Would you approve of Iran covertly spending $400 million to support dissident groups in America?

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/6/30/hersh_congress_agreed_to_bush_request

Hersh: Congress Agreed to Bush Request to Fund Major Escalation in Secret Operations Against Iran

June 30, 2008

Congressional leaders agreed to a request from President Bush last year to fund a major escalation of covert operations against Iran aimed at destabilizing Iran’s leadership, according to a new article by veteran investigative journalist Seymour Hersh in the New Yorker magazine. The operations were set out in a highly classified Presidential Finding signed by Bush which, by law, must be made known to Democratic and Republican leaders. The plan allowed up to $400 million in covert spending for activities ranging from supporting dissident groups to spying on Iran’s nuclear program. Hersh joins us from Washington DC.

Congressional leaders agreed to a request from President Bush last year to fund a major escalation of covert operations against Iran aimed at destabilizing Iran’s leadership. This according to a new article by veteran investigative journalist Seymour Hersh in the New Yorker magazine.

The operations were set out in a highly classified Presidential Finding signed by Bush which, by law, must be made known to Democratic and Republican House and Senate leaders and ranking members of the intelligence committees. The plan allowed up to $400 million in covert spending for activities ranging from supporting dissident groups to spying on Iran’s nuclear program.

[Oregone]

1. It depends

Do they have a "Buy Iranian" clause? Or will such funds be used to stimulate local businesses (printing anti-US propaganda, S&W firearms, 24 hour fitness training gyms, etc).

[scheming daemons]

2. If it is "covert"... how do we know they aren't already doing it?

[dem629]

3. No.

As for the story linked, sounds okay to me.

I suspect President Obama is doing much the same, and I support it.

If we can do something that's good for us, there's no reason not to do it just because we wouldn't want a potential enemy doing something against us.

It's a fine discussion in an ethics class, but it doesn't change the real world.

[marybourg]

4. Would DU qualify as a dissident group? nt.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

5. As I recall, it's illegal for foreigners to give money to candidates for U.S. elections

This question came up when Reagan and Poppy Bush were trying to dislodge the Sandinistas. They put up candidates for the elections, sent money to anti-Sandinista groups, and did other things that no foreign power would be allowed to do in the U.S.

So giving money to foreign election candidates is another thing that makes the U.S. government extremely hypocritical.