Speaking today at a press conference in Irbil, US State Department official Thomas Nides reiterated claims by the Obama Administration that Iran is secretly arming Shi’ite militias, saying “the US is well aware of Tehran’s financial assistance with US foes.”
Incredibly, however, when pressed on the matter by a journalist from Iran’s Fars News Agency (FNA), Nides conceded that the US has absolutely no evidence or proof with which to back up these allegations.
“There is no proof since it is just intelligence,” Nides conceded, adding that no documentation could be produced and any information they theoretically have to back up the allegations was classified.
The allegations have been repeated by Admiral Michael Mullen and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta in recent days, with Panetta threatening non-specific measures against Iran in retaliation. Iranian officials have denied the allegations.
perhaps this "intelligence" comes from the same sources that claim to have seen bigfoot and the loch ness monster (otherwise known as nessie)
Maybe nessie is in on providing weapons to shiite militias too..
Seriously though, US army intelligence has said at least half a dozen times that the money, the bombs and the suicide bombers are coming mostly from the borders of KSA and Jordan. Doesnt the DoD or DoS get those memos?
Casey Anthony on a grand scale : like it or not, if you have no proof THERE IS NO CRIME.
We know how the system works: if you accuse someone of something, it's probably a pretty good idea to back up your accusations with evidence. Iran could say exactly the same thing, that we are supplying and funding Groups X, Y, and Z- but if they can't produce proof all the have is accusations.
The sad part is, though… who are you more prepared to believe? As it stands, I don't trust anything the US government says about anything. I can't speak for other individuals, but if I were a betting man I'd wager there is a huge segment of the US population that feels exactly the same way- and that is a truly sad reflection on our nation when we can't trust our leaders.
Let me put it this way: if the US were REALLY threatened by an outside force (any nation or coalition of nations, or a concerted guerilla campaign) do you honestly trust our current batch of elected officials to lead us to victory? Do you REALLY trust them?
actually, iran can and has provided evidence that we (or rather OUR government) has funded and armed the terrorist groups jundullah and the MEK who have not only committed acts of terror against the people of Iran but also the US!!
Remember that SKM, the alleged ringleader of 9/11 was the leader of Jundullah and the MEK was known to target and kill americans in Iran in the 1970's when then were an extremist communist group trying to bring down the shah's regime
Some word-play? June 6 New Yorker sez ~'NIE: no evidence of Iranian nuclear weapons program.' But if the Nides equation catches on, 'no evidence' will mean 'intelligence' to the GWoT-sucker –and perhaps that's adequate damage-control. But it's not much of a switch from Iraq's case, where either 'evidence' or 'intelligence' really meant 'OSP fantasy…' …or the 'evidence' of a nuclear missile, which really meant 'incompetent fantasy.' It's surely a smart move to call their fantasies 'intelligence' rather than 'evidence…' but it's striking that 'no evidence' is also 'intelligence;' sheer brilliance!
lol, pwned.
I wonder if the American MSM/FCM took notice that it took an Iranian media reporter to question the USG's claim that Iran is arming the Shi'ite militias. I wonder if any of the MSM/FCM realized that that is what the media is supposed to do when given unsubstantiated claims by any government official.
Several times yesterday on cable news/talk programs, the "entertainers" – can't call them journalists… – repeated the claims made by Mullen and Panetta without even a raised eyebrow. after all the lies and fabrications since 2000 made by government officials one would think that the media – real journalists – might question statements that are designed to inflame tensions and create false realities. One would think…
@John_Muhammad…There are also a large segment of the US population who will believe, without question, and with passion, everything the USG tells them. These are the people who cannot understand that their government could possibly lie to them or that their government might possibly run a false flag operation to point the blame at some innocent operator or that their government might actually advocate torture…wait…sorry, those people think that is good policy – nevermind…
This business of the Pentagon/Sate Department blaming what goes bad in Iraq on Iran is propaganda aimed at the US public. They want Americans to think everything in Iraq is going swimmingly, or would be, if it weren't for those damned Iranian "meddlers". When the fact is, Iraqis overwhelmingly want US occupation over according to polls and at least some of those are armed with guns and willing to shoot at Americans to show their opposition. The opposition to the U.S. is within Iraq and is widespread and the USG doesn't want us to know or think about that. So that if they succeed in twiting the Iraqi's arms into accepting continued US occupation, when Americans start geting killed again Americans will blame it all on Iran and NOT Obama for breaking the SOFA agreement and going against the will of the vast majority of Iraqis, who want us gone.
No, shit, Sherlock!
If vibes and feelings were so important, were the hell were they a decade ago? Save that, back then, the vibes were victorious and the feelings were all-good.
Wrong doesn't come into it when you're talking about vibes and feelings. Bombs do.