In a move designed like the plot of a second-rate spy movie, Dick Cheney’s office has apparently activated its army of propaganda writing “robots” to begin promoting a war with Iran (can you identify which one is Bill Kristol?). I’m not sure whether Cheney activated these writers with a nationwide radio transmission or simply a conference call, but Barnett Rubin is reporting that his sources indicated the propaganda should be starting this week.

They [the source's institution] have “instructions” (yes, that was the word used) from the Office of the Vice-President to roll out a campaign for war with Iran in the week after Labor Day; it will be coordinated with the American Enterprise Institute, the Wall Street Journal, the Weekly Standard, Commentary, Fox, and the usual suspects. It will be heavy sustained assault on the airwaves, designed to knock public sentiment into a position from which a war can be maintained. Evidently they don’t think they’ll ever get majority support for this–they want something like 35-40 percent support, which in their book is “plenty.” [source: Informed Comment Global Affairs]

The psy-ops campaign on Iran has been in full gear from George “Worst. President. Ever.” Bush for all of August and their strategy must be to now have others chime in supporting the administration’s claims. Good luck.

As I’ve noted many times, America should not be willing to trust these clowns in the White House with anything of substance anymore.

Just to keep everyone abreast of the Bush Propaganda Machine’s current psyops operations, take a look at this April 2nd post in ABC’s The Blotter.

Iran has more than tripled its ability to produce enriched uranium in the last three months, adding some 1,000 centrifuges which are used to separate radioactive particles from the raw material.

The development means Iran could have enough material for a nuclear bomb by 2009, sources familiar with the dramatic upgrade tell ABC News.

Does this method of influencing public opinion sound familiar? Niger, yellowcake uranium, aluminum tubes, Valerie Plame, Joe Wilson, and Colin Powell at the UN redux.

Glenn Greenwald of Salon.com points out that Bush was asked about this report today in his press conference, and notes

So within less than 24 hours, a completely shoddy, unreliable and vague ABC News report translates into a straightforward statement at the President’s Press Conference that “Iran will be capable of building a nuclear bomb within two years.”

With the Bush Administration’s credibility so deep in the crapper, the Neocons need to get ABC’s investigative reporters to run stories with unsubstantiated information in order to bolster their case against another Middle Eastern big talker, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The Blotter should be ashamed of running that story. I guess the Bushies may have found their new Judith Miller.