Please, Mr. Snow, could you tell us why we should believe you?

on the one hand...

A former top Bush administration official for Persian Gulf affairs has said in an interview this morning on CNN that the US may be trying to spark a conflict with Iran.

Hillary Mann is the former National Security Council Director for Iranian and Persian Gulf Affairs. She warned in the interview that the recent flare up between Iran and the US over the former's alleged assistance to Shi'a militias results from a US desire to provoke conflict with the Iranians.

"They're trying to push a provocative, accidental conflict," Mann said.

and on the other hand...

The White House, its credibility damaged in invading Iraq, vouched for charges that Iran has been arming insurgents there, but denied ramping up such rhetoric as a prelude to military action.

Asked whether Washington was confident in the accusations, spokesman Tony Snow replied "Yes."

Asked whether the United States was confident that the weaponry was coming into Iraq with Tehran's approval, Snow replied: "Yes."

But he said that the allegations made by US defense officials in Baghdad Sunday that Iran is supplying potent munitions to Iraqi fighters is not a shift in US rhetoric.

"I don't think there's a change of tone on our part," he said. "I think that there have been attempts, with all due respect, in the press to try to whip this up -- 'is the administration going after Iran?'"

"I'm glad you raised it again, because we're not," said Snow.

and the white house believability quotient...?

-0-

Submit To Propeller
Tweet