☫ 2009 CIA coup attempt in Iran

The road to the Iran 2009 coup attempt Part 3

Fact
CIA unleashes plan to destabilize Iran via
propaganda TV broadcasts and newspaper articles

Iran and the CIA
by Brian Ross at ABC News
May 2007

Current informer intelligence officials tell ABC News that the CIA has received secret presidential approval to mount what is known as a black or covert operation to destabilize the Iranian regime, and that it is now underway.

The officials say president Bush gave his approval with the formal signing of a presidential finding: A secret document that authorized the CIA to act against Iran. 

"Any action, lethal or non lethal, that is US government-sponsored but the US is hiding its sponsorship, requires an intelligence finding," said Richard Clarke, ABC News consultant. 

The officials describe the CIA's Iranian plan as non lethal, involving a coordinated campaign of propaganda broadcasts, placement of negative newspaper articles, and the manipulation of Iran's currency and international banking transactions. All playing to perceive vulnerabilities in Iran, according to former assistant secretary of defense Peter Rodman. 

"I can't confirm or deny whether such a program exists or whether the president signed it. But it would be consistent with an overall American approach trying to find ways of putting pressure on the regime," said Bruce Riedel, former CIA official. 

As ABC News reported last month, the US has been secretly encouraging  a Pakistan based militant group which has carried out a series of attacks on Iranian military units. 

Officials at both the White House and CIA declined to comment, saying that as a matter of course, they do not comment on allegations of covert action.

 "We decided to break this story because we felt there was a very important part of the debate. Propaganda is - people don't realize - one of the most important parts of the CIA's job. It is a plan to destabilize. It is a plan that uses information, television broadcasts, newspaper articles, to pressure the regime," commented Richard Esposito, principal reporter of the story at ABC News. "The Iranian banking transactions are key. In the past, in Iraq, they tried to flood them with phony currency. Iran is a lot more sophisticated, so we look to influence the banking system." 

Asked if he thought that the publication of the plan would stop it, Esposito answered, "No, I don't think it stops the plan at all. Optimistically it could be a good thing for them (CIA)."

 
That would pretty much explain why Iran - in all its right - closes down certain newspapers and blocks certain TV broadcasts.
 
Can you imagine what a Western country would do with journalists that it finds to be cooperating with some Iranian intelligence agency plan to destabilize them? Oh wait, no need to wonder even, here is the answer (February 2010): Congress censors Arab news media [RussiaToday].
 
As seen, it is not even necessary for Iran to be behind the censored media: As long as some media views oppose those of the US Department of State, it is deemed worth being blocked.