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NIE Report: Iran Halted Nuclear Weapons Program Years Ago
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ShareDecember 03, 2007 11:51 AM
ABC News' Martha Raddatz, Jonathan Karl, Luis Martinez, Kirit Radia and Jennifer Duck Report: In a stunning reversal of Bush administration conventional wisdom, a new assessment by U.S. intelligence agencies concludes Iran shelved its nuclear weapons program over four years ago.
"We judge with high confidence that in fall 2003, Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program," reads a declassified version of the National Intelligence Estimate key findings.
"We judge with moderate confidence that the earliest possible date Iran would be technically capable of producing enough highly enriched uranium (HEU) for a weapon is late 2009."
The entire NIE report will remain classified, however the office of the Director of National Intelligence released a declassified version of the key findings that can be read HERE.
The new intelligence report could create an embarrassing situation for the United States as it pushes for a third United Nations resolution against Iran for its nuclear activities.
The Bush administration reacted swiftly Monday, arguing that while the latest intelligence report is "positive news," they won't abandon their strategy of applying "intensified international pressure" on Iran.
Calling the new intelligence "complicated" National Security Advisor Steven Hadley explained the intelligence community has known for a few months there was "new information" with Iran's nuclear weapons program.
President Bush was told in August or September that "new information" with Iran's nuclear program could be coming out but the president was only informed last Wednesday that the nuclear weapons program in Iran was halted in 2003. Vice President Cheney knew a week before the President was informed because he sat in on preliminary meetings, according to Hadley.
Hadley said the President was told in August-Sept to keep using the same talking points as he was using before when speaking on Iran. "He [Bush] was not told to stop talking about Iran's nuclear weapons program. He was not told to change what he says about it. What he was told was, we have new information; it is interesting; it is going to take us some time to understand it," Hadley explained.
However Hadley confirmed the intelligence was wrong in 2005 when the intelligence report said Iran's nuclear weapons program still existed. "We thought they had that program -- we did, indeed, in 2005."
Hadley urged the international community to "turn up the pressure on Iran" using diplomatic isolation, financial pressure, and UN sanctions. President Bush may speak about the new intelligence report findings in a press conference scheduled for Tuesday.
A senior U.S. official who has read the intelligence report told ABC News that while the NIE concludes "there has been a halt when it comes to weaponization" of Iran's nuclear weapons program, that doesn't mean Iran might not try to resume weaponization of their nuclear program in the future.
It's "an intentions judgment, not a capabilities judgment," said a senior U.S. official. In other words, the Iranians could restart this aspect of there program, but for whatever reason, they have halted it for now.
The Iranian government has admitted they are maintaining a nuclear enrichment program. IAEA reports confirm Iran continues to work on perfecting centrifuge technology that could be used to create highly enriched uranium that could eventually be used in a nuclear weapons program.
The finding that Iran shelved its nuclear weapons program in 2003 is based on new intelligence gathered this year. The NIE report was scheduled to be completed in the spring and sent to Congress, but was delayed because of the new information.
December 3, 2007 in Vote 2008: Democrats | Permalink | User Comments (175)
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What? We need them to be making WMD so that we have a reason to attack them. This is not good news; Iranian actions will lead to Peace on Earth...........can't happen
Posted by: Roy | Dec 3, 2007 12:20:44 PM
Bush's bluster could be embarrassing to the U.S.? Now there's a news flash. But I don't believe the intelligence because Dick Cheney and George Bush have assured me that they don't know what they're talking about.
Posted by: jason c | Dec 3, 2007 12:29:30 PM
LOL Roy!! I wonder how much of the egg our fearless leader will have washed off his face by the press conference tomorrow.I'm going to watch just to see him wiggle.
Posted by: whistleb4dawn | Dec 3, 2007 12:30:23 PM
The fact that Iran has no nukes will clearly pave the way for a U.S. invasion given the same thing happened with Iraq.
Posted by: Brian birchall, rancher | Dec 3, 2007 12:33:13 PM
On the other hand, they have no announced the completion of several longrange missiles with a range of 1200 miles...
Posted by: Jazz | Dec 3, 2007 12:33:21 PM
ROY: This is good news - not the other way around. Do you propose that we attack them anyway just as we did Iraq without proof to the contrary??????? Your attitude will definetly not lead to "Peace on Earch".
Posted by: judy | Dec 3, 2007 12:33:40 PM
Brian b., is 1200 miles enough to threaten the US?
Posted by: jason c | Dec 3, 2007 12:35:07 PM
Judy, I think Roy was being facetious.
Posted by: jason c | Dec 3, 2007 12:35:56 PM
To GWB this Intelligence Report is just another gd "peice" of paper, like our Constitution. I'm sure he will place more weight on the advice of Darth Cheney and fire-up the Death Star to eradicate Iran. Impeach him NOW!!!!!
Posted by: Uniblogger | Dec 3, 2007 12:35:59 PM
And you know this must be correct. It's from the same people who said that Iraq had stockpiles of WMD's. They're never wrong.
Posted by: jl | Dec 3, 2007 12:36:30 PM
oh, don't worry. There will be spin on the intelligence.
Posted by: Louis | Dec 3, 2007 12:41:17 PM
Iran doesn't need nukes for Bush to want to attack.... They'll come up with a different rationale to do it. Something like, Iran is helping Iraqi insurgents so we need to bomb Iran to stop them even though that won't make a difference.
Posted by: Jeremy | Dec 3, 2007 12:42:13 PM
Why should Iran be allowed special treatment? If that's what we did with Iraq, then as a matter of principle, we should do the same with Iran! Don't worry, the oppressed masses will throw rose petals at our tanks as they roll through the streets of Tehran.
Posted by: w_roos | Dec 3, 2007 12:46:18 PM
...and do you swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth
Posted by: BTL musings | Dec 3, 2007 12:52:15 PM
Well... since when have clean inspections EVER stopped the bush administration from attacking? This admin is hell bent on starting a fight... just watch...
Posted by: RW | Dec 3, 2007 1:10:03 PM
As Iraq showed, facts have no bearing on the irrational war-mongering of DickNBush. These criminals will continue to do whatever is in their (the oil oligopoly's) best interests and the voters of America can be dam'ned.
Posted by: ALEX H. | Dec 3, 2007 1:12:55 PM
What could be the real motive behind the rhetoric the Bush Administration has been disseminating for years against Iran?
.
Posted by: Jeff Boste | Dec 3, 2007 1:20:10 PM
But they do have the intentions to declare their desire to engage in efforts to hire scientists who will develop skills to do research in nuclear weapons related program activities.
That's good enough for me to support a pre-emptive strike.
On to Bandar 'Abbas and Tehran!
Posted by: gregor | Dec 3, 2007 1:20:41 PM
You just know what the Right Wingnuts are going to say?
Of course there's no evidence of Iran's nuclear program - because it's secret. No evidence doesn't mean it's not there. because we "know" it's there. Just like the moronic "debate" between science and religion. Oh, who cares what we can see with our own eyes, we "believe" the earth is 6,000 years old therefore it must be.
That's all the "proof" I need.
Posted by: gcs | Dec 3, 2007 1:21:14 PM
This is a non-issue story. When has this president ever considered intelligence before making a decision.
Posted by: Roy | Dec 3, 2007 1:26:25 PM
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