Dec 13 2007
Iran Admitted “Civilian” Nuke Program Had Military Implications
Dennis Ross, a seasoned State Department veteran, reminds us that the “civilian” nuclear program everyone admits is ongoing in Iran (and of no cost-benefit to the country) was promoted by Iranians themselves to be dual use:
In other words, the hard part of becoming a nuclear power is enriching uranium or separating out plutonium. And guess what? Iran is going full-speed ahead on both. With over 3,300 operating centrifuges for spinning uranium gases at its facility at Natanz (and more centrifuges on the way) and the building of a heavy water plant for plutonium separation at Arak, the Iranians will be able to master both by 2010 at the latest.
Perhaps that’s why, in 2005, former Iranian president Hashemi Rafsanjani told a visiting group of American experts, including George Perkovich of the Carnegie Endowment, that Iran had halted its nuclear weapons research. According to Perkovich, Rafsanjani said: “Look, as long as we can enrich uranium and master the fuel cycle, we don’t need anything else. Our neighbors will be able to draw the proper conclusions.”
Note that Iran to this day denies the high confidence judgments in the NIE that it even had a nuclear weapons program that needed stopping. In 2005 the Iranians were also still claiming publicly (with smirks on their faces) they did not have a weapons program. But clearly they were hinting they did and daring the international community to try and stop them. And that is where we still are today – they lie to our faces, the gullible fall for it, and the Iranians dare us to try and stop them.
Yeah and the Iranians just test their next generation missile. Guess the NIE guys just sort of missed that little detail.
Now the Russians and Iran have approved plans to finish up the reactor.
If Israel is going to act it will likely be before fueling the plant to eliminate radioactive contamination.
Interesting times ahead.
I still haven’t heard much about the consultation with Israel over the NIE data they were going to be presenting to the head of the JCS.
Jerusalem Post
Read Debka today. Bush is going to “negotiate” with Tehran.
This stinks, methinks.
I suspected that the NIE was not a CIA ambush but actually
a Bush sanctioned U-turn. I call it throwing in the towel.
I call it 1938 and all that.
Bush is going to try appeasement.
Why not? It’s worked so well before.
Here’s what Bush got correct: Our country does not have
the stomach for another fight. Not now anyways.
Here’s what is questionable: The USA can survive an Iranian
“first strike”. Well yes, it can, if you presume the mullahs are so
unhinged they’ll use the first two bombs they got. But if the
sneak in fifty, then things look well dodgy.
Here’s what Bush has completely wrong: The Iranians can be
negotiated with.
Bush decides to end a good Presidency by an act that will in the
future put him about equal to Clinton.
Now it is one thing to not see the threat as it flies towards you
and by your own error allow the threat to strike home. That is
mere stupidity.
It is another thing entirely to understand what you are up against
and decide to fail. Decide to hide. I’m not addressing him today
as President Bush – just as Bush. He’d better have an ace
up his sleeve. We will need it.
Dave M,
Actually I think it is a rope-a-dope. Everyone is screaming Iran is peaceful based on guesses in the NIE. Bush, France, Germany, UK, Isreal and the UN are now saying to Iran ‘prove it’.
The left and Iran must now show their cards. Iran either proves it without hesitation or Bush will have called the bluff.
Bush is not backing down, he is bringing this to a head. And Iran may be willing to negotiate surrender!
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