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ABC: Bush OKs covert action against Iran 
Campaign of propaganda, disinformation, manipulation of currency

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.

"I can't confirm or deny whether such a program exists or whether the president signed it, but it would be consistent with an overall American approach trying to find ways to put pressure on the regime," said Bruce Riedel, a recently retired CIA senior official who dealt with Iran and other countries in the region. 

A National Security Council spokesperson, Gordon Johndroe, said, "The White House does not comment on intelligence matters." A CIA spokesperson said, "As a matter of course, we do not comment on allegations of covert activity."

The sources say the CIA developed the covert plan over the last year and received approval from White House officials and other officials in the intelligence community.

Officials say the covert plan is designed to pressure Iran to stop its nuclear enrichment program and end aid to insurgents in Iraq.

"There are some channels where the United States government may want to do things without its hand showing, and legally, therefore, the administration would, if it's doing that, need an intelligence finding and would need to tell the Congress," said ABC News consultant Richard Clarke, a former White House counterterrorism official.

Current and former intelligence officials say the approval of the covert action means the Bush administration, for the time being, has decided not to pursue a military option against Iran.

"Vice President Cheney helped to lead the side favoring a military strike," said former CIA official Riedel, "but I think they have come to the conclusion that a military strike has more downsides than upsides."

The covert action plan comes as U.S. officials have confirmed Iran had dramatically increased its ability to produce nuclear weapons material, at a pace that experts said would give them the ability to build a nuclear bomb in two years.

Riedel says economic pressure on Iran may be the most effective tool available to the CIA, particularly in going after secret accounts used to fund the nuclear program.

"The kind of dealings that the Iranian Revolution Guards are going to do, in terms of purchasing nuclear and missile components, are likely to be extremely secret, and you're going to have to work very, very hard to find them, and that's exactly the kind of thing the CIA's nonproliferation center and others would be expert at trying to look into," Riedel said.   

Under the law, the CIA needs an official presidential finding to carry out such covert actions. The CIA is permitted to mount covert "collection" operations without a presidential finding.

"Presidential findings" are kept secret but reported to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and other key congressional leaders.

The "nonlethal" aspect of the presidential finding means CIA officers may not use deadly force in carrying out the secret operations against Iran.

Still, some fear that even a nonlethal covert CIA program carries great risks.

"I think everybody in the region knows that there is a proxy war already afoot with the United States supporting anti-Iranian elements in the region as well as opposition groups within Iran," said Vali Nasr, adjunct senior fellow for Mideast studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

"And this covert action is now being escalated by the new U.S. directive, and that can very quickly lead to Iranian retaliation and a cycle of escalation can follow," Nasr said.

Other "lethal" findings have authorized CIA covert actions against al Qaeda, terrorism and nuclear proliferation.

Also briefed on the CIA proposal, according to intelligence sources, were National Security Advisor Steve Hadley and Deputy National Security Advisor Elliott Abrams.

"The entire plan has been blessed by Abrams, in particular," said one intelligence source familiar with the plan. "And Hadley had to put his chop on it."

Abrams' last involvement with attempting to destabilize a foreign government led to criminal charges.

He pleaded guilty in October 1991 to two misdemeanor counts of withholding information from Congress about the Reagan administration's ill-fated efforts to destabilize the Nicaraguan Sandinista government in Central America, known as the Iran-Contra affair. Abrams was later pardoned by President George H. W. Bush in December 1992.

In June 2001, Abrams was named by then National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice to head the National Security Council's office for democracy, human rights and international operations. On Feb. 2, 2005, National Security Advisor Hadley appointed Abrams deputy assistant to the president and deputy national security advisor for global democracy strategy, one of the nation's most senior national security positions.

As earlier reported on the Blotter on ABCNews.com, the United States has supported and encouraged an Iranian militant group, Jundullah, that has conducted deadly raids inside Iran from bases on the rugged Iran-Pakistan-Afghanistan "tri-border region."

U.S. officials deny any "direct funding" of Jundullah groups but say the leader of Jundullah was in regular contact with U.S. officials.

American intelligence sources say Jundullah has received money and weapons through the Afghanistan and Pakistan military and Pakistan's intelligence service. Pakistan has officially denied any connection.

A report broadcast on Iranian TV last Sunday said Iranian authorities had captured 10 men crossing the border with $500,000 in cash along with "maps of sensitive areas" and "modern spy equipment."

A senior Pakistani official told ABCNews.com the 10 men were members of Jundullah.

The leader of the Jundullah group, according to the Pakistani official, has been recruiting and training "hundreds of men" for "unspecified missions" across the border in Iran.

I just love the way our country handles 'top secret' information.  Why don't we just FEDEX the plans to the Iranian government?  (http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb87/mom2bran/SmileyBangHead.gif)

Who knows ... that may be happening considering some of those that we have in office right now.   ;) :D

When my mother worked for the CIA (retired 5 yrs. ago), she told me it was nothing to see officials from China being escorted into 'highly restricted' areas that even employees with top clearances were prohibited from entering.  How stupid is that?

That is stupid indeed. I saw the same thing happen during my time in the Military.

ABC News accused
of treasonous report 
Viewers, lawmakers scorch network
for disclosing 'CIA covert operation'

ABC News is coming under heavy criticism for its exclusive report revealing a purported CIA covert operation designed to destabilize the government of Iran.

Brian Ross of ABC reported last night:

    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.

"Isn't this type of reporting TREASON?!" asks Robert Lipps in an ABC thread receiving hundreds of comments. "Where's the responsibility for the good of the country? This is disgusting! What are you thinking?"

Dawn Mansfield wrote: "Why, if it is covert, are you airing it and telling the Iranians what we are doing? Do you want more war and more killings of Americans? Let them do their job's and keep your mouths shut."

ABC's report has also caught the attention of at least two Republicans running for president.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said he was "shocked."

"The reporting has the potential of jeopardizing our national security," Romney said. "To put it quite plainly, it has the potential of affecting human life, we may never know."

Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado called it "absolutely irresponsible for any media to publish a story like this."

"When foreign governments and terrorist groups can simply watch the news to find out about potential U.S. intelligence operations, we have a problem on our hands."

Tancredo will ask the attorney general to open a criminal probe into the source of the leak and the network's decision to disclose the information, as well as call for congressional hearings.

"I just hope Democrats and the media show as much interest in this as they did over Valerie Plame," he said.

ABC News has responded to the criticism, saying in a statement:

"In the six days since we first contacted the CIA and the White House, at no time did they indicate that broadcasting this report would jeopardize lives or operations on the ground. ABC News management gave them the repeated opportunity to make whatever objection they wanted to regarding our report. They chose not to."

ABC did receive some supportive comments on its thread, including:

# "I for one appreciate ABC's courage in letting Americans know what the government is up to. It's the present insane U.S. government, not the Iranian, that's a threat to U.S. citizens." (Janet)

# "Thank you, ABC News for keeping the public informed on the idiotic plans the Bush administration has in place to further escalate the conflict in the Middle East. Cheney is trying is hardest to start a war with Iran. The people of the U.S. need to WAKE UP and put an end to this madness. We need more accountability in Washington to prevent another Iraq from destroying the region." (Eric)

# "Hurrah to ABC! Anybody with half a brain is going to know that this info was deliberately leaked by the 'Bushies.' More posturing. More cowboy diplomacy! Thanks ABC for doing the job the press is supposed to be doing and should have been doing in 2001." (Rob Meyer)

My guess is that this is probably a "deliberate" leak by the White House. It gets the Iranians running around looking for spies in an operation that really doesn't exist. Possibly it also distracts them from something else that is really going on.

I certainly hope that you are right. It is a definite possibility. With all the other leaks that have been going on it is difficult to tell which it is.