January 26, 2020.  The NYT provides a helpful investigation into what happened during the three days of lying to the world by Iran about the downing of the commercial airplane, such as the Tehran airport (answerable to the IRGC) turning planeloads of unsuspecting travelers into human shields because they kept the airplanes arriving and departing when expecting the U.S. to maybe attack.  But the article fails in two large ways.  First, it does not explain why Pres. Rouhani refused to visit the crash site, just 30 miles outside of Tehran, during those three days.  He could have easily seen the truth with his own eyes.  Second, and most telling, the NYT correctly points out that the Supreme Leader was told the very first day that the plane had been shot down by the IRGC.  BUT the NYT does not discuss nor explain the Leader being the perpetuator of the lie.  NYT does point out that after three days the Leader tells the IRGC to make their announcement, but the NYT does not point out that the Leader is the keeper of the lie and directed that the truth not be told for as long as possible.  He would have allowed it to continue except for growing internal domestic pressure from the masses and from accurate information coming from the U.S. and the international community.  Finally, Pres. Rouhani had threatened to resign unless the IRGC revealed the shoot-down--the article does not explore how the Leader responded to this threat.  What was discussed on this behind multiple closed doors in Tehran?  See “Anatomy of a Lie: How Iran Covered Up the Downing of an Airliner,”  Farnaz Fassihi. New York Times, January 26, 2020.

January 26, 2020.  But what journalist Gilbert does not report was that it didn’t really matter that the President didn’t know—the Supreme Leader did know, from the first day.  A president in Iran has very little power—it is the Supreme Leader who is supreme, and he allowed the lie to go on for three days and would have allowed it to continue but for strong international growing questions and condemnation, and the Iranian people beginning to grow restless.  “Iran's military knew it accidentally shot down a passenger plane moments after it happened, and a stunning new report details how it was covered up — even from Iran's president,” Ben Gilbert, Business Insider, January 26, 2020.

“Three rockets hit US embassy in protest-hit Iraqi capital,” AFP, January 26, 2020.

“Iran Turns to Bitcoin Strategy to Dodge US Sanctions,” Asharq Al-Awsat, January 26, 2020.