We Don’t Care What We Say, Iran Wants Nukes
In another unbelievable display of the separation from reality by the Hedgemony, the US releases portions of a National Intelligence Estimate that says Iran stopped its nuclear weapons research in 2003, and then says Iran must be punished for developing the nuclear weapons that we admit they aren’t developing.
CNN reports: U.S. report: Iran stopped nuclear weapons work in 2003
WASHINGTON (CNN) — Iran halted work toward a nuclear weapon under international scrutiny in 2003 and is unlikely to be able to produce enough enriched uranium for a bomb until 2010 to 2015, a U.S. intelligence report says.
A declassified summary of the latest National Intelligence Estimate found with “high confidence” that the Islamic republic stopped an effort to develop nuclear weapons in the fall of 2003.
The estimate is less severe than a 2005 report that judged the Iranian leadership was “determined to develop nuclear weapons despite its international obligations and international pressure.”
But the latest report says Iran — which declared its ability to produced enriched uranium for a civilian energy program in 2006 — could reverse that decision and eventually produce a nuclear weapon if it wanted to do so.
Enriched uranium at low concentrations can be used to fuel nuclear power plants, but much higher concentrations are needed to yield a nuclear explosion.
“We judge with moderate confidence that the earliest possible date Iran would be technically capable of producing enough highly enriched uranium for a weapon is late 2009, but that this is very unlikely,” the report says. A more likely time frame for that production is between 2010 and 2015, it concludes.
…U.S. National Security adviser Stephen Hadley expressed hope after Monday’s announcement, but he said Iran remains a serious threat.
“We have good reason to continue to be concerned about Iran developing a nuclear weapon even after this most recent National Intelligence Estimate,” he told reporters at the White House. “In the words of the NIE, quote, Iranian entities are continuing to develop a range of technical capabilities that could be applied to producing nuclear weapons if a decision is made to do so.”
He said technology being developed for Iran’s civilian nuclear power program could be used to enrich uranium for use in weapons, and that Iran is continuing to develop ballistic missiles.
Hadley said the intelligence community came to the new conclusions on Tuesday, based on information gathered over the past few months, and President Bush was briefed about them on Wednesday.
He said U.S. policy toward Iran has not changed because of the new report.
Let’s see, Iran still teaches physics, so they continue to be a threat to develop nuclear weapons? Does anyone at the White House realize how incredibly stupid they sound? Why aren’t Hedgemony press events moved next to the comics pages in the newspaper?
8 comments
Yes, the President just found out Wednesday about 2003. He’s expected to receive a briefing about how 2004 went sometime in the year 2010.
Cheney has been stovepiping again, and blocked everything that didn’t agree with his wishes. The Israelis are saying they were briefed on this at the Annapolis conference.
They have known about this for a while, because it takes time to declassify an NIE. I assume that the intel community was getting restless and they figured they had better release something before it leaked.
“The Stupid” it burns! One can hope that a majority of sane folks in this country will wake up and see this for what it is. How many times will the American people take it in the rear before they realize what is happening to them.
Odds are, Bush will push that button before his term is over. He’s made such a mess of our nation’s economy, armed forces, the Middle East, and U.S. diplomacy generally that he probably figures he’s got nothing more to lose.
…and today, in another fascinating bit of “silk purse/sow’s ear” magic, Gee Dub says that this NIE ‘proves’ that Iran is still dangerous – and still presumably fully qualified in the category of “target”. We will not be rid of this drumbeat for a new war front until we are rid of this gang, because they will keep wheeling the goal post around to suit their underlying purposes…
At this point we can hope that an order to attack won’t be obeyed based on the evidence that there is no threat. That would be the super-Constitutional crisis. Maybe then Congress will finally acknowledge the illegal conduct of the Hedgemony.
I’m hoping the refusal take the form of public resignations rather than simple refusals.
The only problem with public resignations is that Bush will simply appoint people who will do his bidding. There seems to be no shortage.
I’ve wondered about something: if, as I:8 says, “The Congress shall have Power… To declare war,” does Congress implicitly have the power to declare “no war”? I.e., can Congress explicitly forbid pursuit of war against Iran? If so, how would that work?
Congress writes the Uniform Code of Military Justice and can change it at will. Congress also controls the purse and deny any funding for an attack. The problem is the invertebrates who are supposedly the leaders of Congress.