The Carpetbagger: ‘Lessons learned’ from Iran-Contra

[whometense]

Taking sides in Iraq’s civil war

The New Yorker’s Seymour Hersh has a stunning new article out, describing new Bush administration efforts to intervene in Iraq’s civil war, siding with Saudi-backed Sunni extremists in the hopes of stemming the Shia influence backed by Iran. The result of the strategy is U.S. payments to Sunni groups with ties to al Qaeda, without congressional oversight.

U.S. government consultant told me, Bandar and other Saudis have assured the White House that “they will keep a very close eye on the religious fundamentalists. Their message to us was ‘We’ve created this movement, and we can control it.’ It’s not that we don’t want the Salafis to throw bombs; it’s who they throw them at — Hezbollah, Moqtada al-Sadr, Iran, and at the Syrians, if they continue to work with Hezbollah and Iran.” <…>

During a conversation with me, former Saudi diplomat…objected to the Lebanese and Saudi sponsorship of Sunni jihadists in Lebanon. “Salafis are sick and hateful, and I’m very much against the idea of flirting with them,” he said. “They hate the Shiites, but they hate Americans more. If you try to outsmart them, they will outsmart us. It will be ugly.” <…>

In an interview in Beirut, a senior official in the Siniora government acknowledged that there were Sunni jihadists operating inside Lebanon. “We have a liberal attitude that allows Al Qaeda types to have a presence here,” he said. He related this to concerns that Iran or Syria might decide to turn Lebanon into a “theatre of conflict.”

Hersh, discussing his revelations on CNN yesterday, added that the U.S. has been “pumping money, a great deal of money, without congressional authority, without any congressional oversight” for covert operations in the Middle East where it wants to “stop the Shiite spread or the Shiite influence.” Hersh says these funds have ended up in the hands of “three Sunni jihadist groups” who are “connected to al Qaeda” but “want to take on Hezbollah.”

“We are simply in a situation where this president is really taking his notion of executive privilege to the absolute limit here, running covert operations, using money that was not authorized by Congress, supporting groups indirectly that are involved with the same people that did 9/11,” Hersh explained.

‘Lessons learned’ from Iran-Contra

Just to follow up for a moment on this morning’s post, there was another portion of Seymour Hersh’s New Yorker piece that warrants some attention.

Hersh explains that as the U.S. sides with Saudi-backed Sunni extremists and puts money in the hands of Lebanese Sunni groups with ties to al Qaeda, they’re relying on a familiar pattern: a Republican White House orchestrating clandestine operations, deals with dubious intermediaries with questionable agendas, and keeping Congress entirely in the dark. Sound familiar?

Two decades ago, the Reagan Administration attempted to fund the Nicaraguan contras illegally, with the help of secret arms sales to Iran. Saudi money was involved in what became known as the Iran-Contra scandal, and a few of the players back then — notably Prince Bandar and Elliott Abrams — are involved in today’s dealings.

Iran-Contra was the subject of an informal “lessons learned” discussion two years ago among veterans of the scandal. Abrams led the discussion. One conclusion was that even though the program was eventually exposed, it had been possible to execute it without telling Congress. As to what the experience taught them, in terms of future covert operations, the participants found: “One, you can’t trust our friends. Two, the C.I.A. has got to be totally out of it. Three, you can’t trust the uniformed military, and four, it’s got to be run out of the Vice-President’s office” — a reference to Cheney’s role, the former senior intelligence official said.

Wait, that is what the old guard learned from Iran-Contra? Shouldn’t the actual lesson include some reference to not breaking the law and funneling aid to U.S. enemies?

What’s more, Hersh reports that these clandestine operations contributed to John Negroponte’s decision to resign from the National Intelligence directorship and accept a sub-Cabinet position of Deputy Secretary of State. Given the context, that’s even more discouraging.
Read more »»

Seymour Hersh is bad for my blood pressure.

[whometense]

1. Video of Wolf Blitzer interview

with Hersh is up at C&L: http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/02/25/seymour-hersh-negroponte-iran-contra-fundsoh-my/#more-14707

[beachmom]

2. This stuff needs to be investigated and stopped. I hope people with

tips know they can trust a certain senator with their info. He has experience in investigating this sordid business. And I know I'm Kerrycentric, but I think this is a job for him to do, because he does it better than anyone else. And surely, one of his committees can serve as a platform to do so.

[whometense]

5. Oh, I agree.

This is the best argument I have heard yet for Kerry not running for president. We absolutely need him in the Senate applying intense pressure over this. Wouldn't this fall directly under his SFRC subcommittee jurisdiction?

[ProSense]

3. Thanks.

The second piece from Carpetbagger nails it:

Shouldn’t the actual lesson include some reference to not breaking the law and funneling aid to U.S. enemies?

Guess not, huh?

[whometense]

4. Really scary stuff.

Got this from Jesus General: http://patriotboy.blogspot.com/2007_02_25_archive.html#8127147975099845356

[ProSense]

6. Yikes!

That (fighting them over there) has got to be one of the most stupid phrases ever!