(cross-posted at firedoglake)
UPDATE: Amir Taheri has been pressured to release a statement.
Regarding the dress code story it seems that my column was used as the basis for a number of reports that somehow jumped the gun. As far as my article is concerned I stand by it.
The law has been passed by the Islamic Majlis and will now be submitted to the Council of Guardians. A committee has been appointed to work out the modalities of implementation. …
PRESS RELEASE: AMIR TAHERI ADDRESSES QUERIES ABOUT DRESS CODE STORY
This isn't the first investigative piece I've done, because it's something I've enjoyed for years, having done investigative work into the sex trade in all ways, manners and places. But if you haven't been following this story, welcome to the latest Iranian intrigue misinformation push meant to move us closer to a strike against Iran. That's my assessment so far, with more questions popping up and few answers, the further into it I look. So, let's
unwind it. For regular readers, you've seen some of this, but there's even more that's trasnpired today.
After hearing about the story early last Friday, I spoke with Aaron Breitbart, a senior researcher of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, who was eager to confirm it, using words like “throwback” to the Nazi era, “very true”
and “very scary,” as well as offering that the dean and founder of
the Center, Rabbi Marvin Hier, had been on the phone for “four hours”
confirming the story. As someone said to me today, it makes you wonder what
the Rabbi was doing on the phone for 4 hours. After all, how long does it take to confirm something so incredibly frightening?
Reporting
that the Simon Weisenthal Center confirmed the story made it around the web
and beyond, as did subsequent
posts and follow
ups. Because when an organization like that confirms something as alarming as the Iranian government passing a law to identify Jews and non-Muslims, it rightly causes four alarm Holocaust revisited hysteria. That was the intention.
After the story was thoroughly debunked,
I put in another call to Breitbart late on Friday, then called back again today. I wanted to get a comment from him about the discrediting of the story and see if I could ascertain why the Simon Wiesenthal Center would unabashedly back such an outrageous falsehood. He still hasn't answered his phone or returned my calls. I was eventually transferred to Avra Shapiro, Director of Public Relations, who said someone would get back to me. They have not.
A conversation earlier today inspired me to look closer at the facsimile, including times and dates. There is not only a cc to Ms. Shapiro, but also a Michele Alkin, the Director of Communications for the Simon Wiesenthal Center. I've forwarded the fax to someone I hope can take it further. We shall see. The names at the top are above the main text, which looks like it has been cut off and was originally sent to the Rabbi Marvin Hier. This is what appears next.
Rabbi Cooper,
As per our conversation, I'm looking at running this but I have not been able to confirm its veracity. Particularly, I want to make sure that the part saying Jews will have to wear a yellow stripe and Christians a red stripe
is in fact true. Now the law has not yet come into effect, but it
is moving closer to becoming law and I think we need to draw attention
and much of it to this right now.Any assistance you can give us in confirming this info would be much appreciated.
Best,
jte
The initials refer to John Turley-Ewert of the National Post, which used to
be owned by Conrad Black, but is now controlled by two brothers of the Asper
family that I've been told are actively involved with Israel's Likud party.
The National Post has an editorial policy similar to Brit Hume's at Fox “News.”
They are interchangeable and far leaning to the right. But the above section
I emphasized seems to show that not only is Turley-Ewert asking for confirmation
of the Iranian badge story, but a sort of collaboration on promoting the story.
Someone I spoke to today confirmed that was indeed their assessment, too.
But who got the Simon Wiesenthal Center to stick their necks out on this bogus
Iranian badge story, risking their very reputation and funding credibility,
and who had what to gain by doing so?
Could this story have something to do with Douglas Feith's Office
of Strategic Influence PSYOPS plan to plant false stories in foreign press?
Sure, that was supposed to be shut down, but was it? After all, Canada is foreign
press and once a story gets printed it's all stops out for spreading the propaganda.
''Our inability to seize the initiative in the 'War of Ideas' with Al Qaeda
is perhaps our most significant shortcoming so far in the war against terrorism,''
said the document, dated Sept. 17, 2003. ''We do not fully understand Al Qaeda
and its relationship to supportive communities in the Islamic world, and so
are not yet able to develop an effective strategy for countering its propaganda
in those communities, let alone for winning the information campaign in the
war against terrorism.''The document said one goal was to establish a ''road map for creating an
effective D.O.D. capability to design and conduct effective strategic influence
and operational and tactical perception-management campaigns.''Pentagon
and Bogus News: All Is Denied (Times Select, dated 12.5.03)
In the aftermath of the Iraq war, it's important to find out the facts regarding the obvious drumbeat for a strike against Iran. Asking important questions is a good place to start.
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