Romney, ABC at odds on Iran report
Romney criticizes ABC News for its report on CIA plans in Iran
Presidential candidate Mitt Romney criticized ABC News for its report on CIA plans in Iran, saying it endangered national security.
ABC News rejected the Republican's analysis, and said it had given the CIA a chance to object on the grounds that the report put people at risk, but received no word from the agency.
The network led its "World News" on Tuesday with Brian Ross' report revealing that President Bush had directed the CIA to carry out secret operations against Iran both inside and outside that country. The network said the campaign was "non-lethal," and involved propaganda broadcasts, the planting of newspaper articles and the manipulation of Iran's currency and banking transactions.
ABC News President David Westin said the network has changed or withheld stories in the past if the CIA convincingly presented cases of lives or operations that would be jeopardized by it. The CIA was contacted six days ago about Ross' story, and chose to ignore it, he said.
As the report did not specify timing or any specific operations, Westin said, the accusations were unfounded. CIA activity in Iran has been reported before, he said, including within that country. What made Tuesday's story new was that Bush formally signed documents authorizing the operations, he said.
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