Judy's Call Data Versus My Call Data

There’s an irony to yesterday’s 2nd Circuit Court decision that the NYT must turn over Judy Miller’s and Phillip Shenon’s phone records to DOJ. Since the District Court decision that the NYT didn’t have to turn over phone data, we’ve learned that the government is already getting our phone data–all of ours, journalist or not–in the name of fighting terrorism. Not that that should affect existing First Amendment privilege, but keeping in mind that AT&T is already handing over your phone records, consider what the Circuit Court decision describes as Judy’s and Shenon’s actions.

The opinion starts the chronology with an October 1, 2001 Judy Miller and KurtEichenwald article that discusses government efforts to shut down a bunch ofcharities tied to Al Qaeda.

Widening the financial assault on Osama bin Laden, administrationofficials are preparing to freeze the assets of about two dozen morecharities and other organizations that are suspected of providing moneyand support to his terrorist operations, government officials saidyesterday.

One Week

The First Fourth Generation World War

Steve Soto posts an email exchange with Sam Gardiner that strongly supports a point I’ve been making.

A major piece of what I was being told was shocking. Iranand Syria were involved in the planning for the hostage takings. I waseven told where and when their planning meeting took place. Anindividual with former connections to the CIA told me the currentsituation is all is about the Iranian nuclear program. I was skepticalof that explanation until I heard Zal Khalilzad, the US Ambassador toIraq, on CNN late in the day. He said, "It is about the Iranian nuclearprogram." 

In other words, Iran did not wait for the US preemptive strike.  It conducted its own.

To understand why I think Iran actually gains by this, I need to make clear how I suspect Iran’s leaders calculated their risk and reward. Many have assumed that Iran’s cost-benefit analysis weighed status quo in the Middle East and the prospect of a deal at the UN, versus implication in a regional war with Israel. If the Iranians had believed this to be the case, they would never have intervened in this confrontation (and understand, I am convinced they pre-empted an Egyptian cease fire; other claims are tough to measure because of the politics involved). I strongly suspect the Iranian cost-benefit analysis weighed certain war against the US on the US’ terms versus war not on the US’ terms.

What IF Iran Is Behind the Burgeoning Regional War?

Via hilzoy via Glenn Greenwald, I found this description of Mubarak’s attempts to broker peace between Hamas and Israel.

"Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak yesterday told the Cairo daily AlAhram that he had drafted an agreement for the release of abductedIsraeli soldier Gilad Shalit, but that it had been scuttled by outsidepressure on Hamas.

"I would not be revealing any secrets by saying I had writtenportions of a dignified resolution to the soldier crisis," Mubarak saidin the interview.

According to the Egyptian leader, Israel promised to releasenumerous Palestinian prisoners, and Hamas leader Khaled Meshal andPalestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas had both been told.However, the agreement was not implemented due to pressure on Hamas.

"Then Hamas was pressured and entities I do not want to nameintervened in the mediation. This blocked the impending agreement,"Mubarak said."

To my mind, it’s the most concrete evidence I’ve seen that Iran or Syria is stage-managing the growing chaos in the Middle East.

The Greater Middle Eastern War

Like Arthur Silber, I fear that events in the Middle East are designed to spiral out of control, right into Persia.

[OH, BROTHER:  I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: It’s All About Iran.  As I wrote:

Iffor whatever particular combination of reasons the attack on Irandoesn’t come before the November elections (and perhaps even as earlyas this summer), it will certainly come before the end of Bush’s term.

Drudge is now hawking this latest story:

Israel has information that Lebanese guerrillas who captured two Israeli soldiers are trying to transfer them to Iran, the Foreign Ministry spokesman said. Spokesman Mark Regev did not disclose the source of his information.

One more time:  They want a wider war.  They’ve already decided to attack Iran.

There are several signs to support that. The immediate US blame placed on Syria. The apparent US disinterest in pulling Israel back from the brink. And now allegations involving Iran.

More Aspirational Terrorists

GWOT, an Assessment

Brother Naz' Timing

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