Back to Iran for a Minute

In perusing the daily JOM comments came across this..

Think Stuxnet. Handed to him, probably begun development late in 43's first term, exposed--intentionally I believe--in order to kill the program... which again supports the persian mullahs.

The worm was indeed developed late in 43's second term with assistance from Israel, based on open source info. So it's a very interesting observation. 

For instance, the leak of the Stuxnet story to the New York Times occurred on or before June 1, 2012, when their story appeared.  Reports have circulated that State diplomat Jake Sullivan first visited with Tehran in Oman as early as July 2012, well before A'jad was bounced out of office in favor of the 'moderate' Rouhani.  This was only a month after the Stuxnet story appeared in print.

So the question is whether the Iranians had any influence on the leak or whether the leak prompted the Iranians to seek out a meeting.  General James Cartwright, a former member of Obama's Joint Chiefs and once described as "Obama's favorite general", has been pegged as a person of interest in the leak.

Perhaps Cartwright, who wasn't promoted to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs in 2011 allegedly because he was no longer a team player, according the sources for the WaPo, sought revenge against his old boss. But that's a weighty charge to consider for a former military professional and patriot. 

The general still has not been indicted, meaning he has not been found guilty by anyone, meaning there's more than a little 'making an ass our of u and me' here as to his role.  But right now he's the only name dropped as to culpability.  That he's represented by former Clinton and Obama legal operative Greg Craig might just be a coincidence; Craig supposedly left the White House without good feelings, too.  It's hard to know what power moves might be in play without being a fly on the wall.  

The leak investigation in general was assigned to Maryland US Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein, a Bush 43 appointee whom Democrats repeatedly blocked from an appointment to the 4th Circuit, but who was one of only three USA's kept on by Obama.  Was the investigation just a dog and pony show to wrap a bow on the operation and quiet people like McCain, or based on Mr. Rosenstein's stellar reputation is such an idea too ludicrous to even consider? 

Whatever the case, like most other Obama scandals it's now largely out of sight, out of mind.  As to Iran, maybe it's time for the LA Times to show us the Khalidi tape, especially after another Obama-Khalidi photo emerged last year.  But we know they won't, not with Obama's foreign policy legacy on the line.  So the sky remains gray for the hoi polloi.  But there's always football.