One possible explanation could be arrogance. The Iranians might have thought that Chalabi was just trying to get in good with them so he could get some info for the US and thus didn't believe him about the US having broken the code.

Or, it could be just plain ole stupidity. That well never goes dry for humanity.

I'm not saying this is a sure thing (Chalabi being guilty) but I do think that there might be a simpler explanation to all this than smoke and mirror. If it turns out that my thinking is incorrect, I'll be happy to admit it.

Phoenix

Look, they obviously don't know anything about intelligence work. It's an XK Red 27 technique...
http://www.moviewavs.com/cgi-bin/mp3s.cgi?Fish_Called_Wanda=fw7.mp3

Never attribute to malice what can adquadetely be explained by stupidity, ignorance, or a bad day.

As for Marshall, well, blind pigs and truffles, stopped clocks twice a day, etc.

Never attribute to malice what can adquadetely be explained by stupidity, ignorance, or a bad day.

But that rule doesn't apply at all in espionage, where "malice" and deliberate deception are done 6000 times per day.

See, espionage agencies really are engaged in illegal conspiracies. That's their raison d'etre.

If they weren't conspiring to break the laws of foreign countries, you'd fire the chief.

So one isn't a conspiracy-monger to suggest that, gee, maybe when the Iranians transmitted a signal in a code they knew was compromised, maybe the intended it to be read. That kind of thing is done every day.

Actually, as I said, this was done in such a flabbergastingly ham-handed manner that the only real evidence that this is NOT disinformation is that it so clearly IS.

Exactly like they said in "A Fish Called Wanda" -- it's a double bluff!

Is it possible the Iranians were looking to a) get rid of Chalabi and also b) find out if the US had broken their code? Could we have played right into their hands?

Is it possible the Iranians were looking to a) get rid of Chalabi and also b) find out if the US had broken their code? Could we have played right into their hands?

No.

Here's the thing: It's very valuable to know that the enemy has broken a secure code. You can continue using it for low-level intelligence stuff -- just to convince the enemy you still believe it's secure -- while occasionally using to pass them disinformation which is likely to be believed.

The Iranians would want to protect their own intelligence coup -- to wit, that they knew the code was broken.

Would they want to test to see if the code was broken? Would they want to pass disinformation in the broken code?

Yes and yes, but they'd do it without revealing that they knew the code was broken.

They could pass any sort of false information likely to provoke some sort of response or comment to uthe US in that code, and then wait to see if a response or comment was forthcoming.

It doesn't make sense that they would give up their intelligence asset in the process of doing so.

Plus, look, if this crap is true -- that Chalabi told them the code was broken -- then what the hell are they doing telling us that? Why are they exposing their own valuable intelligence agent? Why are they giving up their own secret that they know we're reading their traffic?

Why would they test the code's integrity by passing along true information that was so important to them?

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