NIE Report on Iran Could Lead to War, Isreal Says
Update: Iran says NIE Report is a Declaration of Surrender
So the Left thinks we should conduct a more “sensitive” war against Islamic-extremism?
From Reuters:
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran’s president said on Sunday the publication of a U.S. intelligence report saying Iran had halted a nuclear weapons program in 2003 amounted to a “declaration of surrender” by Washington in its row with Tehran.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also dismissed in an interview with state television the prospect of new U.N. sanctions against Iran over its refusal to halt sensitive atomic work.
“It is too far-fetched,” he said when asked whether he expected the U.N. Security Council to impose fresh sanctions on Iran following two such resolutions since last December.
Ahmadinejad, who often rails against the West, told a rally earlier this month that the December 3 publication of the U.S. National Intelligence Estimate was a “victory” for Iran.
He said on Sunday: “It was in fact a declaration of surrender … It was a positive action by the U.S. administration to change their attitude and it was a correct move.”
So, just how does a defeated nation handle the negotiations now that Iran is emboldened? We’ll see where “sensitive” gets us.
A portion of the “CYA” National Intelligence Estimate (“NIE”) report made public recently has apparently thrown gasoline on the proverbial fire in regard to the Iranian nuclear standoff.
The report, “liberally” written, gave Tehran a un-deserved geopolitical victory while attempting to discredit the Bush administration. The attempt IMHO didn’t completely succeed.
However, NIE reports are supposed to be designed to bring clarity to an issue. It seems as though this report did the exact opposite. Which can lead to dangerous and unforeseen consequences.
From the AP via Yahoo! News:
JERUSALEM - Israel’s public security minister warned Saturday that a U.S. intelligence report that said Iran is no longer developing nuclear arms could lead to a regional war that would threaten the Jewish state.
In his remarks — Israel’s harshest criticism yet of the U.S. report — Avi Dichter said the assessment also cast doubt on American intelligence in general, including information about Palestinian security forces’ crackdown on militant groups. The Palestinian action is required as part of a U.S.-backed renewal of peace talks with Israel this month.Dichter cautioned that a refusal to recognize Iran’s intentions to build weapons of mass destruction could lead to armed conflict in the Middle East.
Read more: Israel, US report on Iran may spark war.