Do you think the CIA has a hand in the events unfolding in Iran?

Well, for what it is worth, Obama said they absolutely do not. He said it today in his press conference.

In which aspect of “what’s unfolding” exactly?

I think we also denied CIA involvement in Central America in the 80’s, which we all now know absolutely happened. I wouldn’t put it past them. I wouldn’t doubt that either Obama doesn’t know or is lying to cover it up, either.

I think a lot of people have a “hand” in it, but what it comes down to is the will of the people and what they think is right.

Yes

The CIA may not have been directly involved with what is currently happening, but I am sure that they have been in the background trying to stir things up.

It’s specifically what they do. It’s their job description.

They’ve been embedded so deep in the background for so many years now, I don’t know how they could unequivocally say they had no part whatsoever.

Did they take any overt action? Maybe not.

Did they take any covert action? Absolutely.

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BTW, you get a GQ for posting this question here. Fluther is simply a front for the CIA after all.

Here is an interesting article from Slate addressing this very issue. Involvement or not, you can be sure that the United States, Great Britain and Israel continue to be blamed for provocation. Much like the perennial conspiracy theories, you cannot prove your innocence when the assumption is that you would deny all involvement if you were involved anyway. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

I always think the CIA is involved but in truth, we don’t know

The CIA may not be officially involved right now, and any actions that may or may not have been taken by CIA personnel may not have been officially sanctioned, but I would bet at least one person is trying to steer things in one direction or another.

I really can’t imagine them leaving this whole thing alone, but apart from that I haven’t any idea.

While I wouldn’t be surprised if the CIA was involved in some way, there is currently no evidence that they were/are, just frivolous assumptions.

Absolutely. Both hands and both feet.

Involved in rigging the election, or involved in making people think that the election was rigged if it wasn’t? Or something else?

No comment.

I wouldn’t be surprised if we had agents there, but I don’t think this is their doing.

No matter how good our agents are, they can’t insight a borderline revolution on their own.

Perhaps with a little help?

Would not surprise me.

I am sure there are a few Iranians who report to us and some of them will actually be in the employ of the Iranian govt. All nations receive information about all other nations. Our biggest problem in that area is that we don’t have a diplomatic connection to Iran and most of the information is coordinated through “cultural attaches or even non-officials like Valerie Plame.

If you mean is the CIA stirring up (or paying for) the demonstrators, I think the answer has to be NO!. There is probably a subgroup of Liddy wannabes who live in a comic book universe but they have to have some connection to the dissidents which would mean some kind of long term networking. The demonstrators are not naive, ill-educated or unfocused (like the tea-baggers), they are protesting an insult by their government, They are not even asking for western-style freedoms. Their candidates are more conservative than the current administration. They just want their votes to be counted. If Americans had taken to the streets when Florida committed election fraud in 2000, think what a better place the world would be today.

what we see here might very well be the a first result of a campaign to create a pretext for invading iran.

I think the CIA has a hand in everything (including Fluther). I also think that whether or not they are involved Obama is going to say they aren’t.

I don’t think the CIA is competent enough to stir up mass demonstrations. If anything, they are spying for information. I don’t know if they have enough skills to get a person inside the highest places in Iranian government. I’m sure the Iranians do some serious vetting of their own people. Could the CIA get someone past that? I’d like to think so, but it would surprise me if they could.

Anything is possible….

try this

could, wouldn’t be surprised if they were at least. It’d be in America’s best interest to switch the balance of power over there.

@Mossad don’t you think your mossad avatar is disgustingly offensive or are you really that proud of a bunch of no good, low life, deep down, dirty murdering scum sucking mercenaries?

@mammal, unless you’re politically set against Israel, then maybe you’d be surprised to know that the Mossad is the national intelligence agency of Israel. By definition, they’re not really mercenaries… it’s an official government entity… unless you’ve got evidence to the contrary?

@mammal well at least you’re being constructive…. ’,:-/

@mammal This is our insignia. Do you resent the fact that the Mossad is a successful intelligence agency, in contrast to the Arab “intelligence” agencies? We captured Adolf Eichmann, convinced an Iraqi pilot to defect along with his plane, had high level spies in Egypt and Syria, and many other successes. I couldn’t be more proud.

@Mossad
The Obsidian Order laughs at your pathetic excuse of an intelligence agency, Human.

Just wondering—has the Mossad ever fucked up?

I think the CIA has a lot of dirty secrets they don’t want the public to know about, ever. I also think that the CIA has the potential to be involved in events in Iran, no matter how miniscule, because the CIA is an immoral, unethical, manipulative, criminal, and detestable organization on many levels. They don’t care how, when, or where they get their hands dirty in whatever they’re doing as long as the end result serves their own selfish and nefarious purposes. They’ve already demonstrated this behavior in the past.

They have their hands in what ever they want to.