism and their commitment to national security and killing terrorists. It often remains the best call in the GOP playbook, especially with McCain atop the ticket.
Republican officials privately urge lawmakers to whack their opponents whenever they can for worrying more about coddling terrorist suspects than condemning them, failing to support U.S. troops, exhibiting weakness in dealing with dictators, and rushing to a quick Iraq exit that could put U.S. servicemen and women at risk. Polls still show GOP strength on national security and fighting terrorism — at least when compared with their lousy numbers on domestic issues.
http://www.politico.com/news/s.....Page2.html
oh great. now we can be terrorists too. in addition to our being torturers. this pervert needs to be arrested.
Thank you Bill W. Naming these thugs (propogandist) based on their actions is imperative. It doesnt always happen.
Bush openly admits to actions that are criminal - he is therefore a confessed criminal and should be called as much for example. He isnt dumb or mistaken of silly - he is a self confessed criminal.
Keep it up.
Zero Diplomacy.
That verifies what many have been saying.
Fox News is terrorism propaganda.
Analize the “analysts..” and the propaganda campaigns..
If research is correct.. He was also connected to the program that was launched in early 2002 by then-Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Victoria Clarke. …..Covert propaganda … Psyops
http://www.sourcewatch.org/ind....._McInerney
Victoria Clarke was nominated by President George W. Bush to be the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs on April 5, 2001.
In the position, Clarke was responsible for U.S. Department of Defense public information, internal information, community relations, information training, and audiovisual matters.
–> In September 2003 Clarke joined CNN TV network as a political and policy analyst.
–> In December 2003, Comcast Corporation announced that it had hired Clarke as their new Senior Advisor for Communications and Government Affairs. [3]
–> Since 2007 and into April, 2008, Clarke was an on-air consultant and news analyst for the ABC TV network.
General_Rennenkampf @ 34:
Agreed, but remember that these actions are descriptive of those that take them. Meaning - they were monsters that took actions that produced results that suited them. Dont give them credit for simply committing an error. (you may not be doing that) They were bad guys. (They also created the Savak - that was by intent)
Sounds like Pre - COLD WAR tactics I guess Reagan did the wrong thing, we should still be at war with the Russian Communists, forget Dialogue………….
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He’s been on Fux 144 times since ‘02?
I must not have been watching that half decade plus…
Wouldn’t that be against the Ford agreement not to assasinate foreign heads of state?
Additionally, isn’t it the “Cold War” equivalent to arming Saddam Hussein to fight the Ayatollah Khomeini?
Or even arming and supporting the warlords of Afghanistan against the Soviet Union, who then splintered afterwards, some became the Taliban and some Al Qaeda?
anon @ 39: