US intelligence fears Iran duped hawks into Iraq war

[CShine]

An urgent investigation has been launched in Washington into whether Iran played a role in manipulating the US into the Iraq war by passing on bogus intelligence through Ahmad Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress, it emerged yesterday. Some intelligence officials now believe that Iran used the hawks in the Pentagon and the White House to get rid of a hostile neighbour, and pave the way for a Shia-ruled Iraq.

According to a US intelligence official, the CIA has hard evidence that Mr Chalabi and his intelligence chief, Aras Karim Habib, passed US secrets to Tehran, and that Mr Habib has been a paid Iranian agent for several years, involved in passing intelligence in both directions. The CIA has asked the FBI to investigate Mr Chalabi's contacts in the Pentagon to discover how the INC acquired sensitive information that ended up in Iranian hands. The implications are far-reaching. Mr Chalabi and Mr Habib were the channels for much of the intelligence on Iraqi weapons on which Washington built its case for war.

"It's pretty clear that Iranians had us for breakfast, lunch and dinner," said an intelligence source in Washington yesterday. "Iranian intelligence has been manipulating the US for several years through Chalabi."

Larry Johnson, a former senior counter-terrorist official at the state department, said: "When the story ultimately comes out we'll see that Iran has run one of the most masterful intelligence operations in history. They persuaded the US and Britain to dispose of its greatest enemy."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1224075,00....

[SandyUSA]

1. I repeat: This is a setup for a US attack on Iran

It is discussed in other threads.

[LondonAmerican]

2. The neocons who pushed this war

knew exactly what they doing. And it wasn't serving Iran's interests... This stinks to high heaven of yet another setup.

[mazzarro]

3. Folks, wait a minute here!

Did Iran write up the PNAC manifesto? Did Iran con the neocons? I do not believe this crap for a minute! This damn thing was conceived and delivered in the bowels of the neocon lairs in the US. If Iran got involved at all, it did so when it came upon an already moving train and took advantage of what was available.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

4. No, of course not. We know that PNAC dreamed this up.

Iran just gave it the ammo itneeded to sell it.

Don't forget these clowns tried to convience the BigDog to go to war at least once. I suspect they did not because the Intel world did not back up their silly claims. In other words, they had to come up with some way to make the case.

Enter Chalabi, and Iran. With whom, do not forget, these people had shady dealings behind President Carter's back over hostages to steal the election of 1980.

But sit back and think about this. If even partially true, this is a much worse indictment of these clowns.

[Alerter_]

10. I think you're right

Iran has been a part of the plan since day one, and the fight over their nuclear program is a big fight right now between the US, EU, and Russia.

[truthisfreedom]

5. whatever. this is just plausible denial bull*hit.

who gives a hoot what these people say when we've known for over a decade what the neocons wanted to do. the truth is there is another country behind why we invaded Iraq, and nobody wants to say who it is.

[Strive to be Dust]

6. Chalabi volunteered for this

Memories are short indeed.
1) When Chalabi as much as admitted that he had passed on bogus intelligence, he claimed that he would be willing to take a fall for the bush admin.
2) Plans for the Iraq invasion existed before the 2000 election.
3) Bush I has had repeated contacts with the current Iranian govt. since at least 1980. Has everyone forgotten the real scandal behind Iran-Contra?

If anyone is being duped it's the US voting/tax-paying public.

[Dr Fate]

7. This looks like the work of Emanuel Goldstien!!

DAMN THEM- always fooling us into doing stuff- we'll get them YET!!!

[Disturbed]

8. A few have said Israel

pushed hard for the Iraq invasion. Why would anyone but Bushco cult members dispute that. Read PNAC, please.

[teryang]

9. Everyone is scrambling for cover

The Iranians did it!

They fooled us into invading the heart of the Islamic world and occupying it.

[Earth_First]

11. Ever notice that it's never "OUR" fault?

I agree with the above poster, however. I believe the Iraq war is a 'strategic' attempt at infiltrating the entire Middle East.

[Moderator]

12. Duplicate topic, please discuss here, thanks

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...