On Monday the New York Post published a shocking report accusing Barack Obama of interfering in U.S. foreign policy and ongoing military operations in Iraq by directly calling upon the Iraqs to delay any agreement with the United States to aid his political campaign. In public Obama has campaigned under the banner of opposing the war in Iraq while in private he has actively sought to undermine the United States and extend it.This sort of thing has occurred before -- specifically, in 1968. That's a story for another time.
Today's story, alas, comes to us by way of Iranian journalist Amir Taheri, who is linked to the worst of the neocons. I've written about him on a number of previous occasions. He edited a French-language journal called Politique Internationale, which specialized in printing fake interviews. He spread an utterly false story about Iranian Jews being forced to wear identifying symbols. And he works with the notorious neocon PR firm Benador ("When you want war, call Benador!").
I don't like Obama, but Taheri's presence in this yarn makes me suspicious. To say the least.
5 comments:
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Obama smeared by Taheri on Iraq Troop Withdrawals;
Journalist Notorious for False Story on Iranian Jews;
Odierno Warns Iraq still Unstable
Amir Taheri, the rightwing Iranian 'journalist' who is the least accurate reporter to feign practicing journalism since Gutenberg invented movable metal type accused Barack Obama of seeking "a deal to delay US troops' from Iraq when he was in Baghdad last summer.
That makes no sense. The Iraqis have published their negotiating points, and they have been saying that they want a US withdrawal by 2010. That is virtually the same as Obama's plan, so it is highly unlikely that he was urging them to extend that timetable to 2011 or beyond. Taheri has garbled what Iraqi Foreign Minister Zebari told him.
The Obama campaign said,
'But Obama's national security spokeswoman Wendy Morigi said Taheri's article bore "as much resemblance to the truth as a McCain campaign commercial."
In fact, Obama had told the Iraqis that they should not rush through a "Strategic Framework Agreement" governing the future of US forces until after President George W. Bush leaves office, she said.
In the face of resistance from Bush, the Democrat has long said that any such agreement must be reviewed by the US Congress as it would tie a future administration's hands on Iraq.
"Barack Obama has never urged a delay in negotiations, nor has he urged a delay in immediately beginning a responsible drawdown of our combat brigades," Morigi said.'
Taheri can't get his facts right. He alleged in his piece that Iraq would form a new government after elections late this year. False. What are being planned are only provincial elections. The al-Maliki government is safe until early 2010 when the next round of parliamentary elections is scheduled to be held. Since al-Maliki has a stable constituency in the Shite south, 60% of the population, it is a little unlikely that he will be unseated.
Amir Taheri is the one who tried to get a false story started a couple of years ago that the Iranian government had passed a law requiring Iranian Jews to wear special clothing. The story was false and was denied by the Jewish member of the Iranian parliament. Taheri has a connection to the Neoconservative 'talent' agency, Benador Associates, whose clients helped get up the Iraq War.
If McCain trusts Taheri's account on this one, he is setting himself up for a fall.
posted by Juan Cole @ 9/17/2008
see: www.juancole.com
You've sunk so low with your blatant bigotry. That Post story was bullshit and you know it, but like the rest of your Republican bretheren, the truth has never stood in the way of good propaganda, right?
Do the species a favor and kill yourself. Better yet, tell me where you live and I'll come do it for you.
I let your comment go through, anon, to prove what beasts you Obots truly are.
Your ISP is logged. The police will be contacted.
But let's save us some trouble. Tell me YOUR address, you cowardly anonymous moptherfucker, and I may come to say Hi to YOU.
jan, I normally do not allow cut and paste pieces in the comments, but I do admire Juan Cole. I had already published a lot information on Taheri's credibility -- I hope you clicked on the link.
That said, this bit troubles me...
"In fact, Obama had told the Iraqis that they should not rush through a "Strategic Framework Agreement" governing the future of US forces until after President George W. Bush leaves office, she said."
Doesn't that count as interference? It's not what Taheri alleged, not by a long shot, but still, it IS questionable.
yes, jospeh it looks like a somewhat diluted form of october surprise
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