NYT:U.S. Program Is Directed at Altering Iran's Politics(Elizabeth Cheney)

[sabra]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/15/washington/15diplo.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

U.S. Program Is Directed at Altering Iran's Politics

WASHINGTON, April 8 — As the Bush administration confronts the Tehran government over its suspected nuclear weapons program and accusations that it supports terrorism, a newly created office of Iranian affairs in the State Department is poring over applications for a rapidly expanding program to change the political process inside Iran.

The project, which will spend $7 million in the current fiscal year, would become many times larger next year if Congress approves a broad request for $85 million that the Bush administration has requested for scholarships, exchange programs, radio and television broadcasts and other activities aimed at shaking up Iran's political system.

The effort, overseen by Elizabeth Cheney, a deputy assistant secretary of state who is a daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney, has been denounced by Iran's leaders as meddling in their internal affairs.

It comes at a time of escalating confrontation between Iran and the United States over Iran's nuclear program, exacerbated by reports, which the administration has played down, that military contingency plans are being reviewed as well.

[lyonn]

1. Interesting, Elizabeth Cheney is part of the planning group

that is planning to fix the Iranian govt. This administration does know how to confuse the issue by negotiating with foreign countries and make plans to change their political process and at the same time threaten war/bombing. It's the same old black is white theory. We can't fix the Iraqi govt. that we own. Go figure repubs.

[LynnTheDem]

2. Is it called the OSP???

Just wondering.

When will America ever learn. :eyes:

[file83]

3. Back in the old days, these kinds of programs were "black ops"....

...now they talk about it in the open. And if you think about it, that's the STUPIDEST thing they could do. By making it KNOWN, they actually discourage internal dissent because you make EVERY PERSON inside Iran that trys to push for change a "suspected subversive" being influenced by the American program.

In other words, all dissenters will be labeled as spies and probably executed.

[mitchtv]

7. But,... Its worked so well

in Cuba, half the dissenters were gov't agents, and they caught them taking orders'monsy from the US.

[OneBlueSky]

4. isn't there something in international law that speaks to . . .

interfering with the internal affairs of another nation? . . .

[hang a left]

5. That's a good one.....lol

international law and the neo's observance of it.

[WyLoochka]

6. Why does Cheney think putting

his daughter in charge of this should not discredit him in the very same way he thought sliming the Wilsons for "nepotism" should surely discredit them?

Just a rhetorical question. I know it's just more of the same old crap.

[Olney Blue]

8. This situation is outrageous and unethical.

It shouldn't be a rhetorical question.

[Oversea Visitor]

9. Haha 85 million

and no money for NO :rofl:
Got money to cause choas unstability and regime change :rofl:

NO MONEY TO HELP OWN CITIZEN x(