[Infowarrior] - Widely Cited Government Study on Iranian Spies ‘Pulled for Revisions’

[Richard Forno]

Widely Cited Government Study on Iranian Spies ‘Pulled for Revisions’

by Justin Elliott
ProPublica, Jan. 22, 2013, 11:55 a.m.

An official with the Library of Congress says a widely cited but poorly sourced report his office did on Iran's intelligence ministry has been pulled from circulation.

As we detailed last week, the study's ill-supported claim that the Iranian intelligence ministry has 30,000 employees was picked up by CNN and others. News outlets have also seized on other assertions in the report.

The report, which was produced on behalf of a Pentagon office, had been posted on a non-public government-only website. It was leaked earlier this month.

"The report was pulled for revisions after the Division staff identified a passage that should have been caveated but was missed in the initial reviews," said Federal Research Division chief David Osborne in an email. "The report will be re-posted when revised."

Osborne declined to specify the passage in question. It might have had nothing to do with the 30,000 figure.

Another section of the report prompted a married couple branded as spies for Iran to consider legal action.

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http://www.propublica.org/article/widely-cited-government-study-on-iranian-spies-pulled-for-revisions

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