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CIA Op Aims to Destabilize Iran
Covert campaign suggests financial pressure favored over military action
By Sam Gale Rosen
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Posted May 23, 07 5:00 AM CDT
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(Newser)
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President Bush has secretly approved a CIA "black" operation to destabilize the Iranian government, ABC reports. Sources tell ABC the covert mission deploys propaganda, misinformation, and financial manipulation. A retired senior CIA official says economic pressure may be the most effective means to curb Iran's nuclear buildup.
The operation suggests that a military attack against Iran is off the table, at least for now, sources tell ABC. Privy to the plan is Deputy National Security Advisor Elliott Abrams, whose last tangle with Iran left him with criminal charges, stemming from his role in the Iran-Contra affair. "The entire plan has been blessed by Abrams, in particular," one intelligence source tells ABC.