Comments on: Intel Behind Iran NIE To Be Investigated

By: Neo

Neo — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 16:33:09 +0000

The real immediate problem here is that the UN sanctions on Iran have nothing to do with whether or not Iran has a “nuclear program”, the hot point of the NIE. Rather, the UN sanctions are based to refusal by Iran to come clean on the scope of their self-admitted uranium enrichment program.

The stupid and useless claim by the NIE that Iran suspended their “nuclear program” has now coopted the international pressure on the “uranium enrichment program”, a real active program.

Claims and stories that the Iranians can’t make highly enriched uranium of weapons quality, based on some news footage of the plant, are misleading in that each time the Iranians make the uranium more enriched, the closer they are to making a weapon. So the fact, or not, that the Iranians have “suspended” their “nuclear program” is meaningless in the face of the development of fissible material for a future “nuclear program” to exploit.

The whole debate has been reduced to saying ..it’ safe now that they have suspended making a gun, while they continue to make the bullets.

By: CatoRenasci

CatoRenasci — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 16:27:47 +0000

I am still convinced there is a deeper game here: the lefties at state/CIA may have come up with the NIE, but the equanimity with which Bush and Cheney have greeted it suggest they are (properly in my view) exploiting an opportunity to pressure the Iranians to come clean and creating an atmosphere in which the way the intelligence agencies are operating is publicly scrutinized on something where it highlights a serious risk to national security. If I really believed in conspiracies, I’d almost think Karl Rove encouraged the authors of the NIE to go whole hog….

By: kathie

kathie — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:14:00 +0000

………and the Clintons have the most to gain.

By: AJStrata

AJStrata — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 14:48:57 +0000

Merlin,

That is basically the bottom line – they don’t know. Add that to the fact the NIE admits Iran HAD an illegal and unreported weapons program makes it hard to conclude Iran is safe and behaving.

I think we are going to see something happen this year. This is the end game for the rogue intel groups and Bush. Here’s the deal – what if Bush and Co. got wind of a cooked NIE coming down the pike. Would they stop it or let the culprits commit the crime and hang them?

Both sides may go all out here in 2008 trying to tarnish and literally destroy the other side. This could get seriously ugly – and fast.

By: MerlinOS2

MerlinOS2 — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 14:26:25 +0000

I have been reading just about all commentary on the NIE left/right/intel community blogs commentators and news stories and on balance there are more having issues with the NIE than supporting it.

I am seeing stuff like yes they shutdown when we went into Iraq, but shortly later they teamed up with North Korea to do their work via 3rd parties to hide it.

Others say to get evidence to change the outlook this much we would have had to have had a step jump in Humint/Sigint and Sat recon stuff over a short period to have dug out such picture changing data

Others are saying cold feet by the intel houses to not be 2 time losers on saying yes it is when no it isn’t would cause issues.

But overall the picture seems to be hey we really aren’t sure but who wants to say for sure.