Israel, US faking intelligence to attack Iran: Ex-CIA analyst

In 2003, the US invaded Iraq under the pretext that former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. (File photo)

Source: Press TV

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/07/31/253635/beware-of-fixed-intelligence-on-iran/

A former CIA analyst says the United States and Israel seek to come up with a pretext for attacking Iran by fabricating intelligence, a ploy similar to the one adopted by the United States for justifying the war on Iraq a decade ago.

“As we saw 10 years ago with respect to Iraq, if one intends to whip up support for war, one needs to find a casus belli - however thin a pretext it might be,” Ray McGovern wrote in an article.

“How about juxtaposing ‘weapons of mass destruction’ with terrorism. That worked to prepare for war on Iraq, and similar rhetorical groundwork for an attack on Iran is now being laid in Israel,” his article further read.

Referring to the recent attack on a number of Israeli tourists in Bulgaria, McGovern said, “Netanyahu broke all records for speed in blaming Iran and Hezbollah” for the bombing.

“On Fox News, Sunday on July 22, Mr. Netanyahu claimed Israel has ‘rock-solid evidence’ tying Iran to the attack in Bulgaria. The same day on CBS's Face the Nation, Mr. Netanyahu said, ‘We have unquestionable, fully substantiated intelligence that this [terrorist attack] was done by Hezbollah backed by Iran,’ adding that Israel gives ‘specific details to … responsible governments and agencies,’" McGovern went on to say.

The former CIA analyst added that Israel, however, has so far failed to provide any evidence for its claims of Iran's involvement.

“Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has admitted that he was aware of no information concerning the terrorist or those who dispatched him,” he underlined.

McGovern then refered to the historical moment when British intelligence chief Sir Richard Dearlove admitted that intelligence on Iraq had been fixed.

"… Military action was now seen as inevitable. Bush wanted to remove [executed Iraqi dictator] Saddam [Hussein], through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD [weapons of mass destruction]. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy,” Dearlove said on July 23, 2005.

“The likelihood of hostilities with Iran before the [US] presidential election in November is increasing. Beware of "fixed" intelligence,” McGovern concluded.

Britain to expel Israeli diplomat

Source: Al jazeera
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2010/03/2010323102047856704.html

Britain is to expel an Israeli diplomat over the use of fake UK passports by a hit-squad that killed a Hamas operative in Dubai earlier this year, officials have said.
Israel's spy agency, the Mossad, has been accused by authorities in the UAE of being involved in the killing of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh on January 20.
The diplomat is likely to be the head of Mossad in London, Al Jazeera has learnt.
David Miliband, Britain's foreign secretary, was expected to make a statement later on Tuesday.

Alan Fisher, Al Jazeera's correspondent in London said the move was "to show British displeasure".

"The British are not making any suggestion at this stage that this was a Mossad operation ... but they are saying that the government knew about the cloned passports and that's why they're taking this action".
Earlier Israel has confirmed that Ron Prosor, its ambassador to Britain, was called to London's foreign office on Monday for talks.

Wanted list

The move comes at the end of an investigation into the use of fake UK passports by a team of assassins.
Britain sent investigators to Israel this month to meet eight Israeli-British dual nationals whose identities were used by suspects in the killing.
Dubai authorities have identified at least 26 suspects from the alleged hit-squad that travelled to the UAE on fake identities and forged European and Australian passports.

At least 15 of the suspected killers share names with Israeli citizens, fuelling suspicions the Mossad was behind the hit.
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in al-Mabhouh's killing.
Interpol has published a wanted list of 27 people in connection with the slaying.

Georgia opposition irate over fake 'terror' newscast

Source: PressTV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120883§ionid=351020606


Opposition politicians in Georgia have criticized the government over approving a hoax television broadcast of a simulated Russian invasion that sparked widespread panic.

The broadcast, aired by Imedi channel on Saturday, displayed mock footage of a “terror attack” by Russian forces, claiming that President Mikheil Saakashvili had been killed.

With less than two years since the countries engaged in a brief war over the rebel region of South Ossetia, panic was quick to spread, leaving people injured and leading to a shut down of mobile phone networks as frightened Georgians rushed to phone each other.

The country's main opposition group on Monday slammed the government, suggesting the move was a measure to stay in power through "information terror," taking a jibe at the fake news report.

The country is set to hold local election on May 30.

Meanwhile, the embattled head of Imedi channel brushed off calls for resignation and sought to defend the false newscast, maintaining that it was not aiming to “shock” or horrify citizens.

"The goal was not to scare society; the goal was to talk about those security threats which our country faces," he was quoted as saying in a late Sunday interview with Georgian Public Television.

The simulated broadcast Saturday sparked wide anxiety in Georgia, which is still traumatized by the August 2008 war, in which Russian troops advanced deep into the country.