Debunked Iran Forces Jews to Wear Badges Story Reprinted

The New York Post has reprinted in today’s edition Amir Taheri’s scare piece about Iran forcing Jews (and incidentally, all other non-Muslims) to wear colored identifying badges. The piece made the rounds of the blogosphere last Friday, including here, and was debunked within hours.

Jim Henley notes that the sinister force cited in Taheri’s account, “Mostafa Pourhardani, Minister of Islamic Orientation,” does not exist.

Taheri and The Post ran a provably false report, on their own initiative or at the behest of some publicity-shy agency of some government or other, played in as inflammatory way as possible. Why? So that months from now, someone hearing about plans to bomb Iran, or seeing footage of bombing on TV, will say to themselves, “Didn’t I read that Iran was going to round up all the Jews and make them wear yellow stars like the Nazis? Something like that. Well, good riddance.” All the story had to do was live long enough to get into circulation.

It’s classic pre-war propaganda.

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James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. legion says:

    All those people who went on at great length about how cool it was the the US gov’t was creating propaganda to use on Americans

    This is what you get. Not the happy “good news in Iraq” stories the MSM dare not print. Just bald-faced lies to manipulate the populace into supporting a war that Bush has already decided must happen, but still can’t defend on its own merits.

  2. Tano says:

    It is the NY Post after all, a tabloid that has redefined the sewer for american journalism ever since Murdoch bought it. But, strangely, there are quite a number of people who, up till now, have viewed them as somehow worthy of at least some credibility.

    I would like to think that that is over now. And that their agenda, and their tactics will not only be understood by all, but kept in mind whenever reading any of their stories.

  3. floyd says:

    sincerely;thanks

  4. LJD says:

    I also saw a story about the President of Iran calling for the destruction of Israel, and denying the existence of the holocaust.

    It’s amazing what these guys will print…

  5. benjoya says:

    LJD,

    keep your head down, soldier. Thanks for your sacrifice – On to Tehran!