Dubious Evidence against Iran
Thomas Reutter | 15.02.2006 13:59 | Anti-militarism | World
Albright assumed that US government circles launched the falsified report in the New York Times to exert political pressure.. Washington knew the information was untrue, the nuclear weapons expert said.
CIA FLOATS DUBIOUS EVIDENCE AGAINST IRAN
By Thomas Reutter, SWR Stuttgart, “Report Mainz”
[This article published in: SWR, Stuttgart, January 2006 is translated from the German on the World Wide Web,
http://www.swr.de/nachrichten/-/id=396/nid=396/did=1055842/125ah09/index.html.]
A report of the ARD magazine “Report Mainz” casts a new light on the nuclear dispute with Iran. One link in the chain of evidence of the US government against Teheran’s nuclear program is an Iranian laptop that allegedly contained data for building a nuclear warhead. However a US nuclear weapons expert found no evidence for that in the computer documents.
In the nuclear conflict with Iran, the two main rivals are obviously uncompromising enemies. The Iranian president Mahmud Ahmadinedschad insists that the nuclear program is peaceful. “Nuclear energy is our right and we will resist all pressure until this right is realized.” On the other hand, US president George W. Bush sees Teheran’s attempt to develop nuclear weapons in the Iranian nuclear program. For him, “the world cannot allow the Iranian regime to acquire nuclear weapons.”
“NEW YORK TIMES”: NUCLEAR WEAPONS PLANS IN A LAPTOP
Bush relies on information of the CIA, the US secret service that doubts the peaceful use of Iran’s nuclear program and tries to demonstrate this with all kinds of sources. One of these sources is a mysterious Iranian laptop. The computer with allegedly secret military data fell into the hands of the CIA supposedly in the middle of 2004 “from an Iranian source over many years.” The laptop, the “New York Times” reported in November in an exclusive front-page article, contains studies on the most important elements of a nuclear warhead. The renowned US paper referred to unnamed government officials.
ARTICLE ABOUT IRANIAN LAPTOP CAUSES SENSATION
The report made headlines around the globe eleven days before an important meeting of the governors of the international Nuclear Energy Organization (IAEO). In Germany, the story was told several times with appeals to the “New York Times.” The data is “the strongest evidence” for a secret Iranian nuclear weapon program, it was said.
US EXPERTS: NO REFERENCES TO NUCLEAR WEAPON PLANS
David Albright, director of the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) in Washington and sharp critic of the Iranian nuclear program, was one of the few scientists who evaluated the contents of the laptop. In an interview with “Report Mainz,” he said: “These documents contain no information about a nuclear weapon or nuclear warhead. The terms `nuclear,’ `nuclear weapon’ and `nuclear warhead’ are never mentioned in the documents.”
“NEW YORK TIMES” REFUSES CORRECTION
Albright regards the report of the “New York Times” as a “misleading error.” The description of Iranian scientists making plans for nuclear warheads is “exaggerated.” Albright who also worked as a UN nuclear weapons inspector and was questioned several times in the US Congress as an expert for nuclear weapons urged the “New York Times” in November 2005 to a “correction.” “I believe you made a serious mistake. The New York Times should correct that.”
The editors made a gesture of refusal. In an e-mail to Albright, the “New York Times” answered: “We only quoted the Bush administration that claimed the Iranian studies showed the long efforts to build a nuclear warhead.”
ALBRIGHT SEES MEDIA CAMPAIGN AGAINST IRAN
Albright assumed that US government circles deliberately floated the falsified report in the “New York Times” to generate political pressure. In view of the disaster with false secret service information on the eve of the Iraq war, the US government is careful and does not want to accuse Iran in public with exaggerated charges. Washington knew the information was untrue, the nuclear weapons expert said. The Bush administration plays the story to the media who provide the exaggerated spin. Then the US government quotes the media.
A GERMAN EXPERT ALSO SEES A CONNECTION
Otfried Nassauer, director of the Berlin Information Center for Transatlantic Security also sees a connection between important IAEO meetings and new accusations against Iran in the media. “Since 2003, since the dispute with Iran became more intense, new suspicions against Iran have been regularly spread through diplomats or the media in the last ten to 14 days before important meetings of the Vienna nuclear boards. This information obviously affects negotiations and the climate.
By Thomas Reutter, SWR Stuttgart, “Report Mainz”
[This article published in: SWR, Stuttgart, January 2006 is translated from the German on the World Wide Web,
http://www.swr.de/nachrichten/-/id=396/nid=396/did=1055842/125ah09/index.html.] A report of the ARD magazine “Report Mainz” casts a new light on the nuclear dispute with Iran. One link in the chain of evidence of the US government against Teheran’s nuclear program is an Iranian laptop that allegedly contained data for building a nuclear warhead. However a US nuclear weapons expert found no evidence for that in the computer documents.
In the nuclear conflict with Iran, the two main rivals are obviously uncompromising enemies. The Iranian president Mahmud Ahmadinedschad insists that the nuclear program is peaceful. “Nuclear energy is our right and we will resist all pressure until this right is realized.” On the other hand, US president George W. Bush sees Teheran’s attempt to develop nuclear weapons in the Iranian nuclear program. For him, “the world cannot allow the Iranian regime to acquire nuclear weapons.”
“NEW YORK TIMES”: NUCLEAR WEAPONS PLANS IN A LAPTOP
Bush relies on information of the CIA, the US secret service that doubts the peaceful use of Iran’s nuclear program and tries to demonstrate this with all kinds of sources. One of these sources is a mysterious Iranian laptop. The computer with allegedly secret military data fell into the hands of the CIA supposedly in the middle of 2004 “from an Iranian source over many years.” The laptop, the “New York Times” reported in November in an exclusive front-page article, contains studies on the most important elements of a nuclear warhead. The renowned US paper referred to unnamed government officials.
ARTICLE ABOUT IRANIAN LAPTOP CAUSES SENSATION
The report made headlines around the globe eleven days before an important meeting of the governors of the international Nuclear Energy Organization (IAEO). In Germany, the story was told several times with appeals to the “New York Times.” The data is “the strongest evidence” for a secret Iranian nuclear weapon program, it was said.
US EXPERTS: NO REFERENCES TO NUCLEAR WEAPON PLANS
David Albright, director of the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) in Washington and sharp critic of the Iranian nuclear program, was one of the few scientists who evaluated the contents of the laptop. In an interview with “Report Mainz,” he said: “These documents contain no information about a nuclear weapon or nuclear warhead. The terms `nuclear,’ `nuclear weapon’ and `nuclear warhead’ are never mentioned in the documents.”
“NEW YORK TIMES” REFUSES CORRECTION
Albright regards the report of the “New York Times” as a “misleading error.” The description of Iranian scientists making plans for nuclear warheads is “exaggerated.” Albright who also worked as a UN nuclear weapons inspector and was questioned several times in the US Congress as an expert for nuclear weapons urged the “New York Times” in November 2005 to a “correction.” “I believe you made a serious mistake. The New York Times should correct that.”
The editors made a gesture of refusal. In an e-mail to Albright, the “New York Times” answered: “We only quoted the Bush administration that claimed the Iranian studies showed the long efforts to build a nuclear warhead.”
ALBRIGHT SEES MEDIA CAMPAIGN AGAINST IRAN
Albright assumed that US government circles deliberately floated the falsified report in the “New York Times” to generate political pressure. In view of the disaster with false secret service information on the eve of the Iraq war, the US government is careful and does not want to accuse Iran in public with exaggerated charges. Washington knew the information was untrue, the nuclear weapons expert said. The Bush administration plays the story to the media who provide the exaggerated spin. Then the US government quotes the media.
A GERMAN EXPERT ALSO SEES A CONNECTION
Otfried Nassauer, director of the Berlin Information Center for Transatlantic Security also sees a connection between important IAEO meetings and new accusations against Iran in the media. “Since 2003, since the dispute with Iran became more intense, new suspicions against Iran have been regularly spread through diplomats or the media in the last ten to 14 days before important meetings of the Vienna nuclear boards. This information obviously affects negotiations and the climate.
Thomas Reutter
e-mail:
mbatko@lycos.com
Homepage:
http://www.mbtranslations.com
Comments
Hide the following 3 comments
in this case 'evidence' is a STRAW MAN
15.02.2006 17:10
Are the Iranians TOO BLACK to own the same weapons as the Israelis? Are the Iranians TOO MUSLIM to own the same weapons as the French? Are the Iranians TOO ARAB to own the same weapons as the Indians?
By definition, there is NO evidence against Iran, dubious or otherwise, unless you consider the Iranian involvement in the Iraq and Afghanistan invasions, but then those are crimes that Iran shares with Blair, Bush, and many of the other nations of the Globe.
Remember, those that post on 'evidence' against Iran, regardless of circumstance, are on the side of Blair and his coming War with Iran, and are most certainly on the side of Israeli nuclear weapons (which include fusion bombs, since the zionists were not satisfied until they were given -by the UK/France/US - weapon tech that can wipe out most of the Earth's population).
twilight
'evidence'
15.02.2006 21:42
jimmy
USA Today Spins Iran Poll
16.02.2006 05:54
There is something very bogus about this story. It starts out with percentages about how many Americans believe they were lied to about Iraq([search]), Bush([search])'s low approval numbers, concerns about reckless militarism in Iran, then suddenly, claims these same people are convinced Iran is a nuclear threat to the US and Israel, and most tellingly, quits using percentages and starts speaking of "six out of ten" and "eight out of ten" as if that one section was written by another person entirely!
This is a classic tactic of misdirection, and according to human psychology, if people believe that others think a certain way, they are more inclined to think that way themselves. Think media polling and elections.
Poll: Americans fear Iran will develop, use nukes
By Susan Page, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — Americans are deeply worried about the possibility that Iran will develop nuclear weapons and use them against the USA, a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll finds, but they also fear that the Bush administration will be "too quick" to order military action against Iran.
A protester walks on a burning U.S flag during a demonstration Saturday in Tehran. A protester walks on a burning U.S flag during a demonstration Saturday in Tehran.
AP
Nearly 7 of 10 of those surveyed over the weekend say they are concerned that the United States will move prematurely to use force, but they also seem to recognize the quandary that policymakers face. There is almost as much concern that the Bush administration won't do enough to prevent Iran from gaining a nuclear arsenal. (Related item: Poll results)
"People see no easy answers ... and the limits of our power," says Richard Eichenberg, a political scientist at Tufts University who studies war and public opinion. "The Muslim world is in an uproar over the Danish cartoons (portraying the prophet Mohammed), Iran is quite vocal in challenging us, and Iraq continues to be a drip-drip-drip of daily violence."
Eichenberg says all that is eroding President Bush's standing, too. Among those polled, 55% say they lack confidence in the administration's ability to handle the situation in Iran. And Bush's approval rating has dipped to 39%, the first time below 40% since November, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
The State of the Union address and a series of speeches in recent weeks have failed to bolster views of the president or his actions:
• A 55% majority say the war in Iraq was a mistake. Just 31%, a record low since the question has been asked, say the United States and its allies are winning there.
• By 50%-47%, Americans say the administration was wrong to allow wiretapping of international communications involving terrorism suspects without obtaining court warrants.
• 51% say the federal government isn't doing enough to rebuild Katrina-damaged areas.
"It suggests that he's pretty much down to his core supporters out there ... and everyone else has left," says Richard Stoll, a political scientist at Rice University.
Dana Perino, deputy White House press secretary, says Bush is "focused on the priorities Americans care about most, not the weekly snapshot of polls."
Bush is "acting to make America safer by taking the fight to the terrorists and working with international partners to prevent the Iranian regime from getting nuclear weapons capability," she says.
There is little doubt among Americans about Iran's intentions. Eight of 10 predict Iran would provide a nuclear weapon to terrorists who would use it against the USA or Israel, and almost as many say the Iranian government itself would use nuclear weapons against Israel. Six of 10 say the Iranian government would deploy nuclear weapons against the USA.
More than two-thirds agree that economic and diplomatic efforts should be used now, but Americans divide 45%-45% over whether the United States should take military action if diplomacy fails.
Iran insists its nuclear program is for such peaceful uses as providing energy, but U.S. and other world leaders are skeptical. The International Atomic Energy Agency voted this month to report Iran to the United Nations Security Council for possible sanctions. In the poll, 51% aren't confident about the U.N.'s ability to handle the Iran situation.
Asked about the Mohammed cartoons, 6 of 10 say the European newspapers that published them acted irresponsibly. By a 3-to-1 ratio, however, they blame the resulting furor on Muslims' intolerance of different points of views, not Westerners' lack of respect for Islam.
By 57%-33%, they say the American media have an obligation to show controversial items that are newsworthy even if they offend the religious views of some people.
Giving Iran the 'Iraq Treatment'