Iran Years From Fuel For Bomb, Report Says

washingtonpost.com ^ | August 7, 2009 | Walter Pincus

[Free ThinkerNY]

Despite Iran's progress since 2007 toward producing enriched uranium, the State Department's intelligence analysts continue to think that Tehran will not be able to produce weapons-grade material before 2013, according to a newly disclosed congressional document.

The updated assessment, by the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research, emphasizes that the analysis is based on Iran's technical capability and is not a judgment about "when Iran might make any political decision" to produce highly enriched uranium.

The intelligence community agrees that a political decision has not yet been made. According to the assessment, State Department analysts think such a decision is unlikely to be made "for at least as long as international scrutiny and pressure persist."

The views on Iran's nuclear program are contained among answers in a document supplied by Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence after a hearing in February. Steven Aftergood, a senior research analyst at the Federation of American Scientists, obtained the document through a Freedom of Information Act request and published it Thursday on his Web site.

Among items included in the document is an analysis of Russia's military status. Blair concluded the Russian military "is a shadow of its Soviet predecessor." Its conventional forces are "not a direct military threat to central or western Europe," and its ability to project large forces abroad "is very limited."

[wolfcreek]

BULL CHIT.

[Cindy]

A Look at Iran
http://www.truthusa.com/IRAN.html

[MNJohnnie]

the State Department's intelligence analysts

There is an oxymoron. Curious, when in the history of the US Govt. has the "State Department Intelligence analysts" beeb right on anything?

[junkman_106]

From about 1941 until my mother retired in 1969. She was an Executive Secretary in the State Department’s Current Intelligence and Research and her clearance was somewhat above mine (Navy Top Secret/CNWD); I wasn’t allowed into her OUTER office where the chairs were when I went to take her to lunch. SHEESH! Shortly after she retired, the whole she-bang went south. May have had to do with incoming Democrat jerkwads.

[DBrow]

We apparently learned nothing from Sputnik, Gagarin, “Joe”, Khobar, 9/11, USS Cole, the Kennedy’s, and on and on.

Nope, can’t happen here. I’ve been checking it out, and I’m telling you, dear, it can’t happen here!

[Centurion2000]

State Department's intelligence analysts continue to think that Tehran will not be able to produce weapons-grade material before 2013

North Korea will be happy to sell them U-235 and Pu-239

[DoughtyOne]

Remember when this same paper and others like it ran interference for North Korea along the same lines. Look where that led us.

As WolfCreek stated, B.S.

[marron]

Here’s the game.

We needn’t do anything about their nukes because they aren’t operational yet.

Then when they are operational, we shouldn’t do anything about their nukes because we can’t.

This allows our politicians to furrow their brows endlessly and have endless meetings about a subject they have no intention to do anything about.

At some point we’ll trade something of value to the Iranians in exchange for an agreement that they won’t keep, and then they’ll have the bomb, and then, well, there’s nothing to do. They have the bomb.

At some point a dirty bomb goes off in some city somewhere and there is nothing to do about it because there is no absolute proof that the Iranians had anything to do with it. You can’t nuke someone if you don’t have Judge-Ito-level proof that it was them, even though they are dancing in the street afterward.

[MNJohnnie]

I stand corrected. Should know better then to paint with such a broad brush and impugn all the fine service various people have rendered over the many long years just because for the last 15 years or so it seems no one in the US Govt can find their butt with both hands.

[uncbob]

Despite Iran's progress since 2007 toward producing enriched uranium, the State Department's intelligence analysts continue to think that Tehran will not be able to produce weapons-grade material before 2013, according to a newly disclosed congressional document.

2013 my my how coincidental

[The Great RJ]

Won’t they be surprised when Tehran detonates a nuke by the end of this year. Obama better get his surrender document ready to fly to Tehran to give us peace in our time.

[Cindy]

ON THE INTERNET:

YNET NEWS.com: "ISRAEL PUSHING FOR SANCTIONS ON IRAN" by Roni Sofer "SNIPPET: "Time is running out, and Israel has decided not to depend on the United Nations in terms of sanctions on Iran.") (Published August 7, 2009, 01:01/Israel News)

THE MEMRI BLOG.org ("Source: Fars, Iran, August 7, 2009"): "Iranian Army Cmdr: Obama's Statements Prove Iran's Glory and Might" (Posted August 7, 2009)

MEMRI.org - Special Dispatch No. 2467: "KAYHAN: "The Americans Are Begging Iran for Dialogue"; U.S. Strategic Needs in Pakistan, Afghanistan Supersede Its Need to Prevent Iran from Going Nuclear" (July 31, 2009)