Report: Israel agents in Iran tip US
The New Yorker reports Israel transferred intelligence information gathered by its agents in Iran indicating that the Islamic Republic has developed, tested equipment used for nuclear armament; White House has yet to disclose information to CIA
The information indicated that Iran has developed and tested equipment used for nuclear armament, the report said.
The American weekly said the White House has received the information but has yet to pass it on to the CIA, which recently determined that Iran remains far from being capable of producing a nuclear bomb.
The report raises some discrepancies between the CIA, White House and the Pentagon’s assessments on Iran. The CIA has not obtained conclusive evidence regarding the Iranian nuclear plan, and its assessment is based on technical intelligence information gathered by satellites and various tests, including the measuring of water samples’ radioactive levels.
Additional data were gathered with the use of advanced equipment set up by Israeli and American agents over the past year near suspected nuclear reactors; according to the report, no significantly high levels of radiation were detected near these sites.
The report also said the White House and Pentagon are at odds over the CIA’s assessments; Pentagon officials suggest taking the information transferred by Israel seriously and say data gathered by satellites and sensors may be insufficient and that additional information gathered by agents on the ground is required.
According to the report, the White House is refusing to disclose raw data to the CIA, which is asking for detailed information on the source of Israel’s intelligence and the location of Iranian nuclear sites.
According to reporter Seymour Hersh of the New Yorker, Israel and the United States have been working together in support of a Kurdish resistance group called the Party for Free Life in Kurdistan.
Israel, the report said, is assisting the group with training and equipment, as well as a list of targets in Iran.
Members of the group have been conducting clandestine cross-border raids into Iran “part of an effort to explore alternative means of applying pressure on Iran," a senior Pentagon consultant told Hersh.
Israel rejected Hersh's claims that it is cooperating with Kurdish rebels and the White House published a statement refuting the report.
"Unfortunately, Seymour Hersh continues with a series of inaccurate articles about the Bush administration – with another inaccurate article on the administration's policy on Iran," a White House statement said.
Hersh said the White House initially rejected his report on alleged abuses of inmates at the Abu Ghraib jail in Iraq, which was proven to be true.
