WASHINGTON — Even as the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said in a new report Friday that Iran had accelerated its uranium enrichment program, American intelligence analysts continue to believe that there is no hard evidence that Iran has decided to build a nuclear bomb. Recent assessments by American spy agencies are broadly consistent with a 2007 intelligence finding that concluded that Iran had abandoned its nuclear weapons program years earlier, according to current and former American officials. The officials said that assessment was largely reaffirmed in a 2010 National Intelligence Estimate, and that it remains the consensus view of America’s 16 intelligence agencies.
In Senate testimony on Jan. 31, James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence, stated explicitly that American officials believe that Iran is preserving its options for a nuclear weapon, but said there was no evidence that it had made a decision on making a concerted push to build a weapon. David H. Petraeus, the C.I.A. director, concurred with that view at the same hearing. Other senior United States officials, including Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have made similar statements in recent television appearances.
“They are certainly moving on that path, but we don’t believe they have actually made the decision to go ahead with a nuclear weapon,” Mr. Clapper told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
Critics of the American assessment in Jerusalem and some European capitals point out that Iran has made great strides in the most difficult step toward building a nuclear weapon, enriching uranium. They also criticize the C.I.A. for being overly cautious in its assessments of Iran, suggesting that it is perhaps overcompensating for its faulty intelligence assessments in 2002 about Iraq’s purported weapons programs, which turned out not to exist. In addition, Israeli officials have challenged the very premise of the 2007 intelligence assessment, saying they do not believe that Iran ever fully halted its work on a weapons program.
Dang, I guess we haven’t tortured enough of them brown people yet.
We’ve come such a long way in 10 years.
Iran in HD will be far superior to Iraq in SD.
The ratings will be outstanding.
Not funny. War is not to be trifled with.
Alright, everybody calm down. Iran is not building a nuclear weapon. According to our intelligence agencies they haven’t even made a decision to build one or not. U.N. nuclear inspectors are still allowed to visit their nuke facilities and cameras placed in those facilities by the inspectors are working and have not been tampered with. Iran, which has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has the right under that treaty to enrich uranium. Let’s all back off here and ask ourselves just why the Obama administration has been beating the war drums so loudly. Could it be that our president, like the president before him has decided that his chances of being re-elected will go way up if there is a conflict with some middle eastern country come October? If Obama has decided this he will find plenty of republican and democrat war-mongers on his side and he will win. I feel very sorry for the citizens of Iran who are suffering now due to sanctions imposed by the U.S. (for no reason) and who will surely suffer more if we attack with the full force of our military, they won’t stand a chance.
Finally let me point you to this article from The Danger Room, published just a couple of days ago.
http://wired.com/dangerroom/2012/02/iran-icbm/
Sure, no reason whatsoever.
Why aren’t you sorry for he Iranians killed by their government when they protested?
Certainly I’m sorry that anyone is killed by a despotic government. I’m sorry if I’m making an incorrect assumption here, but from your reply I take it that you mean the U.S. should depose the current regime somehow. That can only be done by waging war against the country of Iran, meaning that many innocent citizens of Iran would be killed in the process, along with many members of our military. The cost of such a war would be more than we can afford. The sad fact of the matter is as Pat Buchanan said recently, the U.S. “…cannot create a middle west in the middle east.” The U.S. government cannot create middle eastern democracies by bombing those countries who offend us back the stone age or by starving their citizens to death through sanctions. In my opinion the best policy we as a nation can pursue is one of non-intervention.
No, I’m not calling for that to be a reason to depose a president.
But it is a reason to take action against a regime that oppresses its people. It is a reason for the UN to take serious action to make them stop and not to look the other way
Why are you not sorry for the death of their only democratic republic that the US helped kill in the 50s for the greed of their oil?
Or the Iranians killed by the Shah for wanting freedom and a democratic republic?
Of course that doesn’t count does it?
Cursor_
Dear Cursor, regarding your statement, I think my previous comment should have given you a hint as to my opinion of the coup that led to the installation of the Shah. Non-intervention is the best policy, then and now.
He was answering to me
Lets get a few things straight..
USA Gov helps pay for EXPLORATION for oil..
USA gets most of its oil from the Americas..Canada, South america, then SOME from the USA..
We are assisting BP, and a few others get PIPELINES in other nations for MORE oil/gas from the middle east..(?)
The Main contributor to this FUN, is BP..they are the Major distributor for the USA and Europe.
So, we are paying BP, for exploration as well as a war?
I was right way back when in thanking Iraq most likely didn’t have any meaningful weapons of mass destruction. I thought they might have some chlorine gas because that is ultra easy to make but that is hardly a super weapon.
My money is on Iran just about having the bomb. They didn’t build those underground fortresses for nothing.
They built them because a country that has started an illegal war nearby is now looking at them with a view to doing it to them.
People need to make up their mind. We are told they are no where close to having a bomb, and have no intention of building one, and also that they are forced into building one by an aggressive enemy.
The business of America is, and always has been, business. We have had , and should maintain the flexibility to do business with anyone, and any country regardless of their leadership. If they want a bomb, they should have the best bomb available, and that is one from the good ol’ U.S. of A. We should sell them what they want. It’s good business, and good for business.
I think they should have a sample of that bomb, delivered directly to them. Then, if they’re still in the mood to buy and they like what they got, then the US can sell it to them.
Just for a second, put down your flaming torches and answer a simple question: So what if Iran gets a nuclear weapon? What are they going to do with it? Let’s just say they get one, and somehow drop it on Tel Aviv, it’s not a dud and a huge number of people get killed. Undoubtedly a tragedy. Then what happens? Dozens of Israeli planes take off / missiles launch and rain nuclear weapons on Iran’s cities, incinerating millions. We probably help them do it, short of dropping our own hydrogen bombs.
I don’t see that as an Iranian victory. We have lived with this situation in North Korea for years. Their leader is just as big a lunatic, has more than one or two weapons, and the destruction of South Korea would be a much bigger hit to our economy and the world’s. No one seems to be screaming to invade North Korea. Pakistan / India is a similar situation.
So Iran becomes the latest member of the nuclear club. And they have a weapon they don’t dare use. Just like the rest of the members.
Remember, from everybody else’s perspective — the US is the only country to have actually used nuclear weapons against cities.
Dr Wally–so you are willing to assume rationality on the part of Iran huh? Then you pose: “So what if Iran gets a nuclear weapon? What are they going to do with it? Let’s just say they get one, and somehow drop it on Tel Aviv……I don’t see that as an Iranian victory.” /// Yea verily.
YOU KNOW: having a collection of witty saying, bon mots, and aphorisms is a dull wits short cut to wisdom. Here is one of my favorites: “There are no winners in war. The only question is what is left?” Then, who was it who said sumting like “I don’t know what the outcome of WW3 will be but WW4 will be fought with sticks and stones?”
Dr Wally–what are the odds that EVERY nation that builds a nuke capability will be rational about its use? Would that nation also be describes as being led by a small circle of old men with access to Nuke Bomb Safe retreats, a fervent faith in their bible, and an religious and cultural antagonism to a Jewish State?
Then after all that, what prevents “rational” players from thinking maybe they can do a sneak attack using a ship or truck and have the event untraceable?
Then after all that, what prevents “elements’ within the government and military to be nuts and gain hold of a Nuke for their own purposes?
Then after all that, what prevenst every other marginal State Actor to get their own Nukes==you know, to keep up with the Hated Persians?
To your own way of thinking: what in the world does North Korea tell us anything relevant about Iran? We don’t know what NK might do in the future–every new totalitarian stooge for the military hunta is different from the next.
If you were a religious maniac, had your finger on the button, and were at the end of your days with just a touch of mental impairment of all the types that affect the aged, and the religious, and those who have been in power unopposed for decades, RIGHT AFTER some young up and coming whipper snapper said you had dirty stains on your sheets, what might you do?
Not a “certainty”–just a might??
Speaking of clever sayings, what does the phrase “Never Again” mean to you? What do you think it means to your average Jew? How about Jewish Leader? How about Jewish Leader who has fought 3-4 wars against their neighbors who want to whip them from the face of the earth?
Answer me this: why is Israel so freaking patient?
Bobbo, I realize you’re not asking me the above question, but let me say that Israel is not a patient nation. She will attack Iran, I’m saying her mind is made up and bombs will fall onto Iran before this summer. Mark my words. I really hope I am wrong.
Bobbo, maybe you’re being sarcastic.
jp–I encourage you and everyone else to answer any post/question that catches your fancy. Aren’t we all talking thru one another to our imagined audiences? You Know: like my question to Dr Wally is actually meant for Israel?
But to your butt inski==NO!–I’m not being sarcastic at all.
“Why is Israel being so patient?” //// If they were the GOUSA being missled by Candada or Mixico==how long before we would turn them into a parking lot? Yet when our own ox/national security is not threatened, we are very comfortable telling others to take the risk so our oil is not disturbed?
Now here is some sarcasm: “Aren’t we great?”
Surely Americans know what you can do with 20 per cent enriched uranium rods in reactors that do not produce power?
Denial of a problem is what gets us in real trouble down the road.
Read Churchill.
Does not Israel had the right to determine its own chances of survival? They need to get the job done ASAP.
We are in for some interesting TV.
AP reports Israel won’t warn US before Iran strike. Time to reign in Israel, and to stop giving her billions and arms.
I’m still waiting for the next WMD scare propaganda idea, such as Iran having nuke making tractor trailers that can be moved around the country, and assembled into a working plant in minutes. They tried sell us that b#llsh!t with Iran, and roaming chemical weapon plants. As if three or four of these things, plumped together, could make a substantial amount of WMD chemical agents. Without endangering its operators. Even less likely (far less) is the idea that a nuclear bomb making facility could be slapped together, anytime anywhere, to produce nukes. So that UN inspectors couldn’t easily spot them. The operators and scientists would have to be suicidal to work in such facilities.
And it’s not just he UN nuclear inspectors watching. The NRO is watching from orbiting satellites, everything that’s being build. And for what likely purpose. Pretty hard to be sneaky about making nukes, when HD cameras are peering down at you 24/7, from above.
I believe all this latest WMD propaganda is about, concerns derailing policy to reduce nuclear weapon making and stockpiling, in the US. We have treated reductions. And I guess the only way to justify violation, is to claim other world hotspots are gearing up for a nuke battle. So the US can’t be caught with anything less than umpteen thousands of them.
And BTW, just think of all the power plants that could have been made from all the nuclear material the US has wasted on warheads, that sit idle, never to be used. Not that I’m pro-nuclear power plant. Especially after Three Mile Island and Japan’s ongoing disaster. But the US obvious chose military arms strength over energy independence, for the last several decades. Only to fight wars in the Middle East to preserve the flow of foreign oil. Basically, that’s double dipping by the DoD.
1. trucking ANYTHING with radioactive material will BE NOTICED.. We have sats, that can measure it, in space..
2. TRYING to get the material into the USA or many other countries, Is STUPID. There are detectors at many locations from country to country..
3. there are a few stories of People who have had radioactive radiation therapy.. and been STOPPED by certain BLACK Vans.. go read up on it.
4. TRY getting anything radio active near an international airport.
5. LEAD is not a GREAT storage medium for Radioactive material. 1 LB of material would need LOTS of LEAD to protect you from DIEING..esp the REAL HOT MATERIALS.. want to Pilot that in a Private airplane?? the shortest route?? South america?? Go for it.. try siberia to alaska…I dont think you will make it.
You REALLY want to be paranoid??
Think about getting into the USA and making something HERE..
Rot some RICE or even Mistreat an animal so he get REAL sick..
Get some Blood and get trichinosis going..run around a few markets and spread it..
Back on subject..
TRY to get a ICBM program going..IT aint easy, and EVERYONE within 5000 miles will NOTICE. And make a TARGET of yourself..