HOT from the NYT: U.S. intelligence says Iran NOT working on nuclear weapons [UPDATE: "A miracle"]

and HASN'T been since 2003... holy crap...! talk about a gut shot to darth and his bomb-mad buddy, norman podhoretz... THIS oughta cause a tsunami among the rest of the neocons too...

A new assessment by American intelligence agencies concludes that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 and that the program remains on hold, contradicting an assessment two years ago that Tehran was working inexorably toward building a bomb.

The conclusions of the new assessment are likely to be major factor in the tense international negotiations aimed at getting Iran to halt its nuclear energy program. Concerns about Iran were raised sharply after President Bush had suggested in October that a nuclear-armed Iran could lead to “World War III,” and Vice President Dick Cheney promised “serious consequences” if the government in Tehran did not abandon its nuclear program.

The finding also come in the middle of a presidential campaign during which a possible military strike against Iran’s nuclear program has been discussed. The assessment, a National Intelligence Estimate that represents the consensus view of all 16 American spy agencies, states that Tehran’s ultimate intentions about gaining a nuclear weapon remain unclear, but that Iran’s “decisions are guided by a cost-benefit approach rather than a rush to a weapon irrespective of the political, economic and military costs.”

wow...! somebody in u.s. intelligence must be damn tired of being asked to sling bullshit or this would never have seen the light of day...

here's the white house spin from stephen hadley, spinner extraordinaire...

Today’s National Intelligence Estimate offers some positive news. It confirms that we were right to be worried about Iran seeking to develop nuclear weapons. It tells us that we have made progress in trying to ensure that this does not happen.

But the intelligence also tells us that the risk of Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon remains a very serious problem. The estimate offers grounds for hope that the problem can be solved diplomatically — without the use of force — as the Administration has been trying to do. And it suggests that the President has the right strategy: intensified international pressure along with a willingness to negotiate a solution that serves Iranian interests while ensuring that the world will never have to face a nuclear armed Iran.

'scuse ME...?!?! "solved diplomatically — without the use of force — as the Administration has been trying to do...??" you're a bald-faced liar, hadley... we would ALREADY have bombed iran, probably with tactical nukes, and the middle east would ALREADY be engulfed in mass destruction, had there not been so much resistance and very likely covert sabotage WITHIN the administration ranks... the only reason there has been ANY diplomatic effort at all is because that resistance left little choice...

[UPDATE]

ray mcgovern's take...

For those who have doubts about miracles, a double one occurred today. An honest National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iran’s nuclear program has been issued and its Key Judgments were made public.

With redraft after redraft, it was what the Germans call “eine schwere Geburt”—a difficult birth, ten months in gestation.

i'm still thinking that some people in the intelligence community are working feverishly to short-circuit what i'm sure is the still-very-much-alive plan to bomb iran... commenter ed from liberal doomsayer thinks it's about a feeble attempt to burnish bush's "legacy..." i disagree... while i think that's precisely the spin that hadley is attempting to put on it, i think this juicy little revelation caught the white house completely flatfooted and, now that it's out there, there isn't a damn thing they can do about it except pretend they're all for it...

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