Posted on 12/04/2007 2:07:48 PM PST by Sub-Driver
'Great discovery' led to Iran nuke change
By Jim Mannion in Washington
December 05, 2007 08:33am Article from: Agence France-Presse
US President George W. Bush says a "great discovery" as recently as August prompted the US intelligence community's stunning reversal of its long-held view that Iran had an active nuclear weapons program.
Mr Bush today provided no details on the nature of the new intelligence, which set off an in-depth intelligence review of the evidence and assumptions that underpinned a 2005 assessment, which had held with "high confidence" that Iran was determined to acquire nuclear weapons.
Mike McConnell, the director of national intelligence, went to Mr Bush in August and said: "We have some new information."
"He didn't tell me what the information was. He did tell me it was going to take a while to analyse," Mr Bush said today.
Mr Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney were not formally briefed until last Wednesday on the intelligence community's new finding that Iran had had a covert nuclear weapons program but halted it in 2003 - a bombshell with major implications for US policy.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
Since you had to run you probably won’t see this post for a while but to answer your question about why Israel would stand around you may have noted that Israel isn’t buying any part of this report. I’m guessing they won’t wait for the inevitable.
In a year holding a three, or seven,
or five, or nine, or maybe not,
Two things, might be people, or armies,
or buildings,
Or anything really, blades of grass,
or stoats, or crapulous charlatans
spouting mimsy,
Might do something nebulous.
Insert made-up-bit here.
- Generic Nostradamus Quatrain from “The Guardian” (UK)
Here is a website with just a fraction of the major Christian end times predictions. This is not to say that there won’t be end times, eventually, just that people are really bad at predicting it:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/end_wrl2.htm
Disinformation.
They discovered that Iran moved their nuclear bomb program to Syria. Or at least Israel did.
So now Iran has nuclear material production, and long range missiles. All they need is a little more time. Elect a Democrat President and get ‘asleep at the switch’ again — Make a bigger hole in America.
Plus as a bonus, you get to pay those nice shiney new glowbull warming taxes.
Click mother of all links to get up to speed.
The fact of the matter is that this is all a pretty much very enigmatic incident; nobody is saying anything (not even the victim). Futhermore, Syria boasts the most dense anti-aircraft system of any nation in the world (over 200 separate installations throughout the country), and they've recently implemented the very latest of Russian anti-aircraft technology. This anti-aircraft technology is so new, that it hasn't been even implemented by Russian military (Syria had to have paid top dollar to get their hands on it).
The net result is that Israel was able to conduct not just aerial operations, but ground operations, with utter and absolute impunity, not just within Syria, but Turkey (who complained the day after the incident of Israeli drop tanks being found throughout their country. The ground operartions are implicated from reports that Israeli commando's took possession/recovered nuclear material from the site in question prior to its "neutralization".
Its not really clear what actually happened, but that something did happen is pretty much beyond dispute. This especially so given that in October Barak pretty much confirmed that an operation did occur, where he stated that he was aware of it and that he fully supported it since the beginning.
Will oil tumble tomorrow? Doubtful the traders will buy this BS NIE report.
re read it again.....I think we’re reading their mail per say. I’d say the alarm bells are going off in Tehran.
How does one not tell the Commander-in-cheif what the new intelligence is?????
Winged1 I have always suspected that centrifuge silk made great sweaters. hahaha
“...Israel isn’t buying any part of this report. I’m guessing they won’t wait for the inevitable.”
Agreed, FRiend. And the USA will work in concert with them, whether quietly or openly.
Security clearance is a status granted to individuals allowing them access to classified information, i.e. state secrets. A clearance by itself is normally not sufficient to gain access; a determination must be made respecting a cleared individual that they have a "need to know" concerning the information. No one is supposed to be granted access to classified information solely because of rank, position, or a security clearance.
Information is categorized according to an escalating hierarchy based on assessments of how damaging release of such information would be to the security of the nation, its military infrastructure, operations, tactics and strategies.
Classified imformation is information that is intended for "official use only" and entails minimal damage to the United States of America as a whole.
Secret classification is imposed on information that entails a significant (or severe) risk of damage to national security in at least one significant aspect. Examples of this would be SOP's, technical manuals, general codes used in specific disciplines, etc.
Top Secret classification is imposed on information that entails extremely severe and grave consequences for unauthorized release that has the potential to compromize entire systems, military organizational structure, national security and counterintelligence. Aspects of sources and methods fall within its domain, but fall short of such classification.
A representative lists of kinds of information that may require compartmented access, without using specific national terminology, includes:
The US DoD establishes, separately from intelligence compartments, special access programs (SAP) when vulnerability of specific information is exceptional; and the normal criteria for determining eligibility for access applicable to information classified at the same level are not deemed sufficient to protect the information from unauthorized disclosure.
The ultimate SAP classification is what is referred to as "Cosmic". Such classification pertains to information that embraces multiple compartmentalized information (each of which are classified as Top Secret). The mechanism for this utilizes code words; the code words themselves are classified Top Secret. As such a Cosmic clearance is necessary to even be imparted knowledge of more than one code word themselves (regardless of any additional specific information specific to any code word).
Nevertheless, "need to know" is the ultimate arbiter for any clearance. As such, not even the CinC will be appraised the very existance of any arbitrary compartment/programs without specific and precise "need to know" (the code-words themselves being played even closer to the vest) or a "clear and present danger" with respect to the security of the United States of America that requires adjudication through that authority vested in the office of the United States of America.
The President is dependent upon a handful of "Cosmic" advisors for SAP clearance, i.e., SecDef, DCI (Director of Central Intelligence) - who concurrently served as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (DCIA) - recently superceded by DNI (Director Natioal Intelligence) - and ANSA (Assistant National Security Advisor). The ANSA serves on the NSC (National Security Council) and in times of crisis, the ANSA operates from the White House Situation Room, updating the President on the latest events of a crisis. Also advising the President is the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff, SecState, SecTreasury, Attorney General and Chief of Staff.
Due to specific legislation and directives, the United States military must fully comply with requests for assistance with providing protection for the president and all other people under protection, providing equipment, and even military personnel at no cost to the Secret Service. Due to the necessary discretion of this organization, many details are currently unknown about the Secret Service. Like most law enforcement agencies, the Secret Service generally has a "no comment" policy on its actions and investigations. Moreover, issues pertaining to security are kept from the POTUS where "need to know" does not prevail. He's appraised of his schedule, itinerary and security measures in only the most general terms, in so far as POTUS has a "need-to-know" on a moment to moment basis.
The cheif individual being the "gatekeeper" to the President is his Chief of Staff. Nobody gets to see the POTUS without the Chief of Staff first running interference. In certain cases, the very fact of the POTUS' meeting with certain individuals may be considered classified. Certain extremely sensitive situations may dictate and necessitate briefing to the POTUS by experts within code-word compartmentalized programs. Knowledge of such meetings is predicated on need-to-know. This applies to the POTUS also. THe moment the need arises, the POTUS will be briefed appropriately concerning an impending meeting, its nature and any associated information pertainent to said meeting exclusively.
The President is informed of what he needs to know, when he needs to know it, and only as much as is specifically required to be known at the time such ascertation is made. Clearly this is 'moving goalpost" thing (they moving both ways). One of the most difficult decisions that need to be made by the "powers that be" is disclosure of Cosmic Universal code-word authorization of sources/methods that have been in place for years/decades that in all likelyhood will remain past the existing POTUS' tenure.
Mind you all this is hearsay and includes stuff that I've made up (in that I have no first hand knowledge of any of it, neither confirm nor deny any of the aforementioned assertions (or implications derived), and in no way shape or form can be construed to imply, insinuate or allow to be inferred some sort of Cosmic Universal Global clearance bestowed to certain indivicuals having Access level Alpha-I clearance to enter the West Wing (2nd floor) unfettered at any time, for whatever, any or no reason whatsoever.
There's this "story" from some years ago, where Nixon escaped his handlers. After a frantic search, and everthing going to Def Con 9.8, total, complete and utter pandemonium for a short period of time, they finally managed to take the President - munching on a burger with some "Joe" in the basement cafeteria - back into custody. After a stiff interrogation, the "Joe" admitted to talking "shop" with this alleged "President". He did admit that his dinner party "looked familiar", but was adament while he thought his politics stunk (didn't vote form him and despised him immensely) was impressed at his knowlege of the "game". Once it was ascertained that the discussion was around "state secrets" respecting some national conferance title, Nixon was let off with a stern warning not to do that again Mr. President. Please?
Its reputed that President Nixon authorized Operation Linebacker shortly thereafter. Mere coincidence? I think not.
Their behavior demonstrates 1) their fear of their own sites being struck or 2) expectation of retaliatory strikes for their involvement in the Syrian operations.
The NIE didn't forsee Deir-al-Zahr, NK, (or Pakistan nukes!) I don't trust them as far as I can throw the report.
Neither does President Bush...
The report raises more questions than it answers.
It does confirm something that we all suspected: Iran has had a nuclear weapons programme. Granted, the report claims that it was halted while saying it is unknown whether the programme has restarted. Regardless, Iran was working on something that they claimed to not be pursuing.
That’s right. The NIE can aggregate dated informaton while Israel takes out actual nuke sites. I like it better this way.
FWIW, I'll defer to the statements pointing out that there is a moderate "confidence" that as of Aug '07 said program has not re-started. Lack of evidence is not evidence of a lack, eh? At least that's what the stupid logic Ph.D. I had as an instructor always used to pontificate about.
One could conclude from such nonsnse that invisible Martians are not green. As if.
...Iran was working on something that they claimed to not be pursuing."That's a most astonishing observation, AAC. I find it wholely amusing that it follows on such short heals of the report released concerning Hussein's nuclear program (it in itself following on such short heels of some vague operation reputedly to have occured alledgedly within sovereign Syrian territory.
One thing certain in my mind (no semblance whatsoever to reality) is that any time Clancy released a title, there was a collective thump heard so resoundedly throughout the Pentagon, that the buildings walls visibly bowed out for an instant, along with the collective bellow heard from all the concurrent differant departmental meetings held impromptu "O.k. WHO > LEAKED?!?!?!?!?.
I spent many a six-pack deliberating Tom CLancy, and came to the conclusion that all he does is go to various establishments frequented by military personell and sidles up to them and says, "Hi. I'm Tom Clancy. Can I buy you a drink?" Congressional investigation into his first novels revealed that any "classified" information divulged therein were available in accordance to FoIA. That answers the question of how one would know that a subject is even available to solicite information of.
Declan McCullagh at News.com wrote on 24 August, 2007 that the DNI web-site apparently has been configured to repel all search engines for indexing of any page at DNI.gov. As such, the DNI web-site is de facto "invisible" for all practical purposes other than deliberate navigations to said site.
That being said, it would appear necessary to define the "art" of the lie. There are approximately the same number of liars in this world as there are mouths (the former being less than the latter). That being said, "lying" as an art-form is a dying art. There are three ways to lie:
I thought that the present perfect indicative (â€has hadâ€) was appropriate because we do not know for certain how long Iran pursued their nuclear weapons programme. No bother; ‘tis something of a minor point. The fact remains that the sly buggers had/have/may restart a nuclear weapons programme.
Go, go, go Israel.
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