Shout out to Larisa on John Conyers' blog today!

[babylonsister]

http://www.conyersblog.us/archives/00000429.htm

Iran-Contra Figure the New Bush Iranian Intelligence Asset?

Larisa at Raw Story is reporting that the Vice-President's office and the Department of Defense has been working with Manucher Ghorbanifar during its recent increased interest in Iran. For those of you that don't remember Ghorbanifar, he was the Iranian arms dealer and central figure in the Iran-Contra scandal through whom the Reagan White House armed the Contra militias in El Salvador in direct violation of Congress and federal law.

The CIA has issued a "burn notice" on Ghorbanifar meaning he is not to be trusted and shouldn't be considered a source for intelligence. However, Raw Story reports that Cheney and DoD are operating beyond the agency, having already placed the arms dealer on payroll and using him as an intelligence asset to monitor U.S. diplomatic efforts in Iran. Knight-Ridder reports that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Peter Hoekstra and the second-ranking Republican on the Armed Services Committee Curt Weldon met secretly with one of Ghorbanifar's associates in Paris last week.

The suggestion that the Bush Administration is becoming more involved with figures from the Iran-Contra scandal is very troublesome. You may recall that Bush hired Elliot Abrahms and John Poindexter at the beginning of the administration, two figures pardonned by Reagan for their roles in that episode. We must keep a close watch on these developments.

[Jack Rabbit]

1. A "burn notice"

The CIA has issued a "burn notice" on Ghorbanifar meaning he is not to be trusted and shouldn't be considered a source for intelligence.

Is that what you call it? Have they issued one on the White House?

[babylonsister]

2. A "burn notice" according to www.thefreedictionary.com

An official statement by one intelligence agency to other agencies, domestic or foreign, that an individual or group is unreliable for any of a variety of reasons.

Yes, the CIA needs to be directing an all-inclusive 'burn notice' to the wh!

[Jack Rabbit]

3. Larisa Alexandrovna (Raw Story): Cheney taps arms dealer to help in Iran

From Raw Story
Dated Thursday April 20

Cheney has tapped Iranian expatriate, arms dealer to surveil discussions with Iran, officials say
By Larisa Alexandrovna

The Department of Defense and Vice President Dick Cheney have retained the services of Iran-Contra arms dealer and discredited intelligence asset Manucher Ghorbanifar as their “man on the ground,” in order to report on any interaction and attempts at negotiations between Iranian officials and US ambassador to Iraq, Zelmay Khalilzad, current and former intelligence officials say.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, three intelligence sources identified the Iran-Contra middleman as having been put back on the payroll, acting as a human intelligence asset and monitoring any movement in discussions about Iran’s alleged burgeoning nuclear weapons program.

“Khalilzad has been authorized to enter into discussions with the Iranians over the issue of stability inside Iraq,” one former intelligence source said.

These discussions, however, are now on hold for unspecified reasons. Sources close to the UN Security Council and a former high ranking intelligence official say that this latest failed attempt to bring Iran to the table is part of an ongoing attempt by Cheney and Rumsfeld to squash diplomatic activities.

Read more.

[lala_rawraw]

4. wow, thanks guys:)