Full Release - IRmep

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though something might be interesting, it's pursued. Ifit isn't, it isn't."
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Standing by Rumsfeld's side, Bush was asked ifthe meeting was a good idea and ifhisadministration
wants a change in government. "We support the aspirations ofthose who desire freedom in Iran,1I the
president said, then took a question on a differentsubject.
According to the account given later by the senior Pentagon official, the contact in 2001 occurred after
Iranian officials passed word to the administration that they had information that might be useful in the
global war on terrorism. Two Pentagon officials met with the Iranians in several sessions over a threeday
period in Italy. Ghorbanifar attended these meetings, "but he was not the individual who had
approached the United States or the one with the information,II the official said.
What his role was, however, the official did not know.
The official said the June meeting involved'one ofthe two Pentagon representatives who had been
present at the 2001 meeting, but he declined to say which one.
Staffwriter Dana Priest contributed to this report.
LOAD-DATE: August 9, 2003
https://www.nexis.com/research/search/submitViewTagged 6/7/2005