<story><title>Obama Order Sped Up Wave of Cyberattacks Against Iran</title><url>http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/01/world/middleeast/obama-ordered-wave-of-cyberattacks-against-iran.html</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>jcampbell1</author><text>This is clearly an approved leak from the administration.  The number of sources and specifics make it very easy to catch whoever leaked this information.  If this wasn&apos;t approved, the leaker is going to be sitting next to bradly manning within a week, and there is no moral cause to leak this information, so it is safe to assume this was an approved leak.&lt;p&gt;The real question, is why did the administration leak the story, and why now?  Is it politically motivated because Obama wants to seem tough on Iran in an election year?  Is it to trick the Iranians into thinking the program is over?  Maybe versions 2, 3, and 4 are already in place, and it will be demoralizing to Iran&apos;s program if they keep getting setback.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>jsz0</author><text>&lt;i&gt;The real question, is why did the administration leak the story, and why now?&lt;/i&gt;&lt;p&gt;The latest round of multi-lateral talks on Iran&apos;s nuclear program just concluded a few days ago in Baghdad. I think they&apos;re trying to send the message to Iran that they will never be able to have a clandestine nuclear weapons program. The world is going to know about it. So if a nuclear power option is on the table for Iran this might give them a little extra motivation to accept all international regulations/inspections as a precondition. What are they actually going to be able to hide? Not much apparently.&lt;p&gt;The other goal here is to make Iran&apos;s position that they only want nuclear power, not nuclear weapons, even more difficult to accept. They are enduring sanctions and refusing to accept all of the regulations/inspections for what purpose exactly? They could have had nuclear power years ago if they were willing to accept these conditions. The longer they hide behind &apos;nuclear power only&apos; the harder it is to believe. At some crucial point I have no doubt we&apos;ll be leaking detailed information about their weapons program. When that happens Iran will have to probably admit they &lt;i&gt;do&lt;/i&gt; want nuclear weapons and from there the war question pretty much resolves itself.</text></comment>
<story><title>Obama Order Sped Up Wave of Cyberattacks Against Iran</title><url>http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/01/world/middleeast/obama-ordered-wave-of-cyberattacks-against-iran.html</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>jcampbell1</author><text>This is clearly an approved leak from the administration.  The number of sources and specifics make it very easy to catch whoever leaked this information.  If this wasn&apos;t approved, the leaker is going to be sitting next to bradly manning within a week, and there is no moral cause to leak this information, so it is safe to assume this was an approved leak.&lt;p&gt;The real question, is why did the administration leak the story, and why now?  Is it politically motivated because Obama wants to seem tough on Iran in an election year?  Is it to trick the Iranians into thinking the program is over?  Maybe versions 2, 3, and 4 are already in place, and it will be demoralizing to Iran&apos;s program if they keep getting setback.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>grandalf</author><text>Good points. I think the tough on Iran story is probably part of it.  Also I think it could be a way to test the public/media reaction to news of US cyber terrorism against other nations.</text></comment>