Chalabigate
"Weapons of Mass Deception"
1999-01-01
Manucher Ghorbanifar
by: Jane Hunter
October - November 1987
The Link - Volume 20, Issue 4
Ghorbanifar is an Iranian who now runs a rug business in Europe.1 Albert Hakim said he met Ghorbanifar in the early 70s right after the formation of “his new company,” Star Line Shipping (a company headed by the deputy prime minister and run by about 15 Israelis). When asked by the Congressional Iran-contra panel counsel whether Ghorbanifar “was a Savak agent who had worked for the Israelis,” Hakim said that was so. He also acknowledged seeing information connecting Ghorbanifar to the “intelligence services of Israel.”2
Some CIA officials as well suspected Ghorbanifar had ties to Israeli intelligence,3 a point testified to several times by Oliver North before the Iran-contra committees: “[Ghorbanitar] was widely suspected to be, within the people I dealt with at the Central Intelligence Agency, an agent of the Israeli government or at least one of, if not more, of their security services.”4
And an unconfirmed report from both U.S. intelligence and Iranian sources say that Ghorbanifar ingratiated himself with the Khomeini Government by betraying a 1980 coup d’etat mounted by military officers loyal to the Shah. Seventy of those involved were said to have been executed.5
Ghorbanifar is credited with the 1981 disinformation that Libyan “hit squads” were about to infiltrate the U.S. and kill President Reagan. The CIA thought his motive in this case was “to cause problems for one of Israel’s enemies.”6
Michael Ledeen recently denied claims that Ghorbanifar was an Israeli agent. Had they been true, said Ledeen, he would have been further encouraged as to the go-between’s reliability.7
1. Alison Mitchell, “CIA Warned Against Dealing With Ghorbanifar,” Newsday, February 4, 1987.
2. Iran-contra hearings, June 4 and June 5, 1987; Ronald Koven, “Allegiances of Iranian arms deal intermediary unclear,” Boston Sunday Globe, December 14, 1986 contains details of Star Shipping.
3. Mitchell, “CIA Warned Against Dealing With Ghorbanifar.”
4. Taking the Stand, testimony of Oliver North before the Iran-contra committees, Pocket books, New York, 1987, p. 307 and passim.
5. Miguel Acoca and Knut Royce, “High-roller arms dealers key to deals with Iran,” San Francisco Examiner, February 19, 1987.
6. Washington Post story in San Francisco Chronicle, January 31, 1987.
7. Larry Cohler: “Michael Ledeen’s Story,” Washington Jewish Week, June 18, 1987.
http://www.ameu.org/page.asp?iid=159&aid=417&pg=1
This site may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
October - November 1987
The Link - Volume 20, Issue 4
Ghorbanifar is an Iranian who now runs a rug business in Europe.1 Albert Hakim said he met Ghorbanifar in the early 70s right after the formation of “his new company,” Star Line Shipping (a company headed by the deputy prime minister and run by about 15 Israelis). When asked by the Congressional Iran-contra panel counsel whether Ghorbanifar “was a Savak agent who had worked for the Israelis,” Hakim said that was so. He also acknowledged seeing information connecting Ghorbanifar to the “intelligence services of Israel.”2
Some CIA officials as well suspected Ghorbanifar had ties to Israeli intelligence,3 a point testified to several times by Oliver North before the Iran-contra committees: “[Ghorbanitar] was widely suspected to be, within the people I dealt with at the Central Intelligence Agency, an agent of the Israeli government or at least one of, if not more, of their security services.”4
And an unconfirmed report from both U.S. intelligence and Iranian sources say that Ghorbanifar ingratiated himself with the Khomeini Government by betraying a 1980 coup d’etat mounted by military officers loyal to the Shah. Seventy of those involved were said to have been executed.5
Ghorbanifar is credited with the 1981 disinformation that Libyan “hit squads” were about to infiltrate the U.S. and kill President Reagan. The CIA thought his motive in this case was “to cause problems for one of Israel’s enemies.”6
Michael Ledeen recently denied claims that Ghorbanifar was an Israeli agent. Had they been true, said Ledeen, he would have been further encouraged as to the go-between’s reliability.7
1. Alison Mitchell, “CIA Warned Against Dealing With Ghorbanifar,” Newsday, February 4, 1987.
2. Iran-contra hearings, June 4 and June 5, 1987; Ronald Koven, “Allegiances of Iranian arms deal intermediary unclear,” Boston Sunday Globe, December 14, 1986 contains details of Star Shipping.
3. Mitchell, “CIA Warned Against Dealing With Ghorbanifar.”
4. Taking the Stand, testimony of Oliver North before the Iran-contra committees, Pocket books, New York, 1987, p. 307 and passim.
5. Miguel Acoca and Knut Royce, “High-roller arms dealers key to deals with Iran,” San Francisco Examiner, February 19, 1987.
6. Washington Post story in San Francisco Chronicle, January 31, 1987.
7. Larry Cohler: “Michael Ledeen’s Story,” Washington Jewish Week, June 18, 1987.
http://www.ameu.org/page.asp?iid=159&aid=417&pg=1
This site may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
Milton Frihetsson, 01:53
