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GOP Candidates Criticize ABC News Report on CIA-Iran Plan

May 23, 2007 1:52 PM

Gop_candidates__mn Two Republican presidential candidates today criticized the ABC News report Tuesday about the CIA's covert plan to destabilize the Iranian regime.

"I was shocked to see the ABC News report regarding covert action in Iran," Mitt Romney said as he opened a session with reporters in Tulsa, Okla.

Congressman Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., called for an investigation into who leaked the information and "condemned" ABC News for "running the story which could jeopardize American lives."

The ABC News story reported that President Bush had given the CIA authorization to conduct a nonlethal covert action against Iran involving propaganda, disinformation and the manipulation of Iran's international banking transactions.

"The reporting has the potential of jeopardizing our national security. To put it quite plainly, it has the potential of affecting human life, we may never know," Romney said.

Romney said he had called ABC News president David Westin to register his concerns.

In a statement ABC News said, "In the six days since we first contacted the CIA and the White House, at no time did they indicate that broadcasting this report would jeopardize lives or operations on the ground. ABC News management gave them the repeated opportunity to make whatever objection they wanted to regarding our report. They chose not to."

ABC News said, "This piece was very carefully reported, and it puts solid facts on the table concerning a crucial foreign policy challenge facing the United States and the world."

May 23, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (251)

User Comments

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The publication of forthcoming covert military operations in a time of war is treason. Mindless, despicable treason. And, had you consciences unblistered by the bitter liberalism which infects your news organization, you would be so very, very ashamed.

Posted by: John E. Brown | May 23, 2007 2:40:02 PM

Isnt it funny that all this info was "leaked" the same day we send a huge fleet to the gulf.

Posted by: palmal5 | May 23, 2007 2:42:20 PM

There is a difference between those things the government is hiding and those it is protecting. If only the media could learn the difference.

Posted by: Ed | May 23, 2007 2:47:39 PM

At this point in US history, if my government engages in acts that may start another war, I want to know about it! Thanks ABC. It takes guts to shine light where there is a dark shroud of secrecy. It is far too risky and irresponsible to be conducting activities such as these when we might really paint ourselves into a corner if we sparked a war since Iran will make the Strait of Hormuz too dangerous for tanker traffic. This would cut off 40% of the worlds oil supply! We need to stop surrendering to fear and speak the truth loudly!

"Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness." George Washington

Posted by: brent | May 23, 2007 2:49:32 PM

Funny that Republicans are using this story for a photo opp.

As if the Iran didn't think we would try to send spies into their country.

It would be incredibly dumb for Iran to think we wouldn't.

Posted by: Getcentered | May 23, 2007 2:53:33 PM

I want to know everything a can about what our government is doing, the White House especially.

Posted by: Getcentered | May 23, 2007 2:55:33 PM

I know alot of you think that ABC should report all this crap it's only national security, but it was too bad that they didn't have the information back in June of 1944. There was a bit of news that Germany probably would have liked to have. But they are making up for that loss.

Posted by: DJ | May 23, 2007 2:58:05 PM

I was shocked to hear ABC News report this information yesterday in that the media should NOT be reporting leaked wartime strategies for all of the world to know. It is irresponsible journalism, regardless of whether or not the White House failed to request that it be "kept quiet". Iran (and N. Korea for that fact) is very dangerous threat and should be dealt with sooner rather than later. The US is trying to do so without committing combat forces. The negative ramifications of ABC News's actions will never be known to the average American. This is typical of the left-wing media- anything to destroy the strength and independence of this great country we live in. I can only hope the leak was part of someone in the Administration's well-orchistrated plan.

Posted by: Sandy | May 23, 2007 2:59:42 PM

Look at all these idiots screaming "treason! treason!" because ABC reported a story the government obviously wanted made public. Where were you nitwits when REAL treason was committed by the Bush White House when Valerie Plame, a covert CIA agent's identity was leaked to Robert Novak and reported in the news? You morons need to know what treason actually is, before you accuse ABC of it! Typical right wing, Fox News watching nitwits!

Posted by: George | May 23, 2007 3:05:19 PM

Iran's leadership needs to go. Islamo-Fascism needs to be eliminated. Stand behind our troops or stand in front of them.

Posted by: me | May 23, 2007 3:12:05 PM

I have said it before and I will say it again, the press should just give all our secerts out the the world. this way when we fall as a country they can report on that as well. Idiots.

Posted by: Scott | May 23, 2007 3:22:14 PM

I do not know why the our nation chose to release the information or why ABC chose to publish that information, but there must be a reason. I believe president Bush is clearly informing the Iranians to return to negotiations before it is to late.

As a citizen I led a citizen group who was a benefiting party to the Fifth Republic of France dismissal of their nuclear weapons testing program at the atolls Fangataufa and Mururoa Tuamotu archipelago, South Pacific which on our part I closed on January 24, 1996. The Mururoa atoll witnessed 163 explosions while Fangataufa, 40 kilometers away, was the site of 12 of those tests. At that time the French representative contact was, Consul General Antoine Frasseto, located at the French Consulate in Honolulu, Hawaii (since closed); New Zealand Consulate, located in Los Angeles, California, Consul General Terry Baker; U.S. FBI; U.S. State Department; U.S. President; State of Hawaii, et al.

Closure statement in part read:
From research reports we know planet Earth has been coated with spent radioactive materials and its fissile, nuclear weapons testing and the inearthsatmospheric breakup of space nuclear power sources;

from all medical findings it is known nuclear  radioactive nucli presents a clear danger to humans;
it is my instinctive belief, that nuclear coating, along with nuclear, waste dumping sites, laboratories, production facilities, power plants, etc., present a "clear and present" danger to our current generation, and collective, all future generations;
therefore, beyond being placed in danger, my tranquilly and its instincts are damaged, and here I do not hold France's government as the sole responsible party.

"Through the release of atomic energy, our generation has brought into the world the most revolutionary force since prehistoric man's discovery of fire. This basic force of the universe cannot be fitted into the outmoded concept of narrow nationalisms. For there is no secret and there is no defense; there is no possibility of control except through the aroused understanding and insistence of the peoples of the world. We scientists recognize our inescapable responsibility to carry to our fellow citizens an understanding of atomic energy and its implication for society. In this lies our only security and our only hope  we believe that an informed citizenry will act for life and not for death." [Sic,A. Einstein, January 22, 1947.]

The Fifth Republic of France did the responsible act and ended their testing early and returned to the negotiations.

Posted by: Williamwfh | May 23, 2007 3:24:26 PM

Get off your soap box Dems! Both sides in Washington have continued to fail America for some time.

I agree that this is nothing more than misinformation or a possible setup to find a mole.

Don’t pacify yourselves America and stop having a short attention span. The greater threat against us isn’t going away tomorrow, and Iran’s helping to support it.

Posted by: James | May 23, 2007 3:27:18 PM

Treason was not committed with V Plame. She was not covert at the time of the revealing, which was not done by anybody in the Bush administration. No news agency is perfectly balanced, but I choose the one that supports America vs any other that just looks to bring America down due to political beliefs.

Posted by: me | May 23, 2007 3:27:45 PM

Let's see ... when I hear the word 'covert', I think "secret", "kept
under wraps" ... Hmmmm

Posted by: je | May 23, 2007 3:28:33 PM

And if Iran did that the the United States we would call it act of terrorism!

Posted by: Doyle Schroeder | May 23, 2007 3:37:45 PM

Can't anything be left secret? I was shocked and surprised that of all the news station ABC News said anything. Are they completely insane. That information could kill more of our men in Iraq.What were they thinking or I just they were not thinking. In the old days the public were kept in the dark for a reason. Everything is not to be told. What is wrong with ABC? Are they completely stupid or what?
Now they have told our enemy what we are doing.
THIS COULD BE THE TURNING POINT NOT JUST IN IRAQ BUT EVERY WHERE WE ARE.

Posted by: Carol R Hill | May 23, 2007 3:39:49 PM

The United States already screwed up Iraq, why screw up Iran?

Posted by: Doyle Schroeder | May 23, 2007 3:42:42 PM

This is ridiculous! Sure the informer broke the law, but how about ABC! The leak was made by ABC! Whether you are for or against the war, citizens of the United States are still Americans, and accelerating a leak, which I'm sure was coaxed along, from one meeting to a worldwide audience is an act of treason and works against our soldiers on the ground. ABC is scoring baskets for the enemy, an enemy developing nuclear weapons, an enemy supplying weapons that kill our soldiers, an enemy that has denied the Holocaust and has knowingly committed genocide. ABC = TERRORISM!

Posted by: Ryan | May 23, 2007 3:50:41 PM

Thank you ABC for updating the American people on this reckless act by Dubya to destory another country.

People should be upset w/ bush who again use war or terror rather than diplomacy to resolve an issue.

Posted by: Doyle Schroeder | May 23, 2007 3:58:18 PM

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