By ERIC SCHMITT
Published: September 2, 2004
ASHINGTON, Sept. 1 - The Pentagon's policy office, where a lower-level analyst is under suspicion of passing secrets to Israel, was deeply involved in deliberations over how the United States should deal with Iran, its conservative Islamic government and its nuclear weapons ambitions - all issues of intense concern to Israel as well.
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The analyst, Lawrence A. Franklin, a Farsi-speaking specialist on Iran in the office, participated in a secret outreach meeting with an Iranian opposition figure, had access to classified intelligence about Iran's nuclear program and was one of many officials involved in drafting a top-secret presidential order on Iran.
The authorities say that Mr. Franklin, a former Defense Intelligence Agency analyst, passed to lobbyists from a pro-Israel group a draft of the presidential order, known as a National Security Presidential Directive. But President Bush has not yet approved a final version because the policy questions themselves - including whether to use covert actions to destabilize the Tehran government, and even air strikes if its nuclear weapons program proceeds - remain under intense debate.
"We don't have a presidential directive on Iran," said a government official familiar with the internal debate. "We have an ad hoc policy that we're making up as we go along. And it is to squeeze Iran, using international pressure, to get them to rid themselves of their nuclear program."
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/02/politics/02pentagon.html