A Coincidence

William Arkin recently wrote a fascinating book called Code Names: Deciphering U.S. Military Plans, Programs and Operations in the 9/11 World.

"Polo Step" is secret Pentagon code for classified material that is more sensitive than "Top Secret." When veteran military-affairs journalist William Arkin first publicly mentioned "Polo Step" in a 2002 column in the Los Angeles Times, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was apparently furious and ordered an investigation into the leak. Over 1,000 officials, military personnel, and contractors were ultimately interviewed, and the investigation even had its own code name, "Seven Seekers." Such is the zealousness, Arkin writes in his book Code Names, with which secrecy is protected in the 9/11 world.

Now, there's been a completely unrelated development, which only a tinfoil-hat-wearing conspiracy theorist would suggest is anything more than a coincidence:

Someone has gone to a great deal of trouble to produce a document accusing journalist and activist William Arkin of serving as a spy for Saddam Hussein.

The Pentagon says the supposed Defense Intelligence Agency cable is a forgery. Arkin says it's "chilling" and is demanding an investigation. The NBC News military analyst says he became aware of the bogus document when a Washington Times reporter called about the spying allegation and sent him a copy.

"Someone who put this together obviously tried to make it plausible enough to do harm and endanger me," William Arkin says of the bogus document.

Such, it seems, is the zeal with which BushCo exacts revenge in the 9/11 world.

Arms Control Wonk reports that Rumseld flunky Larry Di Rita has said that an investigation of the forged document is "not likely."

For more information on exactly what "Polo Step" is, you can read this Democracy Now interview with Arkin.