Brent wrote:and then there's this...
The CIA has received secret presidential approval to mount a covert "black" operation to destabilize the Iranian government, current and former officials in the intelligence community tell the Blotter on ABCNews.com.
The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the subject, say President Bush has signed a "nonlethal presidential finding" that puts into motion a CIA plan that reportedly includes a coordinated campaign of propaganda, disinformation and manipulation of Iran's currency and international financial transactions.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/200 ... rizes.html
Presidents have done this before, particularly in 1953 when the CIA played a large role in overthrowing the government of Iran and installing the Shah. The events of 1979 can be traced back to this action. Furthermore, the refusal of the US to turn over the Shah (who was in the US beng treated for a terminal illness) for trial by his own people sure didn't help matters. He might have been friendly to US/UK interests, but he was a brutal tyrant towards his own people.