New Yorker columnist Sy Hersh
says the 'single most
explosive' element of his
latest article involves an
effort by the Bush
administration to stem the
growth of Shiite influence in
the Middle East (specifically
the Iranian government and
Hezbollah in Lebanon) by
funding violent Sunni groups.
Hersh says the U.S. has been
'p
more

New Yorker columnist Sy Hersh
says the 'single most
explosive' element of his
latest article involves an
effort by the Bush
administration to stem the
growth of Shiite influence in
the Middle East (specifically
the Iranian government and
Hezbollah in Lebanon) by
funding violent Sunni groups.
Hersh says the U.S. has been
'pumping money, a great deal
of money, without
congressional authority,
without any congressional
oversight' for covert
operations in the Middle East
where it wants to 'stop the
Shiite spread or the Shiite
influence.' Hersh says these
funds have ended up in the
hands of 'three Sunni jihadist
groups' who are 'connected to
al Qaeda' but 'want to take on
Hezbollah.'Hersh summed up his
scoop in stark terms: 'We are
simply in a situation where
this president is really
taking his notion of executive
privilege to the absolute
limit here, running covert
operations, using money that
was not authorized by
Congress, supporting groups
indirectly that are involved
with the same people that did
9/11.'

Category News & Politics

Tags Iran, Bush, Seymour, Sy, Hersh, al, Qaeda, 9/11, covert, operations, Shiite, Middle, East, Hezbollah, Lebanon