CNN's Despicable Platforming of Brett McGurk

The network is paying the leading Gaza genocide architect to push for war with Iran on its air.

CNN

It’s been just over 22 years since the United States launched the Iraq War based on lies about weapons of mass destruction, all with the assistance of an establishment media machine that sidelined dissenters and boosted rabid warmongers around the clock. In the wake of that catastrophe, there was much muttering that lessons must be learned—that good old-fashioned skepticism needed to make a comeback, particularly from news organizations.

Today, we find ourselves right back where we were in 2003. The United States is threatening to join Israel’s reckless and unjustifiable war on Iran, citing the ever-present boogeyman of Iran’s supposed nuclear weapons program. This is despite the fact that, as of literally today, U.S. intelligence agencies continue to maintain that Iran has not restarted any nuclear weapons program, and hasn’t even decided whether or not to do so. (Of course, there is a very-definitely-nuclear-armed Middle Eastern state endlessly fomenting global instability and committing constant atrocities right now. It just so happens that that state is Israel. Awkward!)

In other words, like George W. Bush before him, Donald Trump is potentially preparing to start an open-ended, bloody conflict in the Middle East based on a flagrant lie.

Here, then, is a chance for our leading media institutions to break with their tawdry past—to stop putting an endless array of trigger-happy maniacs on television and instead approach this looming nightmare with the discernment it deserves.

Yeah right. Like that was ever going to happen. Instead, we’re getting the same old nonsense we got back in 2003—even with the same cast of characters. And there’s no better example of that than the case of CNN and Brett McGurk.

McGurk, you may remember, was a key architect behind Joe Biden’s policy of providing unstinting support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza. The Times of Israel called him “arguably the most important figure in shaping Biden’s policy in the war.” Whenever the extent of Israel’s war crimes in Gaza was raised behind the scenes, McGurk would reportedly dismiss the concerns. In other words, McGurk is, objectively, one of the biggest war criminals currently walking around today, and he is supremely unrepentant.

In a just world, the only platform McGurk would be granted would be a trial in The Hague. But in this world, not only does he get to carry on with his nice life—he’s actually been rewarded for his crimes with a plum new gig as a “global affairs analyst” on CNN. The news network laid off hundreds of people earlier this year, but it seems that some money was found to gain exclusive access to McGurk’s peerless insights.

With a war on Iran looming, McGurk has become ubiquitous on CNN in the past week, popping up from early in the morning till late at night. And he is hammering home one message over and over again: the U.S. might really need to bomb Iran.

Here he is speaking to Anderson Cooper on June 16 (emphasis mine throughout):

One way or the other, it's very clear here. I think Iran cannot be left at the end of this with that enrichment program in place at Fordow. Natanz is the other one. The Israelis have hit that and then you have the conversion facility. This is part of the fuel cycle at Esfahan, which has also been hit.

But Fordow, Fordow, Fordow -- that is the key and if you don't dismantle Fordow at the end of this, as you said, Anderson, not only does Iran have the know-how, they have an underground facility with about ten cascades, of very advanced centrifuges, and then you're kind of in an even worse position. So this is really coming to a head fast. Its unprecedented. If anybody says they know where this is going, they don't know what they're talking about. But I see putting the military pieces in place that's smart as you have a diplomatic off ramp.

So, you know, let's hope Iran decides to take that off ramp. Otherwise I think we're possibly looking to an American strike at Fordow.

And again with Cooper on June 19:

Again, if you want to do Fordow, let's hope for a deal. Get those centrifuges out of there. No enrichment in Fordow. Iran should sign up to that tomorrow, that'd be great, if they don't, the other option is an American strike or the worst case, Anderson, this all ends with Iran still having that infrastructure intact with enrichment facilities, ten cascades able to produce weapons, create uranium in a matter of days and then we’re in an even worse case.

And with CNN host Sara Sidner on the same day:

SIDNER: With your extensive knowledge of the region -- I mean, does it make sense for the United States to enter this war?

MCGURK: I have to say, Sara, when this started about a week ago the first thing I think we discussed was Fordow. Fordow, Fordow, Fordow, Fordow. Fordow is the deeply-buried, underground enrichment facility…[t]his is a serious problem. And the issue with Fordow, we've always known across administrations it is really the U.S. military with that munition that was just discussed can destroy it. We can do it. The plans are viable. They've been refined and honed over the years.

[…]It would be very difficult to do that without U.S. military support. So if [you] want to destroy Fordow—and at the end of this I think Fordow has to be taken care of either diplomatically or through a military strike—it really is the U.S. military option.

I could go on. Left unmentioned in all of these chats was the extremely salient fact that U.S. intelligence does not currently believe that Iran has an active nuclear weapons program.

But it’s even worse than that, because McGurk is also a partner in Lux Capital, a major player in “defense tech.” Among other things, Lux started investing in Israeli defense firms after the genocide in Gaza began.

Here’s Lux co-founder Josh Wolfe salivating over making money in Iran:

Here he is calling New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani a “hateful jihadi,” which is pretty fucking racist if you ask me:

And, last but not least, here he is in February hanging out with McGurk and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, one of the most despicable rulers on the planet.

As far as I can tell, CNN didn’t mention these blatant conflicts in any of the appearances I highlighted. Maybe they did someplace else, but I kind of doubt it.

So there you have it: a classic American establishment story. Help carry out a genocide and your reward is a prime role on cable news, where you get to push for even more war without having to disclose that the war could wind up enriching you personally down the line. It’s incredibly disgusting, and incredibly routine.

McGurk should never know a day’s peace. CNN, as ever, should be ashamed of itself. And, oh yeah, we shouldn’t go to war with Iran, you bunch of absolute psychopaths.