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Source of Powell's Iran intelligence under scrutiny
CNN ^ | November 19, 2004 | CNN

Posted on 11/19/2004 2:13:15 PM PST by ejdrapes

Source of Powell's Iran intelligence under scrutiny

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The source of intelligence used this week by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell to suggest Iran is working on a nuclear weapons program may not be reliable, knowledgeable sources told CNN Friday.

The issue surfaced when The National Council of Resistance of Iran -- which is on the U.S. State Department's list of terrorist organizations --revealed satellite photographs this week it said showed a hidden nuclear plant in Iran, allegations the Iranians denied.

"This allegation is timed to coincide with the next meeting of the board of governors of the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency]," Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Hussein Moussavian, said. "And every time just before the meeting there are these kind of allegations either from the United States or terrorist groups. And every time these allegations have proven to be false."

Powell, en route to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Santiago, Chile, told reporters he had seen intelligence that appears to "corroborate" the resistance group's information.

And the State Department stands by Powell's comments, saying the information he cited offered a "firm basis for his remarks."

"The secretary did not misspeak," deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said. "The secretary knows exactly what he was talking about. And there should be, I think, no question in our mind of casting doubt or walking it back."

"We believe there's solid information to substantiate clandestine Iranian efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction and delivery systems, and this is something we've been saying for quite some time," Ereli said, adding that the United States is on "very very solid ground" in pointing to such efforts.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cia; iaea; iran; irannukes; powell; proliferation
Gee, I wonder what the likes of David Frum and Frank Gaffney would say about this - being that it's coming from Powell and the State Department. Of course CNN would rather believe Iran's nuclear negotiator than the American government.
1 posted on 11/19/2004 2:13:15 PM PST by ejdrapes
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To: ejdrapes

Is this intel a slam dunk case, too?


2 posted on 11/19/2004 2:14:48 PM PST by GraniteStateConservative (...He had committed no crime against America so I did not bring him here...-- Worst.President.Ever.)
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To: ejdrapes
Consider the terrorist source.

CNN's MOTTO and CREED :

Ted Turner, June 18, 2002:
"So who are the terrorists?
I would make a case that both sides are involved in terrorism.
"

3 posted on 11/19/2004 2:15:12 PM PST by Diogenesis ("Then I say unto you, send men to summon ... worms. And let us go to Fallujah to collect heads.")
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To: ejdrapes

CNN, as ever, terrorism's advocate.


4 posted on 11/19/2004 2:16:14 PM PST by denydenydeny
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To: GraniteStateConservative
Is this intel a slam dunk case, too?

LOL!

Actually, the intel comes from a variety of sources, even the IAEA, even Rasfanjani said they were developing nukes to wipe out Israel, but not to fear, the Muslim world would only face "damages" in response.

CNN is framing the "intelligence" as coming from one source, supposedly suspect. But they are not satellite imaging experts, so who cares what they say? CNN is picking at what it perceives is the weakest link. Media mischief...but why?

5 posted on 11/19/2004 2:22:47 PM PST by Shermy
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To: ejdrapes
From the article;

"Now, I made a statement yesterday that said we had some information," Powell said. "I've seen some information, and the dissidents have put out more information, that suggests that the Iranians are also working on the designs one would have to have for putting such a warhead into a missile.

"This shouldn't be brand-new news. This shouldn't surprise anybody. If they had been working on a nuclear weapon and design a warhead, certainly they were also trying to figure out how they would deliver such a warhead."

So, CNN's jumping ahead of the pack to be the first to try to discredit the intel source. Jihadi butt-kissin' from the Communist News Network.

Prairie

6 posted on 11/19/2004 2:24:01 PM PST by prairiebreeze (Ted Rall is a waste of perfectly good oxygen.)
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To: Shermy

given recent history, i feel governments should be somewhat wary of relying on 'intelligence' from dodgy 'liberation' movements regardless of how much we would like to believe what they say.

kosovo and iraq spring to mind....


7 posted on 11/19/2004 2:27:34 PM PST by rogermellie
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To: ejdrapes
Guess they haven't checked with the AP...

Diplomats: Iran Readying Nuke Processes
8 posted on 11/19/2004 2:31:41 PM PST by jcb8199
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To: Shermy

Why?

For the same reason that they (well, not CNN then) derided and scoffed at the brilliant strategic vision of our greatest president, calling it Star Wars and then lapsing into fits of giggling.
How wonderful would it have been to fake horror, impotence and capitulation to Iran and N. Korea, and then shoot their first missile out of the sky? Instead, thanks to the media and the Democratic Congress, we're ten years behind schedule.


9 posted on 11/19/2004 2:37:22 PM PST by ironcitymike
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To: rogermellie
True, but I feel CNN is up to no good.

"This allegation is timed to coincide with the next meeting of the board of governors of the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency]," Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Hussein Moussavian, said.

Here CNN takes the word of IRAN's negotiator. The negotiator takes the damning evidence and lessens it because among the others who've spoken of it is this group.

CNN helps it along...

Powell, en route to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Santiago, Chile, told reporters he had seen intelligence that appears to "corroborate" the resistance group's information.

Here's CNN's big lie...they imply that the issue has to do with Iran's nuclear program. Not at all true. The ruckus has to do with the Washington Post article this morning solely dealing with this group's information that Iran is building a missile that could fly over 1000 miles and carry a nuke.

CNN spins it to imply the whole nuke program is at issue. Media mischief.

Now, if the info is suspect, it could be having to do with wanting to scare the Europeans, that Iran's missiles aim to reach their states. Bush II could face many problems if one matter is suspect.

10 posted on 11/19/2004 2:42:13 PM PST by Shermy
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To: ejdrapes
Discover all the major news on Iran – The Most Underreported Story Of The Year!

Click on the link above!

"If you want on or off this Iran ping list, Freepmail DoctorZin”


11 posted on 11/19/2004 2:54:21 PM PST by DoctorZIn (Until they are Free, "We shall all be Iranians!")
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To: Diogenesis
__________________________________________

Unholy Alliance

by David Horowitz
Hardcover - (September 2004) - $27.95

In this tour de force on the most important issue of our time, David Horowitz, confronts the paradox of how so many Americans, including the leadership of the Democratic Party, could turn against the War on Terror. He finds an answer in a political Left that shares a view of America as the “Great Satan” with America’s radical Islamic enemies.

12 posted on 11/19/2004 3:30:14 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach (A Proud member of Free Republic ~~The New Face of the Fourth Estate since 1996.)
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To: ejdrapes

"Now all you good folks in Iran. We of the UN inspection team will be in your country in six weeks. Now don't hide anything in the meantime"


13 posted on 11/19/2004 3:35:20 PM PST by aShepard
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To: ejdrapes
Let CNN be the guarantor of Iran not enriching uranium.
Go recall the Carter/Albright/Clinton bribes in the form of oil and food to North Korea for an assurance not to continue building an atomic bomb.
North Korea did build one or more, the Carter, Albright, Clinton consortium found out in 1998 latest, but decided to remain inactive and just pass the problem along.
Can CNN along with the U.N. inspection team guarantee Iran's compliance of not enriching uranium?
Israel's existence is at stake.
Should Israel rely on CNN or conduct their own investigations?
Just to clarify to CNN what's at stake:
Iran threatened Israel with extinction. Should Israel wait for the experience of an attack with an atomic bomb and then reply, or go for preemptive actions after intelligence info of Iran's continuance of an atomic weapons program? Leave it up to the Israeli people.
14 posted on 11/19/2004 4:03:30 PM PST by hermgem
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