How the U.S. Spies on Iran
One thing that I often get asked by audiences interested in our work at Watching America, translating foreign news about the U.S., is exactly how useful is the U.S. media in helping us understand what goes on beyond these shores. The reasons I can give for my answer, which is typically somewhere between “useless” and “next to useless”, could be the subject of an entire book, but one of them is simply that in the U.S., we get used to seeing the “surface story” without underlying information or context that would allow us to assess its veracity.
It is always satisfying when our work at Watching America turns up such information.
This article from Le Figaro, currently our feature, is one such.
HOW THE UNITED STATES SPIES ON IRAN
Since the Weapons of Mass Destruction fiasco in Iraq, America is concentrating its efforts on human information. A report published Monday on American intelligence estimates that Iran does not represent any imminent threat, and that Tehran suspended its nuclear military program in 2003. To arrive at these surprising conclusions, the US says that it used new methods of collecting information on Iran. What are they?
THE COLLECTION METHODS
The most important information on Iran was obtained through electronic images supplied by satellites placed above the country (such as modifications in the security of nuclear sites and repair of underground facilities). “Part of this information is communicated to the Israelis, who do not have sufficient satellite capability available, since theirs is concentrated on Lebanon and Syria,” stated an official with the French Ministry of Defense, who underlined the level of cooperation between the US and Israel concerning the threat of Iran.
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3 Responses to “How the U.S. Spies on Iran”
Great articles, and this line begs an important question.
If Iran is an “existential threat” why is Israelis spy satellites not trained on Iran. This would be like US SpySats all trained on Cuba, when the USSR is ignored.
in the U.S., we get used to seeing the “surface story” without underlying information or context that would allow us to assess its veracity.
Very astute assessment of Americans. It is very true. We have as a nation become obsessed with facts without understanding the underlying meaning of those facts or the historical context in which those facts shed light.
For example I responded the other day to a post here in which I discussed briefly the founding fathers and the 14th amendment. I was called a moron because the 14th amendment was passed in 1868. Not by the founding fathers.
Yes. This is true. Yet 1868 going backwards to 1789 is how many years? 79. Now today lets backtrack 79 years into our past. What was happening 79 years ago? Why gee that would be 1938 and Germany and Hitler and Poland. Now lets fast forward to 2004-2007 and see a president being called Heir and oberfuhrer. What will be the assessment of those trying to understand these happenings in the year 2155?
Unless one looks at facts in the context of their historical perspective one simply begins to be a memory freak. Facts without context are often meaningless. I fear Mister Google is turning many people visiting the internet into nothing more then walking versions of cliffs notes.
Israel monitors Iran already.
Oh, those beholden-to-Israel US bureaucrats…