ABC News: Bush Authorizes Covert Ops Against Iran

Tomorrow, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is expected to confirm Iran’s rapid progress in advancing its uranium enrichment program.

Is it a coincidence, then, that ABC News chose today to report, based on information obtained from “current and former officials in the intelligence community,” that the CIA has received secret presidential approval to mount a covert “black” operation to destabilize the Iranian government? Was this information leaked with or without the Administration’s approval? We won’t know until the Administration reacts (or doesn’t react) to the disclosure.

Here are excerpts from the ABC story:

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.

[ . . . ]The sources say the CIA developed the covert plan over the last year and received approval from White House officials and other officials in the intelligence community.

Officials say the covert plan is designed to pressure Iran to stop its nuclear enrichment program and end aid to insurgents in Iraq.

[ . . . ] Current and former intelligence officials say the approval of the covert action means the Bush administration, for the time being, has decided not to pursue a military option against Iran.

[ . . . ] The covert action plan comes as U.S. officials have confirmed Iran had dramatically increased its ability to produce nuclear weapons material, at a pace that experts said would give them the ability to build a nuclear bomb in two years.

The emphases are mine.