Monday, December 14, 2009

The Tehran Smoking Gun?

"If these documents are genuine... ."

The Times of London has published what it claims to be a leaked Iranian memo suggesting that the country was indeed working on a nuclear weapon as recently as 2007. The document refers to uranium deuteride or UD3, a neutron source specifically used in atomic weapons.

Now the question becomes, "is this document genuine?" Is it something ginned up by a Western or Israeli intelligence agency? It's not as though the media, particularly the right wing variety, haven't been willing dupes for this sort of thing before.

Remember WMDs and Iraq? Hopelessly doctored nonsense but, run it in the media a half dozen times, and it becomes accepted truth.

7 comments:

LeDaro said...

This pisses me off. If US and other nations want peace in the Middle East then disarm Israel too. Israel has over 250 nuclear warheads according to some estimates – I believe
Fareed Zakaria guy said that on CNN. How can they arm a small nation like that then destroy Iraq on the suspicion and lies of WMD’s and now same is being planned for Iran. Some damn international hypocrisy.

The Mound of Sound said...

I think we've long since given up on rational responses to pressing situations. The pro-Israel lobby has Washington in a political headlock. That, plus indulging Arab tyrants, spreads radicalism and instability throughout the Middle East. Obama set out in the right direction but, like so many promises, he's given that up.

The quality of our media leaves no one really knowing what to believe any more. Governments no longer have to establish facts, merely conjure up sufficiently plausible pretences the media contentedly swallow.

Anonymous said...

Recall the farce of the fake "uranium yellowcake " documents that The Bush administration used to justify the Iraq war. In the absence of conclusive proof, this unexamined document from an anonymous source should be regarded as a likely fraud.

The Mound of Sound said...

I agree completely Doz. Our intelligence services have done in their own credibility.

pogge said...

You might be interested in Steve Hynd's post on this: Hyping A New Iran "Smoking Gun".

The Mound of Sound said...

Thanks for the link POGGE. It's a bitch that everything these days is gamed to death. Back in the day they lied about things they thought were really important but they didn't lie out of mere instinct.

Jingles said...

You know MOS it's not a bitch but a bastard.