Breaking News: U.S. Report Says Iran Nuclear Weapons Threat Overstated

[Hamlette]

Source: NYTimes

Nothing yet but a banner at NYTimes.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/

---

Duh.

The only "news" part is 1. There is a US report and 2. It made it into the paper. Let's see how fast this gets buried.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

1. I'll K&R this simply for the possibility of good news.

It says Iran halted their nuclear weapons program in 2003 on the banner.

[rodeodance]

2. Cheney blowdown time???

[Lone_Star_Dem]

5. One can only hope! n/t

[katty]

89. Yup, give us x-mas present, PLEASE RESIGN Darth!

you will have NOTHING to do in '08 expect to get impeached IF you stay!

[maddezmom]

3. another link

US Officials: Iran has nuke capability By PAMELA HESS, Associated Press Writer
8 minutes ago



WASHINGTON - Iran halted its nuclear weapons development program in the fall of 2003 under international pressure but is continuing to enrich uranium, which means it may still be able to develop a weapon between 2010 and 2015, senior intelligence officials said Monday.

That finding is a change from two years ago, when U.S. intelligence agencies believed Iran was determined to develop a nuclear capability and was continuing its weapons development program. It suggests that Iran is susceptible to diplomatic pressure, the official said.

"Tehran's decision to halt its nuclear weapons program suggests it is less determined to develop nuclear weapons than we have been judging since 2005," states the unclassified summary of the secret report, released Monday.

Officials said the new findings suggest that diplomacy was effective in containing Iran's nuclear ambitions.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071203/ap_on_go_ot/iran_nuclear_2

[Hamlette]

4. good catch

while there is no more at NYTimes.com the headline there just changed to U.S. Report Says Iran Halted Nuclear Weapons Program in 2003.

Now lets see how Darth Cheney spins this into war.

[onehandle]

6. Actual Link: U.S. Says Iran Ended Atomic Arms Work

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

[Hamlette]

8. thanks

I was just going to post that...updated with info similar to yahoo post.

Cheney spin: You gonna believe our intelligence agencies? Look how wrong they got it on Iraq.

[Infinite Hope]

7. K&R n/t

[underpants]

9. Brenda Starr was surreal on CNN trying to explain this

To be fair she did say that "Doesn't this all sound familiar like with Saddam Hussein and WMD back before teh war" but the part that just cracked me up went something like this

"Well often the rhetoric used is very evasive and amounts to misinformation...." she was talking about the Iranians but she could have just as well been talking about the Bushies.

:rofl:

[KoKo]

11. She looked shell shocked....very pale....

[underpants]

12. BARBARA Starr not Brenda Starr sometimes I get people confused

[Bluebear]

14. Or a Gary Larson drawing . . .

[KoKo]

20. LOL's...but I see NeoCons in those glasses.....instead of the kindly critters..

[calimary]

33. Actually, I think she most closely resembles mitch mcconnell.

They could be brother and sister.

[KoKo]

10. CNN Announced Presser with Stephen Hadley at 3:15 (est) to talk about this news..

Should be interesting...

[underpants]

13. Oh good, a reliable souce

:sarcasm:

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

31. I take note that CNN has turned this matter into a discussion about Iran's Prez.

Fascinating distraction.

Ya' think the administration called CNN and told them to STFU? :shrug:

[AlertLurker]

15. Surreal...Just surreal.

When the NIE states that:
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/international/20071203_release.pdf
"• 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.
• We continue to assess with moderate-to-high confidence that Iran does not currently
have a nuclear weapon.
• Tehran’s decision to halt its nuclear weapons program suggests it is less determined
to develop nuclear weapons than we have been judging since 2005. Our assessment
that the program probably was halted primarily in response to international pressure
suggests Iran may be more vulnerable to influence on the issue than we judged
previously."

The White House says:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/03/world/04irantext.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
"Today’s National Intelligence Estimate offers some positive news. It confirms that we were right to be worried about Iran seeking to develop nuclear weapons."


When the NIE states that:
"• We judge with moderate confidence Iran probably would be technically capable of
producing enough HEU for a weapon sometime during the 2010-2015 time frame.
(INR judges Iran is unlikely to achieve this capability before 2013 because of
foreseeable technical and programmatic problems.) All agencies recognize the
possibility that this capability may not be attained until after 2015."

The White House says:
"But the intelligence also tells us that the risk of Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon remains a very serious problem."

????????????????

[Hamlette]

22. Spin wizards. Amazing how they can turn this report into a reason for immediate war with Iran.

I am so sick of politicians. Just freaking tell me the truth.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

23. Nicely delivered AlertLurker

Well done.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

28. Wow!!! It's as if they really don't even care about blatantly lying to the American people.

:wow:

[underpants]

40. Excellent post-- a must read

:patriot:

[Flabbergasted]

43. Where is the evidence that they had a program before 2003? nt

[AlertLurker]

47. Never actually cited, BUT:

"• We assess with high confidence that until fall 2003, Iranian military entities were
working under government direction to develop nuclear weapons.

[leveymg]

72. We knew Iran had a program because AQ Khan sold it to them, with CIA behind the curtain

We knew that Iran's nuclear program was really going very slow. In early 2001, however, Bush-Cheney outed that operation, and the White House started an aggressive program of fabricating evidence to justify attacks on the "Axis of Evil" countries.

The Iraq yellowcake forgeries and false Iranian exile reports were both part of that same operation being run out of the Vice President's office and Pentagon OSP amd HUMINT units.

In 2003, Iran essentially offered the same deal as Libya had - to give up all the crappy, unworkable stuff that had been peddled by the Khan network in exchange for assurances the US wouldn't attack. The Bush-Cheney crew blew them off, and cotnued esclating tensions. The Joint Chiefs and what was left of the intel establishment pushed back, unmasking the Iraq forgeries and frauds, starting a long process of bringing down the White House neocons. See, http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_oet&address=358x4659

[Strelnikov_]

16. So even though the treasonous Republicans rebuffed Irans overture

circa 2003 those Mad Mullahs^TM still halted their program.

So we now have strong evidence as to why the attack Iran rationale from the Reich propaganda bureau switched from WMD to 'fomenting terra in Iraq' a number of months ago.

My, my.

[erpowers]

17. CNN Has the Full Story

CNN has a story about this on its frontpage.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/12/03/iran.nuclear/index.html

[bdamomma]

18. and there's Pakistan will nuclear weapons and this thuggish

regime is sending them money. Again, our thuggish regime is supporting dictators.

[KoKo]

19. Kick...

[LSK]

21. K&R

This must be spread far and wide!!!

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

24. Cheney's WHIG has officially fallen apart!

Can y'all imagine how Hadley is gonna' spin this one!!!

:rofl:

How many times do these bastards have to get caught L-Y-I-N-G before they are burned at the political stake?

:shrug:

[rodeodance]

29. time for some duck hunting!

[sistagoldilocks42]

32. THEY BUILT FORTRESS AMERICA

Now let us see the TRUE patriots!!!!. Or, will this be buried while the wholesale piracy, murder, rape and mayhem continue in countries globally... by the hands of the government and people of America???.
THIS RICO CONGRESS AND GOVERNMENT WERE PREPARED TO NUKE IRAQ...BUNKER BUSTERS AND ALL..All in the vein of protecting Americans. LOL....LOL...LOL..."The chickens have come home to roost" Malcolm X the visionary knew this for soooooooooo long.

IMAGINE GLOBAL PEACE

LANCE THE FESTERING BOIL OF SLAVERY

FORTRESS AMERICA

YES MY FELLOW FASCIST PIRATE AMERICANS

MAN THE BARRICADES

BRING THE CRANES TO THE WASHINGTON MALL

HANG THESE CRIMINALS MUSSOLINI STYLE

SEND OTHERS TO THE HAGUE

REWRITE/MODIFY THE "PIECE OF PAPER" CONSTITUTION

OUR CHILDREN AND ANCESTORS DEMAND BETTER FROM US

LOVE AND "LIGHT"

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

45. Welcome to DU, sista G!!!

:hi:

[LSK]

25. BBC has the story now

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7125701.stm

[rodeodance]

26. U.S. Says Iran Ended Atomic Arms Work (nytimes headline)

December 3, 2007
U.S. Says Iran Ended Atomic Arms Work
By MARK MAZZETTI

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/03/world/middleeast/03cnd-iran.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

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 conclusions of the new assessment are likely to be major factor in the tense international negotiations aimed at getting Iran to halt its nuclear energy program. Concerns about Iran were raised sharply after President Bush had suggested in October that a nuclear-armed Iran could lead to “World War III,” and Vice President Dick Cheney promised “serious consequences” if the government in Tehran did not abandon its nuclear program.

The finding also come in the middle of a presidential campaign during which a possible military strike against Iran’s nuclear program has been discussed. 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.”

[rodeodance]

27. REUTERS-U.S.: Iran halted nuclear weapons program in 2003

U.S.: Iran halted nuclear weapons program in 2003

By Matt Spetalnick 37 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. intelligence has determined that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 but believes it is continuing to develop technical capabilities that could be used to build a bomb, a government report said on Monday.
ADVERTISEMENT
click here

The latest National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) released by the Bush administration also said Iran would likely be capable of producing enough enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon "sometime during the 2010-2015 time-frame."

The report contain a number of differences from findings two years ago in which U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Iran was "determined to develop nuclear weapons despite its international obligations and international pressure."

The latest report comes amid Tehran's continuing defiance in the face of U.S.-led international demands to halt its uranium enrichment activities.
..........

"Today's National Intelligence Estimate offers some positive news. It confirms that we were right to be worried about Iran seeking to develop nuclear weapons. It tells us that we have made progress in trying to ensure that this does not happen," Bush's national security adviser Stephen Hadley said in a statement.

"But the intelligence also tells us that the risk of Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon remains a very serious problem," he added.

[allisonthegreat]

37. Dishonesty coming out of the damn Administration again,

2003 is freaking four years ago. What was this all about. Saddam: weapons of mass destruction. Sounds like another scenario around those lines.

[RedEarth]

30. Don't let the right wing warmongers find out

...come to think of it, FIXED NEWS and hate radio won't be reporting it anyway.

[harun]

36. Yes they will and here is why

This report is promoting the assumption that they had a nuclear weapons program and simply have it suspended. While in reality there is no proof of any kind they have a nuclear weapons program. They simply have a civilian nuclear power program.

If they had ACTUAL proof of a nuclear weapons program we would already be seeing it displayed at the UN and on every US MSM outlet 24x7 in a run up to a new war.

[L0oniX]

34. O come on now ...you all knew it wasn't true didn't you?

Certainly you've learned to never believe anything this government has to say haven't you?

[ryanmuegge]

35. This is news to people who don't know shit, I guess.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

44. LMAO!

:rofl:

[WilliamPitt]

63. He shoots, he scores.

Oh my Gawd, this place is goin' crazy.

(- Johnny Most)

:toast:

[Javaman]

38. Soooprise, Soooprise, Soooprise! nt

[LeftHander]

39. It won't be reported on MSM TV...

Watch...if it doesn't highlight fear and support the warmonger owners (GE) it won't light the faces of the Next Top Model, American Idle tv watchers...

[caligirl]

41. Generals have spoken loudly! No WAR with Iran douchbags in the WH.

This is Cheney hearing from the generals and joint chiefs! no war no more war we are broken you chickenhawk f--ks!

[kineneb]

42. kind of what I suspected - military said "NO"

probably "Hell, no."

I read a commentary on infomationclearinghouse.info about the generals' attitudes towards opening "another front" in the ME; they are not a happy bunch. Honestly, they are a group I would not want to piss off.

[Faygo Kid]

54. I think you're right. This is a message from the generals. Bush still intends to attack, though.

I have no doubt that plans have already been made to attack Iran in the next four to six months. This is a "shot across the bow," as it were, that this time, the attack will be opposed in many quarters.

There's a hell of a movie in this. I just hope it stays a movie, because there is no way Bush/Cheney leave office without attacking Iran.

Maybe there is no way Bush/Cheney leave office. Or maybe there is pushback against Herr Bush and his cabal. Maybe there are more than a few ready to fight back.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

46. Reuters Headline - Report contradicts Bush on Iran nuclear program

Now that's a headline!

Link to article: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSWBT00801220071203?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&sp=true

[BooScout]

48. How many times

will Americans be fooled by the bullshit coming out of the Bush Administration? How many lies? How many needless and senseless death have to happen because Bush wants to blow up the world?

[Az]

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

Source: The New York Times

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 conclusions of the new assessment are likely to be a major factor in the tense international negotiations aimed at getting Iran to halt its nuclear energy program. Concerns about Iran were raised sharply after President Bush had suggested in October that a nuclear-armed Iran could lead to “World War III,” and Vice President Dick Cheney promised “serious consequences” if the government in Tehran did not abandon its nuclear program.

------------

The new assessment upends a judgment made about Iran’s nuclear capabilities in 2005. At the time, intelligence agencies assessed with “high confidence” that Iran is determined to have nuclear weapons and concluded that Iran had a secret nuclear weapons program.

Since then, officials said they have obtained new information leading them to conclude that international pressure, including tough economic sanctions, had been successful in bringing about a halt to Iran’s secret program.

“We felt that we needed to scrub all the assessments and sources to make sure we weren’t misleading ourselves,” said one senior intelligence official during a telephone interview, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/03/world/middleeast/03cnd-iran.html?ex=1354424400&en=db7cde09fe490f20&ei=5124&partner=digg&exprod=digg

[mlevans]

50. isn't that interesting?

the Iranians kept saying they were pursuing nuclear energy, not nuclear armaments, but nobody would believe them. George and Dick, go wipe the egg off your faces.

[AlertLurker]

51. How the White House Views the NIE:

From the "We're not kidding" Department:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/03/world/04irantext.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
"Today’s National Intelligence Estimate offers some positive news. It confirms that we were right to be worried about Iran seeking to develop nuclear weapons."

"But the intelligence also tells us that the risk of Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon remains a very serious problem."

EXTREME COGNITIVE DISSONANCE.

But hey, never mind all that - did you hear that Deepak and Satish Kalpoe (accused of complicity in Natalee Holloway's disappearance) were released from jail?

[peacetalksforall]

52. Isn't the NIE a part of the State Dept? What's going on here. Are we

getting a taste of dis-reality? Are they doing this so that we can have a Merry Christmas and buy and import more while they export their profits and earnings out? Are they then going to pull an April war? Or is Iran a partner with us, but behind a magic curtain on a magic stage? Are they trying to catch the economy before there is a complete collapse by making things look better?

Did we get Israel to back off - did we promise them something else? Are they going to stop bombing around them?

Is Iraq about to be divided up?

This is not black on white - there is something color going on here.

Two years ago our NSC said that Iran was about 10 years away from being capable to using atomic weapons (less if they got timely supplies). Recently, the IAEA said about five years.

Now - what is it going to be - no years because they are not working on it.

OK, so what happened to intelligence containing an ounce of credibility and integrity?

There must be another plan in action.

Did our secret sub-government by executive orders, signing statements, and illegalities have a secret meeting and divide up Iraq with Iran, Saudi Arabia? Are the torture victims going to get out of the torture prisons in Diego Garcia, Cuba, Romania? Etc.? Are our kids coming home?

[AlphaCentauri]

53. The same Iraq story again n/t

:eyes:

[kurth]

55. Well we need to attack Iran because almost possibly perhaps probably maybe somebody has something

sometime somewhere that we know nothing about.

[YvonneCa]

56. PBS Newshour...

...did a full segment on it tonight. :)

[roamer65]

57. This NIE was brought out for a reason.

The Bushco regime is getting ready to talk with Iran. They're de-escalating with Iran in order to negotiate on getting out of Iraq. Sounds like James Baker may have got his way.

[rhett o rick]

58. Why is this breaking news. Anyone with half a brain knew this. nm

[BREMPRO]

59. oops, another inconvenient truth ..... impeachment material.

sick. shrub and deadeye knew this a year ago when the report was produced. and they STILL were banging the drums for bombing Iran. motive? to raise oil prices? was there expectation they could keep the report out of the public eye? This is a very serious business- AGAIN the American people are deliberately mislead by this administration. I'd like to know who released the report. This is BIG impeachment fodder.

[NoGodsNoMasters]

60. The sad fact is...

..this will fall on deaf ears. Just like most Americans don't know Iran offerred to end ALL nuclear programs if we'd simply back off, or the FISSBAN treaty which could end this problem permanantly that every nation but us supports... ::sigh::

[progressoid]

61. Ya but what about that lady in the Miss Universe Pagaent. Now THAT's news!

[intaglio]

62. two observations - tho' one might be comment

Firstly, as of now the NIE news has been moved from banner to a small headline under "World News"

Secondly, it does seem that the VP has been undergoing a lot of treatment for his known heart problem and I don't mean the lack of one. I wonder if he is far more unwell than is being admitted which is why his control seems to be slipping.

[WilliamPitt]

64. Homeboy is not well.

And has not been well since a bit after January '01. Might have initially had something to do with the stent they put into his aorta to keep him from, like, dying and stuff. Fifth heart attack, that one. 1 2 3 4 5, and right before the election, too. Even Rocky Balboa got knocked down once in a while, right?

It was a nifty lesson in the art of selling bullshit effectively via TV, that. A few people knew what words like "stent" and "blockage" and "five fucking heart attacks" meant in terms of health, but they didn't get on television, especially after December 13th. There was only the soothing refrain, "This is an orderly transition of power, this is an orderly transition of power, this is an orderly transition of power..."

...and they sold that bullshit, too, because you can sell snowballs to Green Bay and stab wounds to dead men and whatever else you can manage, but you have to say it softly on TV, soothe, soothe, repeat it and repeat it, just a stent, no big deal, just a stent, say the word itself in soothing tones and pull its fangs, stent, orderly, stent, shhhh...

Five vapor-locks and a year or so down the line, late '02 into early '03, there's a paycheck to be had *koff* (sorry) there's a war against the enemy to be fought, but Rummy is ridiculous and Powell is a Goddam hippie and Chalabi keeps flipping sides and George actually managed to punch himself out with a pretzel...I'm channeling Dick, by the way...

(No seriously, people thought Bush was a dry drunk and got that shiner after he wiped out randomly, or Laura belted him when she found him with Condi on the Truman Balcony...Hell, some people even thought Cheney did it after George got a little uppity, but no...

...he actually just bit into a basic, plain, ordinary, non-lethal pretzel, chewed it twice, imagined he saw what actually were just pretzel salt grains on the table, but his Boogie Nights mind really saw cocaine brought to him from 1978, and was moments later contorted in agony from snorting raw crystal salt, so as he was undeniably in over his head, he decided to go and tried to flee and stood poorly and staggered worse and tripped over his own untied shoes while the voices inside the pretzel inside his salty left nostril said more, George, more...

...and damn if he didn't trip over his laces and do one of those elaborate slapstick dipsy-doodling stagger-spasms all legs and idiocy and falling, and he could have braced himself with his hands since he wasn't falling hard or fast, but no, Mr. Brain was off enjoying the sound of adenoids or whatever, so George failed to raise his hands while falling, and the poor dumb witless bastard bounced his face off that nice thick wooly carpet once, twice, thrice...

...and that's when he farted in C-Minor for a while, and I mean a while, like, I don't know, probably it was a full minute-long aria which smelled like damp old golf gloves so bad the curtains absorbed it all, making every summer breeze afterwards and forever more into a minor C ass-bleat and old golf sweat, but hey, why the fuck not? Accidental fart jokes unwittingly launched upon self-inflicted unconsciousness...that's as funny as George will ever get).

As for Cheney, well, my little birds are nothing compared to Palast's little birds, but they're little birds nonetheless, and they chirped that Cheney spent a good deal of 2002-2004 in an "undisclosed location" under medical orders to remain bedridden sometimes 16 hours a day.

1 2 3 4 5

That means "not healthy," and also meant "not healthy" after 1 and 1 2 and 1 2 3, but wait a second, this is the VP. He's not in charge...right?...Um...yeah...after everyone else realized Bush wasn't running anything (said realization arriving for George personally upon his chattered "So help me God" in January '01), and what with WHIG and OSP and who does this Joe Wilson person think he's fooling with and tap everyone's phones and fuck your subpoenas because O MY LORD how the money is rolling in...

...because the VP's office is not part of the Executive Branch...

...because he fucking said so...

...because he's running shit, it means they're making sure he doesn't die and leave America with a lawless shadow president's corpse, whose funeral eulogy will be recited by a clueless lawless catastrophe of a shadow president whose extended damages we'll all be lucky to survive.

Summary: Cheney's had five heart attacks we know of, who knows what else, and all that separates him from real Christian damnation is a small tube of plastic held taut by a little spring that keeps a bit of one artery clear enough to carry blood into the twitching finite beat of his necrotic coal-lump heart.

[rockybelt]

75. Love your analysis

Thanks for starting my day with a smile even though this is some serious shit.
This ought to be a thread of it's own.

[Vanje]

81. Wow

This post took my breath away.

[jus_the_facts]

92. Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn........

[Kablooie]

65. ANALYSIS: Iran laughing at U.S. lack of nuclear intelligence

Ahem,

Just thought I'd let you see what the response is over at the Free Republic.
This is typical.

Sheesh.

[xchrom]

66. bwahahahaha!!! -- brilliant -- just brilliant.

so then will anyone do a story on all threats coming from the white house?

[Douglas Carpenter]

67. I just posted this on the GP forum before finding this report here:

Please recommend this post..It's like REALLY important:

link:
http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2007/12/04/us_finds_no_iran_bomb_program/

US finds no Iran bomb program
Nuclear effort ended in 2003, report says

By Bryan Bender and Farah Stockman

Globe Staff / December 4, 2007

"WASHINGTON - Iran halted its nuclear weapons program four years ago and there is no evidence it has enriched uranium to build an atomic bomb, according to declassified portions of a secret US intelligence assessment released yesterday - directly contradicting the Bush administration's portrayal of Iran as a terrorist state bent on developing an atomic arsenal.

The much-anticipated National Intelligence Estimate on Iran's nuclear program, ordered by Congress in 2006, concludes that Tehran's decision to halt its nuclear weapons program "suggests it is less determined to develop nuclear weapons than we have been judging since 2005." The Iranian government's decisions, according to the report, "are guided by a cost-benefit approach" rather than a rush to obtain a nuclear weapon "irrespective of the political, economic, and military costs."

The report - considered the collective judgment of the nation's 16 spy agencies - estimated the earliest Iran could produce a bomb is 2010 if it resumed its weapons program, but it is more likely that the ability to make a nuclear weapon "may not be attained until after 2015."

The conclusions contrasted sharply with recent statements of President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and many of the top Republican presidential candidates. Most seem to regard Iran as a nation that wants a nuclear arsenal despite the cost - including a potential military confrontation with the United States."

http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2007/12/04/us_finds_no_iran_bomb_program/

another excellent article from the NYT:



An Assessment Jars a Foreign Policy Debate About Iran


link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/04/washington/04assess.html?ex=1354424400&en=1ca323f6a311fcec&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

"WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 — Rarely, if ever, has a single intelligence report so completely, so suddenly, and so surprisingly altered a foreign policy debate here.

A satellite image of the Natanz nuclear complex in Iran, taken this year, after military production had stopped.



An administration that had cited Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons as the rationale for an aggressive foreign policy — as an attempt to head off World War III, as President Bush himself put it only weeks ago — now has in its hands a classified document that undercuts much of the foundation for that approach.

The impact of the National Intelligence Estimate’s conclusion — that Iran had halted a military program in 2003, though it continues to enrich uranium, ostensibly for peaceful uses — will be felt in endless ways at home and abroad.

It will certainly weaken international support for tougher sanctions against Iran, as a senior administration official grudgingly acknowledged. And it will raise questions, again, about the integrity of America’s beleaguered intelligence agencies, including whether what are now acknowledged to have been overstatements about Iran’s intentions in a 2005 assessment reflected poor tradecraft or political pressure.

Seldom do those agencies vindicate irascible foreign leaders like President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, who several weeks ago said there was “no evidence” that Iran was building a nuclear weapon, dismissing the American claims as exaggerated.

link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/04/washington/04assess.html?ex=1354424400&en=1ca323f6a311fcec&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

.

[tavalon]

68. But you don't want to find out otherwise in the aftermath

of a mushroom cloud, do you? Different day, same old meme.:eyes:

[LeftishBrit]

69. Glad that this time,,,

it was pointed out BEFORE a war started.

[Massachusetts]

70. "O what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive."

-WS

[dmosh42]

71. The amazing story is that the UN has been saying this for years...

..But our 'corporate media' turned a blind eye to that fact. It was the same as Iraq, as far as downplaying the UN report, which was accepted by all other civilized countries who didn't want to put their troops in harm's way for no reason.

[Preening Fop]

73. Wondering if, fearless george is still Giggling with thoughts of Murdering Iranians....?

:hide:

[Olney Blue]

74. So what is Cheney's back-up plan for the Iranian War?

[rockybelt]

77. A Syrian war n/t

[Scurrilous]

76. Israel vows to resist Iran nuclear drive despite US report

<snip>

"Israel on Tuesday charged that Iran is still seeking nuclear weapons despite a new US report claiming the contrary, and vowed to continue its diplomatic campaign against its arch-foe.

"Iran is probably continuing its programme of fabricating a nuclear bomb," Defence Minister Ehud Barak told army radio, according to its website.

Even if the Islamic republic halted its programme in 2003, as said in a new US intelligence assessment, Israel believed it has since been relaunched.

Amid fears that with the new report Israel could find itself isolated in its drive to keep international pressure on Iran over its controversial nuclear programme, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert vowed to push ahead with such efforts.

"It is necessary to continue our efforts with our American friends to prevent Iran from obtaining non-conventional weapons," Olmert said on army radio."

more

[chelsea0011]

78. Bush legacy is to get everyone killed

[happygoluckytoyou]

79. OR IS THIS THE SMOKE AND MIRRORS TO MAKE YOU MISS THIS---->

HERE IS WHAT ELSE IS IN AMERICA

http://justanothercoverup.com/?p=334
http://justanothercoverup.com/?p=334
http://justanothercoverup.com/?p=334

THE MORE YOU KNOW... THE MORE YOU SHOULD WRITE YOUR SENATORS AND MEDIA OUTLETSHERE IS WHAT ELSE IS IN AMERICA


WHY ELSE WOULD THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION LET SUCH A REPORT SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY...
HE IS ALREADY F(&() ON IRAN.... BUT IT STILL PROVIDES COVER SO
STORY # 2 NEVER SEES PRINT


http://justanothercoverup.com/?p=334
http://justanothercoverup.com/?p=334
http://justanothercoverup.com/?p=334

WRITE YOUR SENATORS AND MEDIA OUTLETS

[Javaman]

80. I think only the Democrats could have anticipated this. LOL nt

[peacetalksforall]

82. What part did this 'peace' conference play? Did they have three

things going on:

. the appearance of a peace meeting a la Carter and Clinton
to continue the deception?

. a private talk with Israel about altered plans for Iran - or -
finalization of a plan to bomb Iran of which this announcement
was part of a deception and one step in the build-up?

. a major junction point in the plan that existed from the beginning.

It's been quite obvious that this admin has not stopped trading
with Iran - fighter plane parts - nuclear parts.

What if a plan existed for the U.S. Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Russia
to take over Iraq and divide it up? Our domestic U.S. troika's
(of barons, corporations, politicians) part in it is to take Iraq
over and then protect it, plus contribute technology, transportation,
and sales.

Why would Halliburton move to Dubai in addition to avoiding taxes,
avoiding accountability, avoiding laws and to avoid prosecution?
Will Dubai be the new headwarters for the consortium?

Why are we builing a monster of an Embassy there?

Did they know that they could not invade one country and be able
to move the oil and gas?

Did the killing of and between Sunnis and Shites get in the way?
It's one thing to have pacts and understandings between leaders,
it's another to have peace between common people with historical
gripes and wars?

Is Blackwater the new Armed Forces for the consortium? Combined
with ?????

Did those on the U.S. side of the consortium deliberately plan to
have the citizens of this country pay for 'their' New World Order?

Are the rumors of an I-35 super highway just a pretense for
owndership of distribution, safe movement, lower costs with all
the advantages of dividing a nation for better control? A safe
passage for the oil and goods that we buy that allows China to buy
oil?

Are Dem and Repub elections and voting all a sham - a pretend job
to make us think we have a democracy, but in actuality we are the
resource for children-soldiers, taxes, and a base for a giant
game of deceptions?

How vulnerable is South America? (Clever advance planning to get
Chilean soldiers for Blackwater?) Water and minerals in addition
to the sticky fluid stuff.
How vulnerable are needy people?
How vulnerable are private companies who own/extract earth resources?
How vulnerable are private citizens all over the world? Are we only
valuable if we can work for them at low wagers, watch sports, shop,
and obediently conform and allow ourselves to be ruled, watched,
imprisoned, and 'serfed to them'?

We will be the living, thriving vs the dying and the dead 'numbers'
to them?

This typing on a keyboard - turned into a place to buy t-shirts, boots,
workers clothes, christian music and films, plus propaganda - when they
get finished with it?

The meeting rooms where political nominees are holding town hall meetings -
turned into roome for meeting to learn how to become better serfs.

When the puppet said no nation builing, he was telling the truth - no
nations - it was consortium building.

When the puppet said we don't torture, he was telling the truth - it was
the ITTI division of the consortium -intelligence torture teams and imprisonment.

There are advantages to deception. Time is needed to transform, but
certain things can be put in place while the deception plays out - for example,
a database of all personal data on each world inhabitant (with the exception of
those who get dumped in a hole, burned, dropped in the ocean.

Manageable size. Especially because the land is shrinking.

But the books can be changed to show the advantages of the new world order
and the knowledge of species extinguished can be erased from the books -
just as the records of certain families and government proceedings can be
locked up or destroyed.

We've been living in a puzzle - the pieces are all coming together - or not?

[stubtoe]

83. It almost looks like Israel's being left to twist in the wind.

An excerpt from NPR this morning:

'Asked if the new U.S. assessment reduced chances that the U.S. will launch a military strike on Iran, Barak said that was "possible."

However, he said, "We cannot allow ourselves to rest just because of an intelligence report from the other side of the earth, even if it is from our greatest friend."'


So now Israel's biggest ally is "The other side of the Earth"??? :wtf:

More:

'Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stopped short of disputing the U.S. assessment, playing down the new gap between the Israeli and American views.'

Whatever the back story is on this report, are these repercussions intended - or not?

[Dukkha]

84. so no nukes now means: fabricate an Al-Qaeda & 9/11 connection

we've all seen this play before, and sadly 30% of Americans are stupid enough to fall for it again.

[RiverStone]

85. Damn good the NIE came out in time...

Before Shrub started another ill conceived war.

Too bad an NIE did not come out before Iraq. At least someone in the admin has enough guts to tell BushCo ya GOT IT WRONG on Iran. Just maybe, this means one less war for humanity to endure.

[liberal N proud]

86. And bu$h goes into ultra spin

President says a new intelligence report on Iran provides 'a warning signal'
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22095352/


How in the hell do you get a warning out of intelligence that you are full of bull shit?

[AngryOldDem]

87. It didn't make a difference with Iraq; it won't make a difference with Iran

Bush is feeding the same lines of bullshit about Iran that he did with Iraq. Reports like this make not one whit of difference to someone who is hellbent on doing what he wants, when he wants, how he wants -- facts and consequences be damned.

How soon into 2008, do you think, that we'll be in Iran?

[katty]

88. Finally! a preemptive strike on bush/cheney..you're lame ducks

you can't pull any crap and get us into WW3 before you vacate your offices.

[madrchsod]

90. two words--->brewster jennings,

one word--> impeachment

[Kokonoe]

91. John Bolton just said on Faux that the intelligence community

who had their own agenda on Iran have politicized the intelligence contrary to where the administration was going, and it needs to be investigated.:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :nuke: NOW BREAKING NEWS (picture of babe in bikini on motorcycle) Former teacher Debra Lafave arrested for breaking probation. She talked about sex with 16 year old girl........