groups inside Syria and Iran in an attempt to promote regime change. an economic "development" group that sought to control Iran's access to credit, and to international banking services a "special relationships" group that scrutinized the interactions of Iran with Lebanon, Syria, Afghanistan, and independent terrorist organizations. a media outreach group that targeted the people of Iran, Syria, and the Persian Gulf region. The group arranged the sale of military equipment to Iran and Syria's neighbors, and otherwise used discretionary and secret funding of undisclosed amounts to "promote democracy" in the Middle East. The ISOG has given aid to the militaries of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, and also to the political opposition in Iran. The group was disbanded after little more than a year when its mission had become controversial and at cross-purposes with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's initiatives for working with Iran and Syria to stabilize Iraq. At this time, ABC News reported, President Bush granted "secret" presidential approval to the CIA to conduct "black" operations to destabilize the Iranian government in a "non-lethal presidential finding" that authorized propaganda, disinformation, and manipulation of Iran's currency and international banking transactions. On May 29, 2007, Undersecretary of State R. Nicholas Burns reported to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in a letter that "The ISOG was established in March 2006 and disbanded in March 2007 in favor of a more standard process". The dissolution of the group was interpreted at the time in media reports as an indication that "hardliners" on Iran in the Bush government had lost their influence, as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice steered the country away from militaristic policy planning and towards diplomacy. See also Nuclear program of Iran New Great Game Elizabeth Cheney References Iran–United States relations Syria–United States relations Defunct United States intelligence agencies Presidency of George W. Bush