The implications of this revelation from Mideast analyst Omni Ceren are huge. It is unlikely that this is the first time wealthy Leftist organizations have paid off “journalists.” Perhaps this is a clue as to why the mainstream media marches in unbroken lockstep in opposing resistance to jihad terror and smearing foes of terror as “bigots” and “Islamophobes.” I expect there is a payroll for that somewhere that has yet to be revealed.
On May 5 the NYT published its profile of Ben Rhodes, in which Rhodes bragged about creating an “echo chamber” with the Ploughshares Fund to sell the Iran deal on the basis of false pretenses [a]. A few hours ago the AP published a deep dive into Ploughshares showing that the group is funding a range of lobbies, policy shops, and journalists and media outlets, all of which are bouncing Iran messaging back and forth between each other [b].
Aspects of the Ploughshares network had already been reported out. In Feb 2012 the WFB reported on Ploughshares funding NPR [c]. In March 2015 the WSJ reported “the Ploughshares coalition includes a former Iranian government spokesman, the liberal Jewish organization J Street and a group of former American diplomats who have held private talks with Iranian government officials… [and] the Arms Control Association” [d]. In July 2015 the WFB printed details of a Ploughshares conference call that brought together White House officials with over 100 participants, in which groups were told to prepare for a “real war” that would involve “blitzing the hell out of the Hill,” pressuring Congressional Democrats, and leaning on Jewish groups [e][f]. In August 2015 Commentary published 1,500 words and a couple dozen links naming names in the network [g].
What hadn’t been widely discussed – until today’s AP story – was that Ploughshares has been directly funding journalists and media outlets in the context of the politicized Iran deal fight. In case you’re running down this angle, here are some documents published by Ploughshares Fund describing the group’s efforts in its own words.
— In 2014 Ploughshares commissioned a “Cultural Strategy Report.” It laid out how the organization could use PR firms, Hollywood studios, video games, and journalists to create a “cultural strategy that could complement existing funding and operational activities.” Here is part of the section describing directly funding journalism [PDF here – h]:
Similar to an academic chair, directly fund one or more national journalism positions at media outlets like The Guardian, Salon, Huffington Post, or Pro Publica, whose exclusive “beat” and focus of investigation and reporting would be nuclear weapons, disarmament, and nonproliferation… We understand that similar efforts supported by Ploughshares Fund in the past did not generate the desired volume of coverage (funding of reporters at The Nation and Mother Jones and a partnership with the Center for Public Integrity to create a national security desk). However we feel this strategy would be more successful by focusing on themes, media outlets and journalists who resonate with the target audiences (youth and faith communities) and by pursing this strategy in concert with other approaches.
— In 2015 Ploughshares published a video and letter from Ploughshares President Joe Cirincione titled “How We Won.” Cirincione boasted that the group leveraged its funding so lobbyists, policy voices, and journalists could “coordinate efforts” to push the Iran deal. The video ends with a scrolling list of groups involved. The letter goes into detail on how Ploughshares leveraged funding to create its network [i]:
These groups and individuals were decisive in the battle for public opinion and as independent validators… they lacked a common platform – a network to exchange information and coordinate efforts. Ploughshares Fund provided that network. Often, networks can make all the difference… We built a network of over 85 organizations and 200 individuals in favor of a negotiated solution to the Iranian crisis… We credit this model of philanthropy – facilitating collective action through high-impact grantmaking – with creating the conditions necessary for supporters of the Iran agreement to beat the political odds.
A lot of work is now being done on how the Iran deal echo chamber worked and funded. Two other articles from the last 48 hours: how Ploughshares also funded faith groups to be part of the pro-deal network [j] and how the network was mobilized this week to attack witnesses who testified in front of the House Oversight Committee on the White House’s sales campaign [k].
[a] http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/08/magazine/the-aspiring-novelist-who-became-obamas-foreign-policy-guru.html
[b] http://bigstory.ap.org/article/7044e805a95a4b7da5533b1b9ab75cd2/group-helped-sell-iran-nuke-deal-also-funded-media
[c] http://freebeacon.com/issues/public-radio-pay-to-play/
[d] http://www.wsj.com/articles/obama-ramps-up-lobbying-on-iran-1427674427
[e] http://freebeacon.com/national-security/white-house-officials-plot-ways-to-pressure-lawmakers-into-supporting-iran-deal/
[f] http://freebeacon.com/national-security/white-house-instructs-allies-to-lean-on-jewish-community-to-force-iran-deal/
[g] https://www.commentarymagazine.com/american-society/economy/money-behind-iran-nuclear-deal-ploughshares/
[h] http://www.ploughshares.org/sites/default/files/resources/M+A_Ploughshares_culture%20report.pdf
[i] http://www.ploughshares.org/issues-analysis/article/how-we-won
[j] http://www.algemeiner.com/2016/05/20/ben-rhodes-echo-chamber-on-iran-had-many-supporters
[k] http://nypost.com/2016/05/18/obamas-iran-echo-chamber-just-cant-stop/

Angemon says
Follow the money.
mortimer says
Bribery is normative Islam, rather than an aberration. Mohammed’s sacred example is replete with bribery and Muslims MUST IMITATE Mohammed. How many Western elites, journalists, politicians, civil servants, college professors, universities directors HAVE BEEN BRIBED TO HELP THE JIHAD?
BRIBERY OF MOHAMMED
Bukhari #005.059.716 Military Expeditions led by the Prophet (pbuh) (Al-Maghaazi)
Narrated Ibn Abbas:
Thursday! And how great that Thursday was! The ailment of Allah’s Apostle became worse (on Thursday) and he said, fetch me something so that I may write to you something after which you will never go astray.” The people (present there) differed in this matter, and it was not right to differ before a prophet. Some said, “What is wrong with him ? (Do you think ) he is delirious (seriously ill)? Ask him ( to understand his state ).” So they went to the Prophet and asked him again. The Prophet said, “Leave me, for my present state is better than what you call me for.” Then he ordered them to do three things. He said, “Turn the pagans out of the ‘Arabian Peninsula; respect and give gifts to the foreign delegations as you have seen me dealing with them.” (Said bin Jubair, the sub-narrator said that Ibn Abbas kept quiet as regards the third order, or he said, “I forgot it.”) (See Hadith No. 116 Vol. 1)
Keys says
The Saudis and neighbors are the consummate bribers. The bribees: the Clintons, with numerous individuals and organizations.
Carolyne says
I believe that Saudi Arabia is a major funder of the “Clinton Foundation” and that the money is then funneled to Hillary Clinton’s campaign. It sounds like money laundering. I don’t understand how anyone except a Clinton would betray their country in this way. Don’t they understand that once the Muslim paymasters are through with them, they will be done away with?
Keys says
Absolutely! The laws need to be made so that is easy to do, easily transparent, and published in line item detail, frequently, with imprisonment for not doing so. We are all in this together, I foolishly believed.
Do lawmakers (and journalists, businesses, governments – foreign and domestic, religious leaders, criminals, etc.) on the receiving end want to do that?
Follow the money, if you can.
jihad3tracker says
A major discovery in the ongoing trail of evidence about how HUGE is the web of lies that Islam-loving Obama fabricated to get an Iran Deal approved.
When Israel vanishes in a million degree fireball, or “Supreme Leader” parades nuclear missiles in Tehran — remember that you saw advance notice here on JW.
Get in touch with your senators and congresspersons to let them know about this.
Polk1970 says
Israel will NEVER, vanish ,however Iran ought to worry about themselves
Custos Custodum says
Two remarks:
(1) Readers of Jihad Watch were never deceived about the Iran “deal.”
(2) When exactly did Obama “pivot” from Saudi Arabia to Iran? (Note that “pivot” is a favorite “action word” among Obama’s media groupies, especially on NPR – implies execution of a strategic plan rather than random bumbling stumbling.)
mortimer says
The shoe has dropped. It is a matter of time before a Saudi spy or one of another Mid-Eastern country defects because he cannot STOMACH the putrefaction of Islam and Soddy Barbarians.
There will be revealed a MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR SLUSH FUND AND HUSH FUND for bribing Western elites…even bribes for spy agencies. The amorality of Islam is beyond what Western people can imagine.
The sordid Soddy secrets will be revealed and they will stink exposed to the air.
WESTERN AGENCIES SHOULD WATCH WHICH POLITICIANS, JOURNALISTS, PROFESSORS and CIVIL SERVANTS are being bribed and GET THE GOODS on the Saudis who are doing it.
Those who sell out the West should be punished with lengthy sentences.
jihad3tracker says
IF TRUMP WINS IN NOVEMBER we might get past Barry Hussein Soetoro’s maze of lies about $$$ BILLIONS in Saudi money bribery of Democrat elected officials, Leftist professors, and mainstream media privilege guilt morons.
I was a Cruz supporter, but Trump is the Repub nominee, so I am 100% on board for him as the only hope for our survival against Islam’s taqiyyist agenda.
As Pam Geller pointed out in May 2015, he was clueless about free speech when jihadists attacking the Garland “draw Muhammad” event.
Prince Alwaleed’s 25 Billion Dollars was not given to deepen a Western understanding of Wahhabism — Its purpose is to win Islam’s ultimate caliphate.
Carolyne says
Donald Trump, at that time likely not having made a study of the Constitution, might have been clueless about free speech. Hillary Clinton, who purports to be a lawyer should have known that our Constitution would not permit her to “Catch him and put him in jail” (The film maker blamed for Benghazi) but that is what she said to the families of those killed there when the bodies were returned at Dover AFB.
I too supported Ted Cruz but I now wholeheartedly support Trump. This is America’s last chance to save itself.
Mazo says
So Obama supported a deal with Iran, which is Saudi Arabia’s enemy. And you claim he is controlled by Saudi money.
The logic of commentators here is top notch. A mental retard couldn’the beat the logic displayed here.
Keys says
Multi-million? My intuition tells me it’s at least multi-billion or trillion.
With gas in the USA near and over $4 per gallon at one time and for a long time, we paid for all of it – mosques, bribes, etc.
A damn gallon cost pennies for them to get out of the ground. How many gallons do tens of millions of us use in a week driving back and forth to work our asses off?
Judi says
Keys – don’t complain. Here in the UK we pay the equivalent of $10 a gallon!!
Keys says
Wow ! I wonder who gets all that money and what they do with it.
Westman says
And all that taxation helps the ruling elite stay in power while promoting the fiction, through inefficient socialized services, that they share egalitarian ideals. Of course, they have both connections and private services to benefit themselves and to launch their offspring into the next elite generation.
You can be certain that they regard the “migrants” as “working class” replacements for a declining workforce; foolishly believing the lower echelon of their society can be controlled while economic growth continues.
How many revolutions have succeeded under the noses of leaders who falsely imagined themselves to be altruistic; mouthing egalitarian objectives while acting on personal motives?
Can a nation be maintained if the social contract between citizens is only economic? This is the belief of leftists and elites – ethnicity does not matter. As a result, they believe that other ethnicities will join the nation and likewise discard their ethnic roots.
What is the meaning of “nation” if there is no ethos? Or worse, what is the future if the only ethos belongs to Islam which has a directive to rule?
Yes, that $10 a gallon is VERY expensive.
خَليفة says
A it of bakshish.
Why am I not surprised? For all the claim of transparency Obama promised, seems nothing he has done was done above board – and everything he did do needed a little bit of sugar-free taqiyya to help the public swallow it.
Guest says
The Left buying the media, why am I not surprised
mortimer says
Mega-rich Arabs bought the Left. The Left bribed the media. Bingo.
cookiebaker says
Will Plowshares loose their” tax exempt” status?Don`t hold your breath!
More likely their fellow travelers will line their pockets with more swag.And our do nothing Congress won`t lift a finger!
It is not too late to Impeach Obama he made this deal his administration knew about the manipulation!Does the “buck” ever stop at his desk?It is at least time for Congress to stop this nightmare. At least set up a special prosecutor to dig deep!
Rich says
It’s way, way past time for someone in this joke that we call our government to do something about it. We’ve seen several special prosecutors do basically nothing about a lot. IRS scandal – nothing. Benghazi – nothing. Iran deal – there will be nothing. But they’ve sure straightened out our bathrooms and military, haven’t they.