Telegraph Caught Printing Outright Lies By War Pimp Con Coughlin

I should add Coughlin is a neocon who does work that so helps MI6 they really should be paying him…Ahem. So (ht2C&L) Arms Control Wonk writes (links at original post)-

A couple of days ago Con Coughlin and Tim Butcher published an article in the Daily Telegraph that stated Iran had diverted some Hex from the conversion facility as Isfahan:

Nuclear experts responsible for monitoring Iran’s nuclear programme have discovered that enough enriched uranium, which if processed to weapons grade level could be used to make up to six atom bombs, has disappeared from the main production facility at Isfahan.

The article smelled fishy to me, and not just because I think that wrapping fish and chips is the only appropriate use for the Telegraph.

The story seemed patently false, but now we have a statement from the IAEA’s Melissa Fleming. The statement is available from an Iranian website, but I confirmed the authenticity of the statement with a colleague:

“The article, entitled ‘Iran renews nuclear weapons development’ published in [Friday’s] Daily Telegraph by Con Coughlin and Tim Butcher is fictitious,” IAEA Spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said in a statement.

“IAEA inspectors have no indication that any nuclear material is missing from the plant,” reads the statement….

The C&L post by Cernig reports how the bullshit WMD war pimp is the proverbial lie that travels around the world before the truth gets its shoes on, with it turning up in the Jerusalem Post, so we see the function of such lies. Openly false propaganda to serve the warmongering of certain factions laundered through a few media outlets, an exact copy of the WMD lies about Iraq. Which is not surprising as MI6’s favourite hack also did that.

As some consolation Private Eye#1216 (please put all your content on line, it’s called the 21st century Hislop!) reported a few weeks back in Telegraph Watch (retyped by my fair hands from the print edition)-

Emotional scenes at the leaving party for Daily Telegraph veterans Paul Hill and Patsy Dryden, who have been axed after serving on the foreign desk for 37 years and 19 years respectively.

Although many former foreign editors came to the Press House wine bar off Fleet Street to drink their health, there was one who had deliberately not been invited. Step forward Con Coughlin- who turned up nevertheless and found himself buttonholed by Robin Gedye, ex-foreign editor of the Sunday Telegraph.

“You’ve got a fucking nerve turning up here!” Gedye snapped. “you were responsible for sacking half the people in this room. Now fuck off.” Coughlin turned even redder than usual, and off he duly fucked.