According to those in charge of interrogating Iraqi detainees, it sounds like the war drums are still beating for an invasion of Iran:"US military officials are putting huge pressure on interrogators who question Iraqi insurgents to find incriminating evidence pointing to Iran, it was claimed last night. Micah Brose, a privately contracted interrogator working for American forces in Iraq, near the Iranian border, told The Observer that information on Iran is 'gold'. The claim comes after Washington imposed sanctions on Iran last month, citing both its nuclear ambitions and its Revolutionary Guards' alleged support of Shia insurgents in Iraq." [...]A "privately-contracted interrogator"? Transparency? Accountability? Only to his boss. How can that even be legal? But anyway, back to the topic at hand:
"Brose, 30, who extracts information from detainees in Iraq, said: 'They (US military officials) push a lot for us to establish a link with Iran. They have pre-categories for us to go through, and by the sheer volume of categories there's clearly a lot more for Iran than there is for other stuff. Of all the recent requests I've had, I'd say 60 to 70 per cent are about Iran.'It feels a lot like, if you get something and Iran's not involved, it's a let down.' He added: 'I've had people say to me, "They're really pushing the Iran thing." [...]Sound familiar? Hint: September 12, 2001: "Iraq! Saddam! Find out if there's a connection!". It's 2002 all over again. Except this time, instead of cherry-picking intelligence from the CIA, they're beating it out of Iraqi detainees. Even when the information is probably unreliable:
"He denied ever being asked to fabricate evidence, adding: 'We're not asked to manufacture information, we're asked to find it. But if a detainee wants to tell me what I want to hear so he can get out of jail... you know what I'm saying.'"
"Other military intelligence officials in Iraq refused to comment, but one said: 'The message is, "Got to find a link with Iran, got to find a link with Iran." It's sickening.'"
The Bush administration doesn't have much time to get this off the ground -- the next presidential election is less than a year away.
If there is an election.
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