Swift Boat Iran Pundits for Truth

This was in yesterday's LA Times, and I almost threw up when I read it:

Kerry Opponent Taking Aim at New Target: Iran

Swift Boat author wants to prepare the public for what he sees as a likely war with the nation.

Apparently, a smear artist who posts anti-Muslim hate on Free Republic and publishes a cavalcade of lies and distortions to influence a Presidential election is seen by the media as a "Kerry opponent." Just an opponent.

The article reads like it was reformatted from a press release. Jerome Corsi, who was co-author of Unfit for Command, is writing a new book. Considering his last book was completely discredited as a pack of lies, this shouldn't merit publication in a major newspaper. But there it is, in the LA Times, on A5. In fact, the article acknowledges the problems with Unfit for Command, but quickly emphasizes how "nevertheless" the Swift Boat campaign was very powerful and compelling.

The book is about what Corsi calls a "likely" war with Iran. Here's a quote:

"The world cannot tolerate the potential that these mad mullahs would have a deliverable nuclear weapon, even one, secretly developed," Corsi said in a recent interview. "They might just launch on Tel Aviv. The moment the world intelligence community becomes convinced that could happen, either the U.S. alone or the U.S. plus Israel or Israel alone will seriously contemplate a preemptive strike, and I'd be in favor of it."

Corsi also casually mentions that a US-Iran war could start as soon as March. And hilariously, the article characterizes his "Iran campaign" as independent, "with no backing from either the White House or from the Swift Boat veterans group." Why would anyone expect that the Swift Boat Veterans group would FUND a book on Iran? Why does that even need to be in here?

The body of the article talks about how great the PR campaign about the book will be, and who's funding the book (the head of WorldNetDaily), and how Corsi can expect a "large audience" on talk radio, etc. Is this the stuff of a NEWS article? Who knows, nowadays? This quote is right out of some PR flack's fertile mind:
 
"We'll devise a strategy to bring the manuscript to the media; we'll have websites to be developed," Corsi said. "I see a similar movement building to the one built around the Swift Boats."

We can't let the media be suckered into printing this BS as a mash note. Corsi has no experience on Iran, and in fact most of his prior record in dealing with the Muslim world includes statements like this:

CORSI: Let's see exactly why it isn't the case that Islam is a worthless, dangerous Satanic religion? Where's the proof to the contrary? (04/24/2004)

CORSI: Islam is like a virus -- it affects the mind -- maybe even better as an analogy -- it is a cancer that destroys the body it infects... No doctor would hesitate to eliminate cancer cells from the body. (11/26/02)

Legitimizing this bigot and proven liar is dangerous. Write the LA Times and tell them you won't stand for this.

letters@latimes.com