Because somebody had to do it:…

Iran slipping nuke bombs or materials to terrorists under the table “no fingerprints!” style is the greatest threat here, not direct action via missiles, because there are so many players who also would love to put us away to get lost in — including Russia and China, who I wouldn’t put above to turning their backs on alerting us if they did find out about such a terrorist plot.

James Greenidge
Queens New York

The new US National Intelligence Estimate on Iran, realistically ends any possibility of military action against the Islamist nation and also undermines the movement for tough sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program….
In effect Washington has…

Every time I think nothing will surprise me anymore, the Leftinistra, such as Matthew Yglesias, manages to take my breath away all over again….

You can’t look at this as just another attempt by administration opponents to undermine policy. If you read what’s been declassified, I think the conclusion they reached was reasonable – Iran stopped those parts of their nuclear program dealing exclusively with bomb making while they continue other parts that are very useful to both running a reactor and building a bomb.

BTW – this is probably what we would see if they were close to being able to build a weapon. If they already have a design for a bomb, for instance, they don’t need a bomb design department active anymore. Once they learn how to enrich uranium on an industrial scale to weapons grade levels, all they have to do is take the design department out of mothballs and within a couple of months, they have a bomb.

What looks like an inactive program may actually be a program just waiting for Highly Enriched Uranium to complete the project.

But this scenario is for later when they get a lot closer to perfecting the fuel cycle. Right now, the Iranians probably shut down the aspects of their program dealing exclusively with bomb making prior to perfecting any design or delivery system. This is the basis for the extended time period for when they would be technologically capable of making a bomb. 2011 sounds better than 2013 if only because they’ve come a long way in centrifuge technology.

We do have time and should put it to good use.

NIE = NI ESTIMATE.
NIC = NI CERTAINTY.

Anybody that thinks this report should be used to engage in useless protracted diplomacy is fooling themselves.

Norman Podhoretz understands that it is an issue of who will bomb who first. I prefer to live.

Respectfully,

eric http://www.blacktygrrrr.wordpress.com

That attitude might work for you, but think how it looks to others. Think about libs who refuse to believe Iraq is getting less violent despite all the reports that it is. You want them to believe intelligence estimates you like, but you refuse to believe intelligence estimates they like.

How many times does the misnamed intellegence community have to miss the elephant in the tent before
a) we all finally wake up
or
b) they actually gather correct info

The CIA regulars have been at war with our president since the beginning. How convenient that the NIE says Iran is no threat.
< waiting for the mushroom cloud over Israel… 5-4-3… >

brooklyn red said:
OK, Iran has fuel but no bombs. The North Koreans have the technology to make bombs but have supposedly stopped making fuel. They both have missile tech.

Where could Korean bombs & Iranian fuel hook up? I don’t know, maybe Syria?

I’ve been thinkin the same thing since Isreal bombed Syria.

The Iranians have the missle tech their missle’s don’t fly around in circle’s and crash into the sea.
The Korean’s know how to and may have warheads.
Marrie the two in Syria and what do you have?
Answer: The total annihilation of Isreal.