Posted on 12/03/2004 12:53:37 PM PST by West Coast Conservative
Interception of several technology shipments to Iran has bolstered U.S. suspicions that Iran is secretly developing an intercontinental ballistic missile that could threaten Europe and possibly the United States.
An intelligence report this week to Congress said North Korea, China and parts of the former Soviet Union provided Iran through the end of last year with ballistic-missile equipment, technology and expertise.
The report said Iran, in trying to improve existing missiles, was ``also pursuing longer-range ballistic missiles.''
A well-placed Bush administration official told The Associated Press on Thursday that U.S. interceptions had strengthened U.S. suspicions that Iran was trying to develop an intercontinental missile that could reach Europe and possibly the United States.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, declined to specify what material was intercepted and to identify the countries that sought to help Iran.
But he said North Korea, China and Russia all have contributed technology to Iran for its existing Shahab-3 missile, which has a range of about 600 miles and is believed capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
An Iranian spokesman at the United Nations in New York has been quoted as denying that Iran was developing a ballistic missile with a range beyond 1,250 miles.
The U.S. official said the project was being cloaked in terms of work on a space-launched booster missile.
The official said Iran was trying to expand the range of the Shahab-3 missile, which is a replica of a North Korean missile, so it could travel 1,250 miles.
Both newer missiles would be capable of carrying nuclear warheads as well as chemical and biological weapons, he said.
SNIP
This week's intelligence report to Congress said, ``Iran continued to vigorously pursue indigenous programs to produce nuclear, chemical and biological weapons'' and that Iran ``is also working to improve delivery systems.''
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.aimtoday.cnn.com ...
Tick, tick, tick....
Them Iranians better keep a good count of their tail-feathers.
Once we get this Iraq election and our inauguration out of the way, we're gonna saddle up and ride north out of Iraq...
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