News continues to roll in that the United States may be nearing a decision to strike Iran. In my previous installment, I discussed the storm of tough talk currently unleashed from Washington. In this installment I’ll lay out some of the other events in the region in recent weeks.

First, an intriguing report was published alleging that Washington authorized the execution and funding of a covert offensive against Iran in recent weeks.

Six weeks ago, President Bush signed a secret finding authorizing a covert offensive against the Iranian regime that, according to those familiar with its contents, “unprecedented in its scope.”

Bush’s secret directive covers actions across a huge geographic area – from Lebanon to Afghanistan – but is also far more sweeping in the type of actions permitted under its guidelines – up to and including the assassination of targeted officials. This widened scope clears the way, for example, for full support for the military arm of Mujahedin-e Khalq, the cultish Iranian opposition group, despite its enduring position on the State Department’s list of terrorist groups.

Similarly, covert funds can now flow without restriction to Jundullah, or “army of god,” the militant Sunni group in Iranian Baluchistan – just across the Afghan border — whose leader was featured not long ago on Dan Rather Reports cutting his brother in law’s throat.

Other elements that will benefit from U.S. largesse and advice include Iranian Kurdish nationalists, as well the Ahwazi arabs of south west Iran. Further afield, operations against Iran’s Hezbollah allies in Lebanon will be stepped up, along with efforts to destabilize the Syrian regime.

All this costs money, which in turn must be authorized by Congress, or at least a by few witting members of the intelligence committees. That has not proved a problem. An initial outlay of $300 million to finance implementation of the finding has been swiftly approved with bipartisan support, apparently regardless of the unpopularity of the current war and the perilous condition of the U.S. economy.

I have been able to find no news of a denial from Washington, though Iran took it seriously enough to make a statement. Taken by itself, I would dismiss the report out of hand as well, but other indicators tend to lend credibility. For instance, there has been a dramatic upsurge in reports from Lebanon on Beiruit’s attempts to isolate the Iranian-backed Hezbollah organization.

Lebanon has ordered the dismantling of a Hezbollah run communications and surveillance network. The Lebanese government has also alleged Hezbollah is operating a network of spy cameras in the Beiruit airport – reported to be the trans-shipment point for Hezbollah arms from Iran. The chief of security at the airport has also been removed for his ties to Iran.

In addition, reports have surfaced that Hezbollah’s stockpiles of Iranian-supplied arms have improved, both in quantity and quality, and a prominent Lebanese politician, Walid Jumblatt, has called for the explusion of the Iranian ambassador and the cessation of flights from Iran. Jumblatt has a history of backing the United States when it would benefit his Druze faction.

And, as if the sudden surge of activity to reveal and eliminate Iranian influence in Lebanon were not enough, there are reports that in the wake of Vice President Cheney’s visit to the region Saudi Arabia announced “national plans to deal with any sudden nuclear and radioactive hazards that may affect the kingdom following experts’ warnings of possible attacks on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear reactors”. Also, Isreali Infrastructure Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer issued an unusually tough warning to Iran as that nation executed an unscheduled homeland defense rehearsal.

Read part 3 in the series.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 and is filed under Foreign Policy, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Terrorism. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.