"Preparing the battlefield" against Iran?
Seymour M. Hersh, PREPARING THE BATTLEFIELD: The Bush Administration steps up its secret moves against Iran, The New Yorker, 29 June 2008.
Quote:
Late last year, Congress agreed to a request from President Bush to fund a major escalation of covert operations against Iran, according to current and former military, intelligence, and congressional sources. These operations, for which the President sought up to four hundred million dollars, were described in a Presidential Finding signed by Bush, and are designed to destabilize the country’s religious leadership. The covert activities involve support of the minority Ahwazi Arab and Baluchi groups and other dissident organizations. They also include gathering intelligence about Iran’s suspected nuclear-weapons program.
Thanks for correction on Lebanaon
Rex:
Thanks for correcting me regarding Lebanon, but my comments about Iran being non-Arab are on targe. Iran is 96% non-Arab, or thereabouts.
Below is the CIA World Book info on Lebanon...and our many Lebanese Christians here in our largest city in Alabama do not claim to be Arabs but follow the Phoenician line of thought as ancient Christian cultures and churches here and in Lebanon.
Lebanese Ethnic groups:
LEBANON; Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%
note: many Christian Lebanese do not identify themselves as Arab but rather as descendents of the ancient Canaanites and prefer to be called Phoenicians
LEBANESE Religions:
Muslim 59.7% (Shia, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri), Christian 39% (Maronite Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Melkite Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Chaldean, Assyrian, Copt, Protestant), other 1.3%
note: 17 religious sects recognized
Both Hizballah and Hamas are Shi'a Muslim terrorist organizations. Iran of course is majority Shi'a by a mile...but Iranains are not ethnic Arabs.
Similarly, Pakistan's population is majority non-Arab, and is or used to be about 50/50 Shi'a and Sunni religious complexion. Since 1947 when Pakistan as a new nation voted against the creation of Israel...Pakistan as a nation has tended to be more moderate and former President Musharraf was very moderate regarding Israel's existance.