Pentagon refutes report over new espionage unit (rummy's SS)

[leftchick]

http://english.eastday.com/eastday/englishedition/world/userobject1ai819371.html

The US Defense Department refuted on Sunday a news report in The Washington Post that the Pentagon has created a new espionage arm and is interpreting US law to give Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld broad authority over clandestine operations abroad.
"There is no unit that is directly reportable to the Secretary of Defense for clandestine operations as is described in the Washington Post article of January 23, 2005" and the department "is not attempting to 'bend' statutes to fit desired activities," Pentagon spokesman Lawrence DiRita said in a statement.

The Post, quoting interviews with participants and documents itobtained, reported on Sunday the Pentagon has created a previouslyundisclosed organization, called the Strategic Support Branch, which arose from Rumsfeld's written order to end his "near total dependence on CIA" for what it known as human intelligence.

The report said the unit, which was designed to operate withoutdetection and under the defense secretary's direct control, deploys small teams of case officers, linguists, interrogators andtechnical specialists alongside newly empowered special operationsforces and has been operating in secret for two years, in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places.

The Strategic Support Branch was created to provide Rumsfeld with independent tools for the "full spectrum of humint operations," the report said, quoting an internal account of its origin and mission.

[Mike Niendorff]

1. note: "denied" is not the same as "refuted"

The headline states "refuted", whereas the body itself only says that they issued a denial. Big difference.


MDN

[ally_sc]

6. maybe bush hierarchy

depending on the ignorance of many...actually as it turns out we are way smarter than they think...

[annabanana]

7. ya think?

standard operating procedure. Unfortunately the tactic has had a pretty good track record.

Well it's sure time for THAT to stop.

[sweetheart]

2. Ha! When the pentagon only lies... its a bit rich

Come on boys, you can't have it both ways. Either you are a lying
bunch of bullshitters in a misinformation war, or you are credible with
the truth... and it seems rather the former. :-)

I can't believe they expect people to believe them when they do nothing
but talk shit. Bullshit... why even bother speaking... LIARS.

[cornermouse]

3. Question is

Do we believe them? I think not.

[Swamp Rat]

4. The new, Rummy approved "SSB."

[annabanana]

5. "no unit DIRECTLY reportable.........."

This is the "weasle word" in their answer.
(Maybe they leave notes for each other in a Pentagon bathroom)

[DoYouEverWonder]

8. Or they report to Wolfowitz

who then reports to Rummie.

[Ganja Ninja]

9. Would these be the anthrax mailers? n/t

[Pert_UK]

10. No they didn't....

As per Mike Niendorff's comment above, there's a big difference between refuting something (disproving it) and rejecting or denying it.

It really pisses me off when reporters don't understand the difference.

"Michael Jackson refuted all charges against him...."

Well if that's the case, the trial would be dropped....

[zanana]

11. Aren't they supposed to deny a clandestine operation?

Isn't this the "disinformation" Rumsfeld talked about when we were still in shock over 9/11?

[Gman]

12. Knee jerk lies

for the sake of a lie.