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Operation Merlin: Bill Clinton and CIA Blunder Gave Iran Blueprints for Nuclear Bomb
californiachronicle. ^ | April 14, 2006 -- relevant again | Jim Kouri, CPP

Posted on 11/03/2006 12:34:25 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach

Last night, radio talk show host and former US Justice Department official Mark Levin shocked many listeners when he reported that President Bill Clinton gave nuclear technology to the Iranians in a harebrained scheme.

He said that the transfer of classified data to Iran was personally approved by then-President Clinton and that the CIA deliberately gave Iranian physicists blueprints for part of a nuclear bomb that likely helped Tehran advance its nuclear weapons development program.

The CIA, using a double-agent Russian scientist, handed a blueprint for a nuclear bomb to Iran, according to a new book "State of War" by James Risen, the New York Times reporter, who exposed the Bush administration's controversial NSA spying operation, claims the plans contained fatal flaws designed to derail Tehran's nuclear drive.

But the deliberate errors were so rudimentary they would have been easily fixed by sophisticated Russian nuclear scientists, the book said.

The operation, which took place during the Clinton administration in early 2000, was code named Operation Merlin and "may have been one of the most reckless operations in the modern history of the CIA," according to Risen.

It called for the unnamed scientist, a defector from the Soviet nuclear program, to offer Iran the blueprint for a "firing set" -- the intricate mechanism which triggers the chain reaction needed for a nuclear explosion.

He had been told by CIA officers that the Iranians already had the technology detailed in the plans and that the ruse was simply an attempt by the agency to find out the full scope of Tehran's nuclear knowledge.

But, contrary to orders not to open the packet, he added a note which made it clear he could help fix the flaws for money.

Risen states in his book, "It's not clear who originally came up with the idea, but the plan [to give Tehran nuclear blueprints] was first approved by Clinton."

This is just another chapter in the Bill Clinton saga of giving weapons technology to enemies of the United States. He's provided missile technology to the Chinese, which increased the accuracy of their ballistic missiles, and he provided nuclear technology to the North Koreans that eventually enabled them to develop nuclear weapons.

Risen said the Clinton-approved plan ended up handing Tehran "one of the greatest engineering secrets in the world, providing the solution to one of a handful of problems that separated nuclear powers such as the United States and Russia from rogue countries such as Iran that were desperate to join the nuclear club but had so far fallen short."

Mark Levin, director of the Landmark Legal Foundation, said that thanks to Clinton Iran was able to "leapfrog one of the last remaining engineering hurdles blocking its path to a nuclear weapon."

Ironically, Risen's New York Times has declined to cover Mr. Clinton's Iranian nuclear debacle -- concentrating instead on his book's dubious claims that the National Security Agency was first authorized to commence domestic wiretapping by President Bush, according to NewsMax and Levin.

NewsMax stated that Risen's report could also have a serious implications for Sen. Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign. Mrs. Clinton has been sharply critical of President Bush's handling of the Iranian nuclear crisis, complaining that a nuclear-armed Tehran would be a much more serious threat to the US than Iraq. However, NewsMax may be proven wrong about Sen. Clinton if the news media continue to ignore this story.

"Don't hold your breath waiting for the elite media to create a frenzy over this story. They will never hurt either Clintons with such a damning report," says former intelligence officer Sid Francis.


 

 

 

 

 



TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: cia; clintonfailures; clintonlegacy; clintonscandals; hillary; iran; iraniannukes; iraq; marklevin; russianspy; saddamnuke; talkradio; wmd
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1 posted on 11/03/2006 12:34:28 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
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To: All
Yesterday the NY Times published an article:

U.S. Web Archive Is Said to Reveal a Nuclear Primer

2 posted on 11/03/2006 12:37:54 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach (History is soon Forgotten,)
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To: tarheelswamprat; jveritas; NormsRevenge; Grampa Dave; SierraWasp; Marine_Uncle; blam; SunkenCiv; ...

Some history....


3 posted on 11/03/2006 12:38:48 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach (History is soon Forgotten,)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
OK, so Clinton armed the PRC AND Iran.

Beautiful. Hey, I'll bet the ex-POTUS was more destructive to this country than JOHN WALKER.

4 posted on 11/03/2006 12:39:21 PM PST by gaijin
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Good grief!


5 posted on 11/03/2006 12:40:14 PM PST by lilylangtree
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

--NewsMax stated that Risen's report could also have a serious implications for Sen. Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign.--

So this will come out again as a 2008 November Surprise.


6 posted on 11/03/2006 12:41:00 PM PST by rfp1234 (I've had it up to my keyster with these leaks!!! - - - Ronald Reagan)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
One silver lining: when the MSM spikes this story, the New Media will take it up in earnest.

The MSM death timetable will be stepped-up considerably....at least.

7 posted on 11/03/2006 12:41:13 PM PST by gaijin
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To: gaijin
Time for this:

******************

There is a book (now available in paperback ):

***********************

Unholy Alliance: Radical Islam and the American Left
(Hardcover)
by David Horowitz

********************************************************

And reviews:

****************************************

Editorial Reviews

Rich Lowry, Editor National Review

David Horowitz is synonymous with pyrotechnics. A historian and polemicist of the first order, he is paid the ultimate compliment --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Davis Hanson, Author, Ripples of Battle

An original look at those who want us to fail in the Middle East, both at home and abroad. The --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

***********************************************************

See all Editorial Reviews

Fascinating Analysis of Leftist Goals, August 13, 2006

Reviewer: N. Sincerity - See all my reviews

A former 1960s radical, Horowitz is well-acquainted with the Leftist mindset. In this book, he strives to explain the modern alliance between left wing progressivists and radical Islamofascists. He argues that this alliance is based on a common desire to destroy Western capitalism. Leftist sympathy with Islamofascist ideas makes no sense from an intellectual point of view, given that countries ruled by radical Islamists are among the most racist, sexist, theocratic states in the world today. However, Leftists have recognized that they can benefit politically from destructive terrorist attacks on the Western world. A West under attack can be made to turn on its leaders in fear and desperation (as they did in Spain after the Madrid train bombings). Only once people reject current government structures can the Left execute its anti-capitalist revolution and build a new reality that mirrors the Leftist view of utopia. The complete and utter idealogical hypocrisy of the Islamofascist-Leftist alliance is distressing, but as Horowitz reminds us, Leftists radicals truly believe the ends justify the means.

***************************************

8 posted on 11/03/2006 12:42:18 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach (History is soon Forgotten,)
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To: sofaman; tiredoflaundry; AliVeritas; defconw; Fudd Fan; Just Lori; IslandJeff; MarkLevinFan; ...

Levin Ping


9 posted on 11/03/2006 12:42:46 PM PST by llevrok (How can you plant the seed of freedom by pulling out early?)
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To: gaijin
Gotta love that Bubba!
10 posted on 11/03/2006 12:43:19 PM PST by blues_guitarist (I apologize to no one! . .. . . . . . . . .. Black conservative Christians arise!!)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

For all the talk about how complicated the firing block on a nuclear weapon is, nobody in the nuclear club (with the possible exception of North Korea) has had a first test of a nuclear device fail. All it is is a device that makes sure electrical impulses get to detonators at the correct time. It's about as complicated as a distributor cap. Why, a competent shade-tree mechanic could probably build one.


11 posted on 11/03/2006 12:45:17 PM PST by BeHoldAPaleHorse ( ~()):~)>)
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To: All
Earlier FR threads:

Saddam Surat #2 - Saddam Was Within 3 Months of A-Bomb Before Gulf War I
The Pasadena Pundit ^ | December 3, 2005 | Wayne Lusvardi

12 posted on 11/03/2006 12:45:53 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach (History is soon Forgotten,)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

I just told my classmates I hate that SOB. As if I need a reason to hate him even more...


13 posted on 11/03/2006 12:48:43 PM PST by Killborn (Pres. Bush isn't Pres. Reagan. Then again, Pres. Regan isn't Pres. Washington. God bless them all.)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Thank me, I'm welcome!


14 posted on 11/03/2006 12:49:02 PM PST by ichabod1 (Vote Republican -- if only to hear The Squealing of the Rats.)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
I recall some discussions from 1992, when the Arkansas bumpkin slithered onto the national scene. People were saying the same thing then as they are now - "we need change".....

Well, with the help of Ross Perot (twice) we had 8 years of CHANGE

And now the same folks are calling for 'change' again???????

15 posted on 11/03/2006 12:49:17 PM PST by ErieGeno
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To: BeHoldAPaleHorse

I thought Pakistan's first detonations were problematic (partial, due to timing errors).


16 posted on 11/03/2006 12:49:27 PM PST by gaijin
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To: All
Thread regarding a 1995 meeting with terrorists:

State-Sponsored Terrorism, Anyone? (Osama-Saddam)
American Spectator ^ | 3-31-06 | Laurie Mylroie with Ayad Rahim

17 posted on 11/03/2006 12:50:44 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach (History is soon Forgotten,)
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To: gaijin

Yep your right, so why is x-pres bj klinton out walking around????


18 posted on 11/03/2006 12:53:47 PM PST by HarleyLady27 (My ? to libs: "Do they ever shut up on your planet?" "Grow your own DOPE: Plant a LIB!")
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Excellent post, Ernest!

Too bad we won't be reading it in the NYT or LAT! LOL

BUMP FOR LATER READING!

Have a good weekend, ya'll!


19 posted on 11/03/2006 12:53:48 PM PST by kellynla (Freedom of speech makes it easier to spot the idiots! Semper Fi!)
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To: gaijin
I thought Pakistan's first detonations were problematic (partial, due to timing errors).

I'm told by a retired nuke-u-leer weapons designer that a timing problem would be a complete fizzle (fractional yield) for an unboosted nuke. If you get a significant partial yield with a timing problem, it means the weapon was boosted--and that in itself means that Pakistan's debut weapon was more advanced than anyone knew.

20 posted on 11/03/2006 12:54:31 PM PST by BeHoldAPaleHorse ( ~()):~)>)
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