American Prospect
    Advertise | Subscribe | Donate
 Search

leftspaceAbout UsDaily ProspectCurrent IssueArchivesrightspace
The Horse's Mouth
A blog about the reporting of politics -- and the politics of reporting. By Greg Sargent

« | Main | »

THE ENABLERS OF THE BOGUS IRAN DRESS CODES STORY HANG TOUGH. When are the people most responsible for disseminating the Iran "dress codes" tale going to admit their role in spreading this incendiary non-story? When are they even going to admit that the story has been strongly denied and appears to be false?

As Atrios notes, the story got "shot down rather quickly," but it "will remain in circulation in wingnuttia and elsewhere forever."

Yes -- especially since those who initially pushed the story still haven't backed off of it. Over at the web site of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, which played a key role in promoting the story, you can still find the press release touting the center's letter to United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan demanding an investigation. I can't find a single word on the site about the fact that the story's fallen apart -- not even in their Iran watch section. Seriously -- if the Center's done the right thing and admitted complicity in spreading this tale, I'll post it immediately.

Meanwhile, Amir Taheri, the fellow who penned one of the original stories, has posted a press release on the site of his rep Benador Associates that is anything but a mea culpa. Taheri seems to be standing by the story, though he concedes that his "column was used as the basis for a number of reports that somehow jumped the gun." He doesn't address the small problem that the law appears to have made no mention of religious minorities, only saying that his "sources" are telling him that the ideas of special markers for followers of Judaism, Christianity and Zoroastrianism are "being discussed," though we're not told by whom.

Surely there's a great epic reported piece to be done about the short life and abrupt death of this explosive story. How does this kind of thing happen, anyway?

--Greg Sargent

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.prospect.org/cgi-bin/mtype/mt-tb.cgi/638

Comments

Oh I don't know... someone tells you Karl Rove is about to be indicted, and then another...

Next thing we know, we'll be hearing that Iranian soldiers are invading neonatal hospital wards and throuwing the babies out the windows.

"How does this kind of thing happen, anyway?"

I think the answer to your question is right there in front of you.

"has posted a press release on the site of his rep Benador Associates"

Benador Associates.

Jim Lobe describes Benador as follows:

"When historians look back on the United States war in Iraq, they will almost certainly be struck by how a small group of mainly neo-conservative analysts and activists outside the administration were able to shape the US media debate in ways that made the drive to war so much easier than it might have been… But historians would be negligent if they ignored the day-to-day work of one person who, as much as anyone outside the administration, made their media ubiquity possible. Meet Eleana Benador, the Peruvian-born publicist for Perle, Woolsey, Michael Ledeen, Frank Gaffney and a dozen other prominent neo-conservatives whose hawkish opinions proved very hard to avoid for anyone who watched news talk shows or read the op-ed pages of major newspapers over the past 20 months."
Asia Times, August 15, 2003.


SPY -

Judith Miller was also one of Benador's speakers.

http://www.sourcewatch.org/wiki.phtml?title=Judith_Miller

Dezinformatsia, anyone?

Now you know why these people loved the Cold War so much and hated to see it go.

Frankly, I'm sure there are people in this country 'discussing' the same thing, except that I'm guessing our Aryan Nation-types don't worry too much about Zoroastrianism. Who might be discussing it, and how influential they are, and how likely it is to happen are pretty critical factors to know before ringing the alarm.

I will anxiously be awaiting for Howard Kurtz story on this.

How does this happen?

It happens when Israel wants to start a war between the US and Iran.

A bunch of bogus Iran stories have cropped up the last few days and they all have as Israeli connection.

Hey, the nation is run more like a cult than anything else. Cults are not interested in the truth, deception is their main tool.

Did you know one of the PNACer signees claims PNAC was nothing more than little Billy Kristol and a fax machine pumping out chain letters for all the cool kids to sign?

Wish I was kidding.

They will kill us all.

Well said, but are you guys going to get Ezra Klein to post something more adequate in terms of a retraction than that pathetic "Woopsie, it's bogus, never mind!" statement he appended to his own TAPPED contribution to legitimizing this story?

The way this idiotic bit of propaganda was readily accepted by so many people who are not wingnuts is depressing. What happens the next time when a lie that's more credible is circulated?

The wingnut crew is still rolling in the BS the Kuwaiti Ambassador's 16 year old daughter dropped on Congress about seeing the Iraqi soldiers pulling Kuwaiti infants from incubators and throwing them out windows during Gulf War I. Why should they stop any sooner with this load?

But what about the aluminum tubes and the yellowcake?

Frankly, I'm sure there are people in this country 'discussing' the same thing, except that I'm guessing our Aryan Nation-types don't worry too much about Zoroastrianism. Who might be discussing it, and how influential they are, and how likely it is to happen are pretty critical factors to know before ringing the alarm.
***

Truer words were never spoken.
Looks like the "decider" is "deciding" to march us back to war.

20 bucks says TDS has another March to War campaign.

The only good part that will come out of it are some laffs and Stewart gets to call Bush an asshole again.

abrupt death?

This one's going to live forever; it went out via Rush Limbaugh. The NYPost won't correct or retract.

The idea is to get the mob howling for war. Mission accomplished.

I was ready to believe the story as I had two co-workers, Iranians, who told me that because of their relegious beliefs they had to leave Iran or face serious descrimination or possibly death. I don't recollect their brand of religion. I don't think Iran is very friendly to alternative religious beliefs.
The current nuthatch in charge makes it easy to believe he would propose such a stupid idea. One would hope the mullahs who actually make the big decisions would keep this guy on a short leash.

ringtones free

http://www.insurance-top.com/company/ auto site insurance. The autos insurance company, compare car insurance, auto insurance. from website .

Online Pharmacy - Best PILLS

Best milf sites Review MILFs MILFs Hunters

Best Pills - Levitra

Best Pills - viagra

Best Pills - allegra allegra

Best Pills - ampicillin ampicillin

Milf Seeker Milf Seeker

Best Pills - celebrex celebrex

Best Pills - claritin claritin

Best milf sites Review MILF MILFs Hunters

Milf Porn Sites milf porn

Best Pills - glucophage glucophage

Best Pills - imitrex imitrex

Best Pills - lipitor lipitor

Best MILF paysites, Pictures milf pic MILF HUNTERS

Best Pills - meridia meridia

Great MILF pictures milfsearch Find Sexy MILFs

Best Pills - nexium nexium

Old Mature MILFs mature milf Fuck Sexy moms

Best Pills - nolvadex nolvadex

Hot Sexy MILF - Paysites Review hot milf milfseeker

Best Pills - norvasc norvasc

Hardcore MOVIES milf movies milfhunter

Best Pills - paxil paxil

Young Sexy Girl young milfs milfcruiser

Best Pills - prilosec prilosec

MILFSeeker Black MILFs black milf milfchallenge

Best Pills - propecia propecia

milf challenge milf challenge screw my sexy wife

Best Pills - soma soma

Best Anal milf anal sex

Best Pills - zocor zocor

Whore - Sexy MILFs milf whore milf seeker

Best Pills - zoloft zoloft

Best Pills - Zovirax zovirax

Horny MILFs Sex horny milfs milfsexposed

Best Pills - zyrtec zyrtec

Older Mature MILFs milf older milfseeker

Online Pharmacy - Best PILLS Pills

Best Pills - Levitra levitra

Best Pills - viagra viagra

Great websites Cum Shot Internal

Best Pussy Wet Pussy Sex

Double Penetration her first dp

Hi all! What do you think about conflict in Israel?

Her First Lesbian sex Lesbian

His First Gay sex Boys

The Best Hentai Sites Review Hentai

Free Hentai TGP site TGP anime

Best Watch

Best Watch

http://www.la-ringtones.com/mp3/ ringtones site. ringtones site, Free nokia ringtones here, Download ringtones FREE. from website .

ringtones free

Great websites

Best Pussy

Realy Big COCK

Double Penetration

Deep Anal Sex

Auto - Back Seat

gang bang

HisFirstGaySex

HisFirstGaySex

giantgaycocks

hisfirsthugecock

gayfetish

supertwink

gayebony

muscleman

gayasian

gayhentai

http://www.la-ringtones.com/mp3/ ringtones site free. Free nokia ringtones here, Download ringtones FREE, Best free samsung ringtones. from website .

Hi all, I need help. Our family computer is running like a slug. It takes forever to startup and open programs and the hard drive activity light is always on. It also uses up a lot of RAM for some reason but the CPU usage is normal. I have another hard drive that is in a removable tray that I use, and that has all the same settings and everything, but that one is using a fraction of the RAM and runs pretty good! Please help! ?

Hi all, I need help. Our family computer is running like a slug. It takes forever to startup and open programs and the hard drive activity light is always on. It also uses up a lot of RAM for some reason but the CPU usage is normal. I have another hard drive that is in a removable tray that I use, and that has all the same settings and everything, but that one is using a fraction of the RAM and runs pretty good! Please help! ?

Hi all, I need help. Our family computer is running like a slug. It takes forever to startup and open programs and the hard drive activity light is always on. It also uses up a lot of RAM for some reason but the CPU usage is normal. I have another hard drive that is in a removable tray that I use, and that has all the same settings and everything, but that one is using a fraction of the RAM and runs pretty good! Please help! ?

funny ringtones

milf hunter christina milf thumbs

milf hunter christina milf thumbs

milf hunter christina milf thumbs

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

I found: http://rape_porn_stories.conto.pl "> rape stories o http://rape_porn_stories.conto.pl "> rape porn o http://teen_rape_pics_pictures.conto.pl "> teen rape o http://teen_rape_pics_pictures.conto.pl "> rape pictures o http://teen_rape_pics_pictures.conto.pl "> rape pics o http://rape_videos_movies.conto.pl "> rape videos o http://rape_videos_movies.conto.pl "> rape video o http://rape_videos_movies.conto.pl "> rape movies o http://rape_sex_fantasy.conto.pl "> fantasy rape o http://rape_sex_fantasy.conto.pl "> rape fantasy o http://rape_sex_fantasy.conto.pl "> rape sex o http://anal_rape_gang_porn.conto.pl "> gang rape o http://anal_rape_gang_porn.conto.pl "> anal rape o http://anal_rape_gang_porn.conto.pl "> rape porn o http://rape_incest_photos.conto.pl "> rape photos o http://rape_incest_photos.conto.pl "> incest rape o http://lesbian_rape.conto.pl "> fantasy rape stories o http://lesbian_rape.conto.pl "> lesbian rape o http://rape_comics_anime.conto.pl "> anime rape o http://rape_comics_anime.conto.pl "> rape comics o http://vietnam_asian_rape.conto.pl "> vietnam rape o http://vietnam_asian_rape.conto.pl "> asian rape o http://forced_sex_womanhood.conto.pl "> forced sex o http://forced_sex_womanhood.conto.pl "> forced womanhood o http://forced_sex_fantasy_fuck.conto.pl "> fantasy forced sex o http://forced_sex_fantasy_fuck.conto.pl "> forced to fuck o http://forced_stories_feminization.conto.pl "> forced feminization o http://forced_stories_feminization.conto.pl "> forced feminization stories o http://forced_sex_stories.conto.pl "> forced crossdressing o http://forced_sex_stories.conto.pl "> forced sex stories o http://bdsm_library_stories_cafe.conto.pl "> bdsm stories o http://bdsm_library_stories_cafe.conto.pl "> bdsm library o http://bdsm_library_stories_cafe.conto.pl "> bdsm cafe o http://female_domination_stories.conto.pl "> female domination o http://female_domination_stories.conto.pl "> female domination stories o http://sex_slaves_girl.conto.pl "> sex slave o http://sex_slaves_girl.conto.pl "> sex slaves o http://sex_slaves_girl.conto.pl "> slave girl o http://brutal_rape_sex_blowjobs.conto.pl "> brutal sex o http://brutal_rape_sex_blowjobs.conto.pl "> brutal blowjobs o http://brutal_rape_sex_blowjobs.conto.pl "> brutal rape o http://extreme_sex_penetration.conto.pl "> extreme sex o http://extreme_sex_penetration.conto.pl "> extreme penetration o http://extreme_anal_fucking.conto.pl "> extreme anal insertion o http://extreme_anal_fucking.conto.pl "> extreme anal fucking o http://extreme_anal_fucking.conto.pl "> extreme anal o http://extreme_anal_fucking.conto.pl "> extreme insertions o http://extreme_hard_sex.conto.pl "> extreme hard sex o http://extreme_hard_sex.conto.pl "> breast torture extreme o http://sissy_humiliation_facial.conto.pl "> sissy humiliation o http://sissy_humiliation_facial.conto.pl "> facial humiliation o http://brutal_rape_prison_victims.conto.pl "> rape victims o http://brutal_rape_prison_victims.conto.pl "> brutal rape o http://brutal_rape_prison_victims.conto.pl "> prison rape o http://young_virgin_ass_rapes.conto.pl "> ass rape o http://young_virgin_ass_rapes.conto.pl "> young rape o http://young_virgin_ass_rapes.conto.pl "> virgin rape o http://family_real_rape.conto.pl "> family rape o http://family_real_rape.conto.pl "> real rape o http://forced_rape_porn_bondage.conto.pl "> forced rape o http://forced_rape_porn_bondage.conto.pl "> bondage rape o http://forced_rape_porn_bondage.conto.pl "> rape porn o http://bdsm_movies_videos.conto.pl "> bdsm movies o http://bdsm_movies_videos.conto.pl "> bdsm videos o http://extreme_cumshots_blowjobs.conto.pl "> extreme cumshots o http://extreme_cumshots_blowjobs.conto.pl "> extreme blowjobs o http://extreme_cumshots_blowjobs.conto.pl "> extreme bondage o http://extreme_cumshots_blowjobs.conto.pl "> extreme porn o http://sex_incest_stories.conto.pl "> incest stories o http://sex_incest_stories.conto.pl "> incest sex stories o http://sex_incest_stories.conto.pl "> incest story o http://incest_family_porn.conto.pl "> family incest o http://incest_family_porn.conto.pl "> family porn o http://family_nude_sex.conto.pl "> nude family o http://family_nude_sex.conto.pl "> family nude o http://family_nude_sex.conto.pl "> family sex o http://incest_pictures_porn.conto.pl "> incest pictures o http://incest_pictures_porn.conto.pl "> incest porn o http://incest_sex_pics.conto.pl "> incest pics o http://incest_sex_pics.conto.pl "> incest sex o http://young_incest_girl_photos.conto.pl "> incest photos o http://young_incest_girl_photos.conto.pl "> incest girl o http://young_incest_girl_photos.conto.pl "> lolita incest o http://young_incest_girl_photos.conto.pl "> young incest o http://cartoons_incest.conto.pl "> cartoon incest o http://cartoons_incest.conto.pl "> incest cartoons o http://cartoons_incest.conto.pl "> incest cartoon o http://cartoons_incest.conto.pl "> incest toons o http://incest_taboo_family_sex.conto.pl "> incest taboo forum o http://incest_taboo_family_sex.conto.pl "> incest forum o http://incest_taboo_family_sex.conto.pl "> taboo family sex o http://incest_taboo_family_sex.conto.pl "> incest taboo o http://incest_taboo_family_sex.conto.pl "> taboo sex o http://father_daughter_sex_incest.conto.pl "> father daughter sex o http://father_daughter_sex_incest.conto.pl "> daughter incest o http://father_daughter_sex_incest.conto.pl "> father daughter incest o http://father_daughter_sex_incest.conto.pl "> daughter sex o http://dads_fucking_daughters.conto.pl "> dad fucking daughter o http://dads_fucking_daughters.conto.pl "> dad fucks daughter o http://dads_fucking_daughters.conto.pl "> daddies fucking daughters o http://mother_son_incest_porn_sex.conto.pl "> mother son porn o http://mother_son_incest_porn_sex.conto.pl "> mother sucks son o http://mother_son_incest_porn_sex.conto.pl "> mother son sex o http://mother_son_incest_porn_sex.conto.pl "> mother son incest o http://moms_fucking_sons_sex.conto.pl "> mom son sex o http://moms_fucking_sons_sex.conto.pl "> mom and son sex o http://moms_fucking_sons_sex.conto.pl "> mom and son sex galleries o http://moms_fucking_sons_sex.conto.pl "> moms fucking sons o http://incest_videos_movies.conto.pl "> incest movies o http://incest_videos_movies.conto.pl "> incest videos o http://brother_sister_incest_sex.conto.pl "> brother sister sex o http://brother_sister_incest_sex.conto.pl "> sister sex o http://brother_sister_incest_sex.conto.pl "> brother and sister sex stories o http://brother_sister_incest_sex.conto.pl "> brother sister incest o

hentai tranny teacher hentai

Oh I don't know... someone tells you Karl Rove is about to be indicted, and then another... I disagree go to http://www.hotel-chicago.ws/htlchicago_en/China/Beijing-hotels.html

Visit my webpage!!

Visit my webpage!!

Visit my webpage!!

Visit my webpage!!

Visit my webpage!!

Visit my webpage!!

Visit my webpage!!

Visit my webpage!!

ysii4buu8ooygmyv ysii4buu8ooygmyv ysii4buu8ooygmyv ysii4buu8ooygmyv ysii4buu8ooygmyvu

bdpbec3kxyaty bdpbec3kxyaty bdpbec3kxyaty bdpbec3kxyaty bdpbec3kxyatyb

Pretty nice site, wants to see much more on it! :)

Pretty nice site, wants to see much more on it! :)

Pretty nice site, wants to see much more on it! :)
Respect you!
My site:
http://www.volny.cz/siniy6/how-to-spot-a-fake-designer-handbag/index.html

Visit my webpage!!

Wonderful and informative web site.I used information from that site its great.
Thank you!
http://www.volny.cz/siniy7/discount-handbag-kooba/index.html

Visit my webpage!!

Wonderful and informative web site.I used information from that site its great.
Thank you!
http://hometown.aol.com/HandbagsAlex/index.html

Visit my webpage!!

Visit my webpage!!

Bonjour! What a super websight! Very refreshing to peruse from where we live in Paris (France). I eat frogs and drink wine. Woold like more informatons on this. Best regards! Mikael.

Superb! (I wrote something else and then I read below that I aint supposed ter. So I deleted it.)

Visit my webpage!!

Hi! like This!

Hi! lonely hort!

Visit my webpage!!

ho! get go!

Respect you!Added to favorites!!Nice site!
This is my site:
http://babyslinghammock.blogspot.com

Post a comment




-->