The NY Times reports a blockbuster story about the anti-Iran lobby group, United Against a Nuclear Iran. It’s an especially perfidious group supporting regime change, though it couches its approach in terms of opposing Iran’ nuclear program. Curiously, this is precisely the same way Israel’s far-right government disguises its own support for the violent overthrow of the Iranian government. Knowing that such a plan is not supported by the west including the Obama administration, they believe that they can paint Iran as enough of a threat to the world through it’s alleged plans to create nuclear weapons, that this will get them half-way to regime change.
UANI specializes in “outing” companies which allegedly violate UN sanctions against Iran. The Times article revealed that the companies are usually approached by an Israeli “fixer” with close ties to the Mossad. He’s Rami Ungar, owner of an Israeli company, Ray Shipping, who’s worth $500-million.
Ungar gives them an opportunity to renounce their supposed trade with Iran. Sometimes they’re extorted for a donation to UANI as well. Though the article doesn’t mention it, I’m certain that the Mossad intermediary probes for companies that will serve Israel’s interests in its fight against Iran. Companies doing business with Iran who are willing to become Mossad assets are worth their weight in gold, since the Iranians trust them and Israel can use such trust to sabotage whatever aspect of the Iranian military or commercial interests the sanctions-buster participates in.
What brought much of this to light is a lawsuit brought by one of the ship owners who was targeted by UANI. Instead of rolling over and playing dead, Victor Restis decided to sue UANI to find out what was going on inside the bowels of this organization. Restis, who denies all charges against him made by UANI, decided to take the battle to UANI. He’s demanding to see internal documents that would show who conveyed information to the group about him, what the information said, and how it was collected. His suit also implies that the Mossad directly funds UANI, another explosive charge.
What’s especially odd about the case is that the U.S. Justice Department has threatened to intervene in the case on behalf of UANI. Clearly, the real reason they’re willing to take such an unusual step is that they’re trying to protect the Mossad. It would not only embarrass our Israeli ally, it might expose the covert methods and work product of Israeli intelligence. It might allow Iran to find out what Mossad knows about it and how.
This is so unseemly because the Obama administration is protecting a foreign spy agency which aggressively steals U.S. secrets when possible. We are also protecting the Mossad as it attempts to manipulate U.S. public opinion in a witch hunt against Iran, which is a country which whom we’re trying to negotiate a rapprochement. Here is how the U.S. explained its “interest” in the case:
Government lawyers said they had a “good faith basis to believe that certain information” would jeopardize law enforcement investigations, reveal investigative techniques or identify confidential sources if released.
If we take this literally, it means the U.S. government has been in cahoots with the Mossad in this campaign against Iranian commerce. Even if it means something less than that, it certainly means that we’re protecting the Mossad as one of our “confidential sources.” The other possible interpretation is that the U.S. is investigating UANI or the Mossad for their collusion together, though the article doesn’t point in that direction at all.
UANI, though it claims to be a bi-partisan group about the political fray, is heavily laden with neocon, Bush-era personnel and board members. It’s full of U.S. intelligence officials and diplomats known as especially friendly to Israel, including Dennis Ross. Meir Dagan is also listed as an advisor. UANI appears little more than an extension of Israeli intelligence based in the U.S.
Restis files multi-billion dollar defamation suit against UANI
(New Europe) July 22, 2013 – Victor Restis, a Greek entrepreneur and owner of one of the world’s largest shipping businesses, announced today that he has filed a defamation lawsuit against the non-governmental organization United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) and its CEO, Mark D. Wallace, a former United Nations Committee Delegate, for falsely, knowingly and maliciously conducting a global campaign claiming that Restis, Jewish grandson of Holocaust victims, is a “front-man” for the Iranian regime, and that he and his family’s companies, Enterprises Shipping and Trading, S. A. (EST) and First Business Bank, S. A. (FBB) are engaged in illegal business dealings with Iran.
From link:
○ The Restis group denies the allegations by the US anti-Iran lobbying group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) claiming its ship violated international sanctions
Hmm. Is the issue here Mossad or CIA? To me, this quote:
Government lawyers said they had a “good faith basis to believe that certain information” would jeopardize law enforcement investigations, reveal investigative techniques or identify confidential sources if released.”
seems to suggest that it is the CIA using UANI to blackmail American corporation into becoming assets on Iran. Of course, that would mean the CIA turning a blind eye to UANI’s extortion, which would effectively mean the CIA channelling criminally-obtained cash to an American lobby group in order to sway public policy. But how likely is that?
Is there a difference, Mossad or CIA? Aren’t they integrated?
I’m doing a search on some more background on the UANI group, from their website a long list of former government officials as its advisers.
From Right-Web – United Against a Nuclear Iran (UANI).
Does this match your own observations when an Israeli attack on Iran was a ‘doable’ solution?
Meir Dagan: Israel Attack on Iran ‘Stupidest Thing I’ve Ever Heard’ | by Richard Silverstein | on May 7, 2011
Mark D. Wallace of United Against Nuclear Iran is CEO of Tigris Financial Group, a private investment firm.
Tigris Financial Group LTD operates as a subsidiary of GRAT Holdings LLC.
Grat Holdings LLC is a Maryland Limited-Liability Company filed on July 21, 2004. The company’s filing status is listed as Active and its File Number is W10114445.
Spelling error in article, should be William Natbony.
Ellen Aguiar v. William Natbony, et al :: Factual Allegations
A. The Trusts and Natbony as Trustee.
11. The Trusts at issue in this litigation, upon information and belief, hold over two billion dollars, almost all of which constitute proceeds of the sale of Leor Exploration and Production LLC (“Leor”), a natural gas exploration company that was founded by Kaplan and Guma in 2003. Natbony and Kaplan were the directors of Leor. Leor was sold in 2007 for over 2.55 billion dollars. Almost all ofthe proceeds were funneled into the Trusts.
○ The Tragedy Of Guma Aguiar And A $2 Billion Texas Gas Fortune
Great stuff Oui. Good work.
Thanks!
Did some further research …
○ Coalition of the Willing Against Iran: US Justice Dept, Ungar, UANI and Mossad
Thanks Very informative
You’re welcome!