Well let me say that I have no idea whether Hersh is legit, a full on quack, or somewhere in between. His Pulitzer Prize suggests that at some point he was a highly-respected investigative journalist who went against the powers that be, so you’d imagine there was still something valid there, but I am by no means here to vouch for the guy. I’m Eastern European, my default is to be highly skeptical of pretty much everything and everyone…it’s what gives us our sunny disposition!
My post was basically to say 1) I think it’s highly likely that this was a US operation, considering the incentive and historical precedent. 2) Not everything that comes up for discussion that doesn’t paint Russia in the evilest of lights is some sort of propagandist talking point. In the end, we are talking about deeply complex issues involving countries with suspect histories and overlapping interests. Stories like this could very well have elements of propaganda and accuracy at the same time.
As you say, the real details of this operation probably won’t be know for a few decades, because the story is still too fresh and the people involved are alive and active. If somebody is expecting hard evidence or open confession to believe any story…they are going to be waiting a really long time. Nobody of worth is going to risk exposing themselves. Of course that means that articles like this leave a lot of room for error and compromise.
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