Who is paying these consultants to demonize Iran????

[TexasLawyer]

I was poking around on Google to see how bloggers, etc, were reacting to the Fox show promoting airstrikes on Iran, and I found this site for SP Consulting, a media consultancy that will provide it's paying clients with made-to-order demonization of Iran.

I'd love to see SPC's client list-- I'll bet at least one is the U.S. government itself.

http://www.spconsulting.us/

Strategic Policy Consulting, Inc. (SPC) is an independent firm, founded to provide a wide range of consultancy on issues related to terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, Iranian internal and external affairs, as well as Iran’s role in Iraq.

Here are just some of SPC's 2004 "Interviews and Commentaries." All on Fox-- go figure!

Is Iran's Nuke's program more advanced than we thought? (Yes!)
Fox News Live 2/05/05

Who Can Steal the Outcome of the Iraqi Elections? (Iran!)
Fox Commentary 1/18/05

Iran Enemy Number One? (Yes!)
Fox News 12/20/04

Fox News Heartland
Fox News 12/18/04

IAEA Watchdog
Fox News 12/13/04

Special Report with Brit Hume
Fox News 12/02/04

Do Satellite Photos Prove Iran is Creating Nuke Weapons? (Yes!)
Fox News Live 12/02/04

Iranian Intentions? (They're up to no good!)
Fox News 11/26/04
Watch the Video

A Look at Developments in Iran’s Nuclear Program
Fox News with Studio B 11/25/04

An Eye on Iran
Fox News 11/23/04

Eye on Iran
Fox & Friends 11/20/04

Diplomats Say Iran is Producing Nuke Gas
Fox News with Studio B 11/19/04

Is Iran playing a Shell Game Over its Nuclear Capabilities? (Yes!)
Fox News Live 11/18/04

US Intelligence Studies Zarqawi’s Tracks in Iran
Fox News Live with Rita Cosby 10/17/04

How to Prevent Iran from Getting the Bomb?
Fox News with John Kasich 10/02/04

Atomic Anxiety over Iran
Fox News Live 9/12/04

Worries about Iran's Nuclear Weapons Program
Fox News with John Gibson 9/08/04

Iran's Nuclear Concern
Fox News Live 9/06/04

Iran and Nukes
Fox & Friends 8/21/04

The Iranian Factor
Fox & Friends 8/17/04

Iran's Missile Test
Fox News Live 8/11/04

Iran has taken over Iraq's boarder positions
Fox News Live 7/27/04

Iran is closer to getting a bomb
Fox News with Studio B 7/22/04

Iran and Al-Qaeda Link
Fox News with Rita Cosby 7/17/04 (PDF)

Iran's role in 9/11 tragedy
Fox News Interview 7/17/04 (PDF)

Iraq Threatened by Extremists
Fox News Interview 7/05/04


******************
It looks as if SP Consulting can provide full-service war-mongering to whomever crosses their collective palms with sufficient silver. They advertise themselves as qualified to opine upon (demonize} Iran on many fronts. Apparently, Fox uses this outfit to provide their news analysis on Iran, such as it is.

http://www.spconsulting.us/research-speaking.htm

SPC Inc. provides speakers for expert testimony at congressional hearings and briefings; presentations at international economical seminars and conferences as well as lectures at universities and academic institutions.

These presentations and testimonies include the following subjects:

- Islamic fundamentalism and its threat to world peace

- Iranian regime’s role in Iraqi affairs

- Iran’s nuclear weapons program

- Iran’s ambitious missile program

- Iran’s terror network

- Iran’s foreign policy

- Iran’s internal situation

- Policies, composition and nature of the ruling religious theocrats

- Student movement in Iran

- Iranian opposition groups

- Human rights situation

- Plight of women in Iran

[RandomKoolzip]

1. Any idea who the head of this organization is?

[Joebert]

3. Well, he doesn't have an IT dept.

The domain is registered under his name.

I wonder if he's the only employee.

His email used to register the domain is a yahoo address, he's based in Arlington, VA.

[stillcool]

2. I wonder if Mr. Alireza Jafarzadeh....

and Mr. Chalabi are related. Judith Miller probably knows.

[Gyre]

4. AIPAC

is where I'd put my money if we're placing bets. At least 50% of it.

Gyre

[DoYouEverWonder]

11. Then put the other half

on Free Republic Network. That's who is behind folks like Joe Corsi.

[ragin_acadian]

5. this would be a good investigation, send it to Conyers!

we are just now learning the extent that hill & knowlton meddled in iraq I - teaching kuwaiti embassadors daughters to lie in front of congress on events that didnt' happen while she wasn't there, then manipulating the press to believe that kuwaitis living under months of occupation could show up at a staged photo op with bona-fide plastic american flags...en masse.

gotta watch out for that shit - thanks TexasLawyer!

[TexasLawyer]

6. You're right, thanks

Especially after looking into this guy's background a bit. He seems like the Iranian equivalent of Chalabi, or perhaps even the Iranian equivalent of "Curveball."

Here's something I found posted on him. Can't vouch for its accuracy, but very interesting and probably worth looking into.

http://64.233.187.104/search?q=cache:CxaMPDhssU4J:www.activistchat.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php%3Ft%3D1886+Alireza+Jafarzadeh&hl=en

Joined: 11 Aug 2004 samicat
Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2004 12:46 am Post subject: AliReza Jafarzadeh is a TERRORIST SUPPORTER

AliReza Jafarzadeh is the spokesman for the National Council of Resistance, also known as the MEK, an Iranian Islamist-Marxist cult that is designated around the world as a terrorist organization. The MEK supported the mullahs in Iran and later sided with Saddam. And now they serve the Neocons - which is why Alireza Jafarzadeh is on Fox.

However bad the mullahs of Iran may be, the MEK is 10,000 times worse.

[TexasLawyer]

12. Alireza Jafarzadeh says on his site that he consults with Congress

and "agencies." Federal U.S. agencies perhaps? Interesting, since MEK is classified as a terrorist organization. Again, I think we need to know whether U.S. taxpayer dollars are being funneled into this war-pimp's bank account.

The SPC home page says that
SPC's services include:

consultancy to institutions, agencies, and the Congress;

offering speakers for hearings, briefings, seminars, conferences, and university lectures;

providing analysis and information to the media;

research on desired issues or projects.

Drawing on experience, knowledge, and first hand information, the SPC team members have proven most helpful in areas most crucial to global security, peace and human rights.

For nearly two decades, SPC members have worked professionally with the US Congress, media, agencies, institutions and universities in order to provide reliable and realistic analysis, policy suggestions, and research on relevant issues. The SPC staff has effectively combined skill and knowledge with a deep understanding of global issues to meet the ever-changing international and regional challenges.

[funflower]

7. Alireza Jafarzadeh

Jafarzadeh, the "president" of SPC, sounds like a very shady character. Here are a couple of links about him:

http://www.sw-asia.com/People/Bio983.htm

http://www.iran-interlink.org/files/info/Jafarzadeh%20bio.htm

[funflower]

8. Jafarzadeh and the "National Council of Resistance of Iran"

Couple more links:

Here's the bio on Jafarzadeh from his own SPC site, mentioning his work for the National Council of Resistance of Iran:
C:\WINNT\Profiles\bps\Desktop\SPC STRATEGIC POLICY CONSULTING, INC.htm

An article from National Review Online (!) saying the State Deparment calls NCRI a front group for the People's Mujahedin of Iran, a terrorist group supported by Saddam Hussein.

http://www.nationalreview.com/25mar02/dealey032502.shtml

[TexasLawyer]

9. Democrats were being duped by the MEK

says National Review in 2002. Thanks for the great link.

NOW, of course, the MEK has been totally rehabilitated and is the best friend of the neo-cons.

[TexasLawyer]

10. Alternet article on MEK

http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/20739/

In Bed with Terrorists

By Laura Rozen, AlterNet. Posted December 16, 2004.

Hell-bent on regime change in Iran, some neoconservative hawks are lobbying the Bush administration to support an organization designated as a terrorist group by the State Department.


<snip>

Terrorists We Tolerate

Founded as an Iranian leftist group in the 1960s with Marxist and Islamist leanings, the MEK participated in the 1979 revolution to overthrow the U.S.-backed Shah. But in 1981, the MEK broke with Iran's post-revolutionary leaders and decamped first to France (where it still has a large following), and then in 1986, to Iraq, where the group fought with Saddam Hussein against fellow Iranians during the Iran-Iraq war. They also served as shock troops to put down the rebelling Iraqi Shias in the wake of the first Gulf War. The MEK was also responsible for numerous attacks on Iranian embassies and assassination of Iranian officials carried out by the group in Europe and Iran in the 1990s.

Thanks to this bloody track record, the MEK/NCRI is widely despised by fellow Iranians, including other Iranian dissident groups that are working to overthrow Iran's clerical rulers. Their history with regard to the United States is just as unsavory. When the State Department designated the MEK and the NCRI as terrorist organizations in 1997, it cited the group's involvement in attacks during the 1970s on U.S. military contractors in Iran, and more importantly, in the 1979 takeover of the U.S. embassy in Tehran.

<snip>

Just as confused has been the U.S. relationship to the NCRI in Washington. While the U.S. government's official line about the MEK has been that "a terrorist is a terrorist is a terrorist," Washington hardly treats NCRI members the same way as it would, say, Hamas. Former NCRI spokesman Alireza Jafarzadeh is highly visible in the media – often serving as an expert commentator on Fox News Channel – and frequently attends Iran-related events in D.C. held by conservative think tanks. Neoconservative guru Richard Perle spoke at a charity fundraiser organized by an MEK front group last January to benefit victims of the earthquake in Van, Iran. He later told the Washington Post that he was unaware of MEK's involvement – a claim that's hard to swallow since Perle's fellow keynote speaker at the event was MEK leader Maryam Rajavi, who addressed the audience via videophone from Paris.

Iraq Redux?

Despite the organization's cult-like reputation and sordid human rights record, some neoconservatives remain steadfast in their support for the MEK. One of the arguments most often cited by its supporters is its alleged capacity to deliver highly specific intelligence on Iran's nuclear program – information that the MEK claims it receives from an underground network of well-placed sources inside Iran.

<snip>