Was Sy Hersch used by Administration for propaganda purposes??

[kentuck]

I know that he is one of the most respected investigative journalists around today, but the Iran story had a bit of stench to it, in my opinion. First of all, it is a bombshell of a story to report that our country is getting ready to drop a nuclear bomb on Iran. One would expect the Administration to answer immediately such charges. But they did not. They waited for a couple of days before Dubya announced before the college students yesterday that it was all "wild speculation". They waited until the propaganda had time to take hold, it seems to me. They didn't want to dispute it until it had time to reach the Iranians. It was meant to be a scare tactic. They want Iran to stop their interference in Iraq because it is making George Bush and the Republicans look like losers in their preemptive war against Saddam. It is a propaganda ploy created out of futility. And I think they may have used Sy Hersch to spread it?

[demnan]

1. I doubt it

I don't think Sy is a guy who is easily used. I think they have had plans in mind for Iran for a very long time. This story "broke" but was it really a surprise?

[11cents]

9. He just addressed that in his interview on WBUR

He said he was of course aware of the possibility, but his sources for this story are people he's dealt with for years. Really, with his track record he deserves more respect; he's not someone who's going to be gulled by some punk who's just stepped out of the White House.

[kentuck]

19. He has a wonderful track record...

But he is not reporting on the same type of criminal propagandists as in the past. This is not just some punk that stepped out of the White House. We tend to underestimate our opponents.

[11cents]

21. He's perfectly aware of who he's reporting on

He's been sounding the alarm for years. And I repeat, he said that his sources are people he knows well. Really, I don't think he's that much dumber than the average DU poster, do you?

[kentuck]

23. You obviously trust his sources ...

without question.

[Junkdrawer]

24. Look at the details of the story - he and the Pentagon could be used...

Sy says that in the course of contingency planning, the Nuclear Option is often included, but removed at a certain point. The Pentagon did their usual "Walk Back" thing and then the White House puts it back in.

The Pentagon freaks and drops a dime to Sy Hersh. You could pretty much count on that.

Sy Hersh writes a detailed article. You could pretty much count on that, too.

Then the MSM is told "Get this guy on EVERYWHERE".

And the damed thing is that the Pentagon and Sy would have to go with the story even if they suspect they are being used - it's just too big.

[mattclearing]

2. Are we even certain Iran is interfering in Iraq?

This meme has been going around quite a bit, but since no journalists can get around in Iraq, the only real source for this seems to be our military and corporate media.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

3. No. Remember that he said that there were those who were in the military

that would resign if the plan wasn't withdrawn.

[Boo Boo]

12. Exactly. This seems like pretty solid proof that Bush, Cheney, and Rummy

are nuts, because if all they were doing was saber rattling there wouldn't be any problem. If senior people are threatening to resign that means they believe the plans are dead serious.

They would know if it was just a ploy.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

25. Thank you for expounding on my terse response! I was just waking

up and couldn't get my thoughts into as many words as I would have liked to!

Peace.

[kpete]

4. NO

[Junkdrawer]

5. What has my suspicions up is the SIZE of the megaphone Sy has...

The corporate media seems to be all on the same page and is giving Sy a huge and relatively unmolested voice on this.

[kentuck]

7. But why?

The MSM supports this war, right?

[Junkdrawer]

8. I think LisaLynne is on the right track...

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

[kentuck]

16. That would make sense....

Psychological propaganda.

[cali]

15. No. The MSM is not a

monolithic structure. Some parts of it support a war. Others don't.

[leftchick]

6. no, and as Sy said

they aren't that clever.

[Junkdrawer]

11. The best actresses play the Dumb Blonde...

Yes, they are that clever...

[TexasLawyer]

10. I don't think so

Seymour Hersh gave a similar report in December of last year (sans nuke reference, but all about how the US was planning airstrikes on Iranian targets and already had US commandos in country).

Hersh has been in the biz a long time and has cultivated long term, trusted sources. He has heard from them, and also from new military sources coming out of the wood work.

This whole thing is for real.

[radwriter0555]

13. What ? the bush regime use wild stories to distract, subvert and deviate

the public attention from it's crimes and felonies?

There is NO WAY IN HELL they would EVER DO THAT.

They're the regime er administration of truth, justice, dignity and the American Way.

[hedgehog]

14. I think the military is using Hersch to stop Bush

This is the emergency flare being sent up to the American people that we need to stop this entire Administration now before we are dragged into a war that we don't need and don't want.

[Justitia]

22. DING! DING! We have a winner!

When Sy writes / speaks, I pay attention.

Remember, this is the man who got the world's attention about the My Lai Massacre and the Abu Gharib torture - military atrocities.

There are obviously folks in the military who trust that they can go to him and be heard.

[donkeyotay]

17. It may be a planned scare tactic. I was a bit suspicious to see Leslie

Blitzer air the story with little criticism. Many here have said it's just saber-rattling propaganda. But the point for me is that bush COULD do it. We have to take his word for it that his real tactic is negotiation... yeah, that sounds totally plausible after the way he took us to war in Iraq. So, whether Hersh is being used or not, the threat that bush will do something spectacularly stupid is real. (And it may not be very good propaganda if it scares the citizens of America more than the leadership of Iran.)

[Beelzebud]

18. Propaganda works to HELP government image.

Not destroy it. So no, I don't think Mr Hersch was used...

[stevietheman]

20. Maybe it caught the Bush Regime by surprise?

Recall other events that the Bush Regime hadn't planned on... it usually takes them several days to cook up a response to those.