"U.S. Says Iran Ended Atomic Arms Work "

[HCE SuiGeneris]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/03/world/middleeast/03cnd-iran.html?hp

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 — A new assessment by American intelligence agencies concludes that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 and that the program remains on hold, contradicting an assessment two years ago that Tehran was working inexorably toward building a bomb.

The assessment, a National Intelligence Estimate that represents the consensus view of all 16 American spy agencies, states that Tehran’s ultimate intentions about gaining a nuclear weapon remain unclear, but that Iran’s “decisions are guided by a cost-benefit approach rather than a rush to a weapon irrespective of the political, economic and military costs.”

“Some combination of threats of intensified international scrutiny and pressures, along with opportunities for Iran to achieve its security, prestige, and goals for regional influence in other ways might — if perceived by Iran’s leaders as credible — prompt Tehran to extend the current halt to its nuclear weapons program,” the estimate states.

The new report comes out just over five years after a deeply flawed N.I.E. concluded that Iraq possessed chemical and biological weapons programs and was determined to restart its nuclear program. The report led to congressional authorization for a military invasion of Iraq, although most of the N.I.E.’s conclusions turned out to be wrong. The estimate does say that Iran’s ultimate goal is still to develop nuclear weapons.

More at NY TIMES link http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/03/world/middleeast/03cnd-iran.html?hp

[lovuian]

1. I think the word UNCLEAR kinda says they don't know

so thanks for the I don't know assessment

[HCE SuiGeneris]

5. Oh, you are so welcome...

thanks for the comment.

[Dudley_DUright]

2. Cheney heart attack in

...3...2...1...

[malaise]

4. Ahmmmmmmmmmmmmm

0.75, 0.74, 0.73.......Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! :rofl:
Looks like hte intelligence agencies are taking 'in front' this time around

[TwilightGardener]

3. So...this is the new NIE that Cheney tried to get the intelligence community to modify

to fit his bomb-Iran plans, eh? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!! They didn't change it enough! And they aren't even releasing it the way they've been releasing the other NIE reports. He's tried to engineer it, and then squelch it. What a dick.

[Dudley_DUright]

6. Direct link to NIE "key judgments"

http://www.dni.gov/press_releases/20071203_release.pdf

[spanone]

7. contradicting an assessment two years

were they lying then or now?

[HCE SuiGeneris]

8. As this NIE has been stone-walled from becoming public...

I would lend slightly more credence to this one. :evilgrin:

[Dudley_DUright]

10. See page 9 of NIE with link posted at reply #6

for a nice summary of the differences. I would guess they are tired of lying for Cheney and this is serious pushback against a war with Iran.

[Akoto]

9. So, I must wonder ...

What's happened that the intelligence agencies are no longer towing the line? These last few months in particular felt as though they were particularly full of anti-Iranian rhetoric. It'd be tough to sustain the same momentum toward attack when sixteen spy bodies claim it's not warranted.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

11. Possibly as *'s term nears its end, there is a greater

thrust to act with a little bit more integrity? I really don't know, and was thinking about the same thing.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

12. Direct from the NIE...

• We judge with high confidence that the halt lasted at least several years. (Because of
intelligence gaps discussed elsewhere in this Estimate, however, DOE and the NIC
assess with only moderate confidence that the halt to those activities represents a halt
to Iran's entire nuclear weapons program.)
• We assess with moderate confidence Tehran had not restarted its nuclear weapons
program as of mid-2007, but we do not know whether it currently intends to develop
nuclear weapons.

http://www.dni.gov/press_releases/20071203_release.pdf