Pentagon slams Iran raid report. 18/01/2005. ABC News Online

Pentagon slams Iran raid report. 18/01/2005. ABC News Online: "The Pentagon has made a blistering attack on American journalist Seymour Hersh for claiming the United States has been preparing for possible air strikes against Iran.

But the US Government has not denied his central allegation.

In today's edition of The New Yorker magazine, Hersh uses unnamed government sources in an article claiming the US has been undertaking reconnaissance missions, gathering information about Iran's nuclear, chemical and biological facilities.
He alleges extensive planning has been under way for possible air strikes against Iran since the middle of last year.
The Pentagon has issued a written statement saying Mr Hersh's piece is so riddled with errors of fundamental fact that the credibility of his entire piece is destroyed.

But the errors the Pentagon points out are comparatively minor.

While it also accuses Mr Hersh of being unable to keep track of his wanderings, it never refutes his central claim that the US is considering air strikes against Iran.

Mr Hersh has since responded to the criticism by Pentagon spokesman Lawrence di Rita.

'The last time he [Mr di Rita] and I crossed swords was over Abu Ghraib, when I wrote about it six months ago or so,' he said.
'At that time he said ... there's not much of a story there.'"