Iran not developing nuclear weapons?

[S O F I]

US report plays down Iran threat

Iran appears "less determined" to develop nuclear weapons than previously thought, US intelligence officials say.

Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 but is continuing to enrich uranium, a National Intelligence Estimate assessment has concluded.

Enriched uranium is used in nuclear bombs but Tehran says the aims of its nuclear activities are peaceful.

A senior advisor to President Bush said the report was "positive" but the risk of a nuclear Iran remained "serious".

Iran is currently under sanctions from both the UN Security Council, which is demanding the end of uranium enrichment, and unilateral US sanctions.

'Technical problems'

The declassified summary of the report, which draws together information from the US's 16 intelligence agencies, says with "high confidence" that Iran stopped its nuclear weapons programme in 2003 "in response to international pressure".



The assessment says with "moderate confidence" that the programme has not restarted.

This is a turnaround from previous assessments, when US intelligence agencies believed Iran was trying to develop a nuclear weapon.

Iran made "significant progress" in 2007 installing gas centrifuges used to enrich uranium - a process necessary for producing the fissile nuclear material needed to build a nuclear bomb, the report says.

But the report's authors judge with "moderate confidence" that Iran "still faces significant technical problems" operating the new equipment.

And they conclude that the country is not likely to have enough highly enriched uranium to build a bomb until 2010-2015.

'Right strategy'

US National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley said the report's findings confirmed the US was "right to be worried" about Iran's nuclear ambitions and that President George W Bush had "the right strategy".


READ THE FINDINGS

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The international community should "turn up the pressure on Iran" using diplomatic isolation, UN sanctions and other financial leverage, he said.

The BBC News website's world affairs correspondent, Paul Reynolds, says the report is cautious in its assessment of Iran's nuclear activities and provides little evidence for those who would like an early military attack.

He says it will strengthen the hand of those who want further sanctions since it states that past pressure has worked.

BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera says the estimate is in stark contrast to the alarmist and hawkish language coming from some parts of the administration.

Last month Mr Bush warned that stopping Iran developing nuclear technology was vital to prevent World War III.

Moderate confidence, eh?

*waits for puff to say it's democrat propaganda*

 

[PuffnScruff]

hey, this is the same National Intelligence Agency that told us that sadam had wmd's. so....take it for what you will...

and jesus, the bbc? branch out a little and will ya. getting all your news from one liberal source is just gay. at least try and add one or two more liberal sources to your daily news

 

[AmerikazMost]

^ Chill, Puff. BBC is a quality news source--I prefer it to CNN and definitely Fox News. What you consider to be liberal is probably pretty moderate over there.

 

[PuffnScruff]

lol it was a joke, i always give sofi shit

but back on topic. hasn't this agency been known to be wrong time and time again?

 

[S. Fourteen]

Iran doesn't need weapons of nuclear kind. Iran is a utopia. I mean - people get paid good money to blackout cleavages in magazines.

 

[PuffnScruff]

interesting to find out today that Dr. Thomas Fingar, one of the three authors of this latest NIE report, claimed in testimony before the House Armed Services Committee just a few months ago
"Iran and North Korea are the states of most concern to us. The United States’ concerns about Iran are shared by many nations, including many of Iran’s neighbors. Iran is continuing to pursue uranium enrichment and has shown more interest in protracting negotiations and working to delay and diminish the impact of UNSC sanctions than in reaching an acceptable diplomatic solution. We assess that Tehran is determined to develop nuclear weapons--despite its international obligations and international pressure. This is a grave concern to the other countries in the region whose security would be threatened should Iran acquire nuclear weapons."

why the sudden change? new great intel?

 

[Duke]

Iran are a shady bunch and US intelligence has proven to be "teh sux0rz".

Closed, pz.