Security - new material (25)
01 October 2007
Shifting Targets: the administration's plan for Iraq. Seymour Hersch. The New Yorker 8.10.07. This article starts from the premise that the US administration knows that it has lost the propaganda campaign to convince US public opinion that an Iranian nuclear attack is imminent and that a major bombing campaign is necessary to prevent it. Instead the US regime is considering a modified proposal consisting of limited strikes on the country which will be sold as a "defensive action to save [US] soldiers in Iraq." Bush's attempts to try and find a justification for attacking Iran are all too similar to those he and Blair made to justify the invasion of Iraq, more surprising is the information, imparted by the US ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, that the "British are on board" for the venture. Hersch writes: "The bombing plan has had its most positive reception from the new government of Britain's Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. A senior European oficial told me: "The British perception is that the Iranians are not making the progress they want to see in nuclear-enrichment processing. All the intelligence community agree that Iran is providing critical assistance, training and technology to a susrprising number of terrorist groups in Iraq and Afghanistan, and, through Hezbollah, in Lebanon, and Israel/Palestine, too." Another reason given to Hersch for the British interest is "shame over the failure of the Royal Navy to protect sailors and Royal Marines who were seized by Iran on March 23rd in the Persian Gulf." http;//newyorker.com/reporting/2007/10.8.071008fa_fact_hersch
How the anti-apartheid movement was spied on by Special Branch, Robert Verkaik. Independent 15.9.07, p 32. This article summarises material released under the Freedom of Information Act regarding the infiltration of an anti-apartheid movement