or Powell's or me• • •
"Mike and Jon, Jon and Mike—I've known them both for years, and, clearly, one of them is very funny. As for the other: truly one of the great hangers-on of our time."—Steve Bodow, head writer, The Daily Show
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"Who can really judge what's funny? If humor is a subjective medium, then can there be something that is really and truly hilarious? Me. This book."—Daniel Handler, author, Adverbs, and personal representative of Lemony Snicket
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"The good news: I thought Our Kampf was consistently hilarious. The bad news: I’m the guy who wrote Monkeybone."—Sam Hamm, screenwriter, Batman, Batman Returns, and Homecoming
January 15, 2009
CIA Chief: Obama and Clinton Lying About Iranian Nuclear Program
Well, CIA director Michael Hayden didn't say that in so many words. But today he did indirectly confirm that, in clear contradiction to recent statements by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, American intelligence has not concluded Iran currently has a nuclear weapons program:
Shifting to Iran, Hayden said that country steadily is producing low-enriched uranium and soon will have enough to create highly enriched uranium - the fuel for a nuclear warhead. The CIA does not have clear intelligence saying that a decision has been made, but the agency is aware of the amount of uranium Iran has produced so far.Agency officials presume that Iran is seriously considering using its uranium stocks to make nuclear weapons because of its willingness to endure the economic pain of penalties for refusing to agree to international safeguards.
"I'm amazed Iran is willing to run the costs they are running if they are not trying to keep the option open for a nuclear weapon," Hayden said.
In other words, nothing has changed from the most recent National Intelligence Estimate on Iran issued in December, 2007:
We judge with high confidence that in fall 2003, Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program; we also assess with moderate-to-high confidence that Tehran at a minimum is keeping open the option to develop nuclear weapons.
Here's Obama last Sunday:
OBAMA: Iran is going to be one of our biggest challenges and as I said during the campaign we have a situation in which not only is Iran exporting terrorism through Hamas, through Hezbollah but they are pursuing a nuclear weapon that could potentially trigger a nuclear arms race.
CLINTON: As we focus on Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan, we must also actively pursue a strategy of smart power in the Middle East that...that effectively challenges Iran to end its nuclear weapons program...
BONUS: Note that, according to Hayden, US intelligence is making assumptions about Iran based on exactly the same reasoning that was proven false regarding Iraq. Here's one of many, many examples of this, from Kenneth Adelman in February, 2003:
Iraq’s huge oil reserves prove two key points. First, just how desperately Saddam clings to his nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs. His refusal to scrap them 12 years ago, as he pledged, cost Iraq more than $100 billion in lost oil revenue, perhaps as much as $200 billion. That’s a lot to forgo for a WMD arsenal. But it’s WMD that Saddam values most. No price his people pay is too high for his personal ambitions.
—Jonathan Schwarz
Posted at January 15, 2009 10:04 PMIraq's huge oil reserves PROVE two keynote things, oil and oil.
Posted by: Mike Meyer at January 15, 2009 11:24 PMObama must be beginning his campaign for the next presidential election. If he escalates the war in Afghanistan which is a given while remaining in Iraq which must be still costing us astronomical amounts of money where will the money come from to start a war with Iran? Perhaps we are on the verge of the end of empire as the money runs out. I certainly hope so. But then it is never wise to underestimate the stupidity of the urge for U.S. leaders to try and mold the world to their liking. On the other hand Afghanistan has been the downfall of more than one empire.
Posted by: Rob Payne at January 15, 2009 11:58 PMMar 2, 2007. . .Obama: The world must work to stop Iran’s uranium enrichment program and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons
National Intelligence Estimate, Dec 4, 2007 . . .. We judge with high confidence that in fall 2003, Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program
IAEA Report, May 26, 2008: "The Agency has been able to continue to verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material in Iran."
July 25, 2008 . .Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, nearing the end of a fast-paced international campaign trip, warned Iran today, "don't wait for the next president" to take office before yielding to Western demands to dismantle its nuclear weapons program. . .Iran poses "an extraordinarily grave situation." He said the world must send "a clear message to Iran to end its illicit nuclear program."
NPT: "Nothing in this Treaty shall be interpreted as affecting the inalienable right of all the Parties to the Treaty to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination and in conformity with articles I and II of this Treaty."
Sep 6, 2008 ...Iran is a “major threat” and it would be “unacceptable” for the rogue nation to develop a nuclear weapon, Barack Obama said
IAEA Report, September 15, 2008: "The Agency has been able to continue to verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material in Iran. Iran has provided the Agency with access to declared nuclear material and has provided the required nuclear material accounting reports in connection with declared nuclear material and activities."
Oct 2, 2008 . . .Obama: "The American people weren't just failed by a President - they were failed by much of Washington. By a media that too often reported spin instead of facts. . .I will always tell the American people the truth."
Nov 7, 2008 ... U.S. President-elect Barack Obama said in Chicago on Friday that Iran's development of nuclear weapons is unacceptable.
IAEA Report on Iran, Nov 19, 2008 -- "The Agency has been able to continue to verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material in Iran. Iran has provided the Agency with access to declared nuclear material and has provided the required nuclear material accounting reports in connection with declared nuclear material and activities."
Dec 7, 2008 . . .Obama: "We need to ratchet up tough but direct diplomacy with Iran, making very clear to them that their development of nuclear weapons would be unacceptable"
Jan 11, 2009 . . .Obama: "[Iran is] pursuing a nuclear weapon that could potentially trigger a nuclear arms race."
When Mohamed ElBaradei and the IAEA say Iran's violating the NPT then credible concerns will be warrranted. Not before and not from any other source. Hayden, Clinton, Obama & Co. have as much credibility on the subject as the dipshits who still sport W'04 stickers on their car.
Oh, and when will India, Israel and Pakistan, America's plucky democratic nuclear armed allies in the GWTF, stop flouting international law, sign the NPT and admit IAEA inspectors to their nuclear facilities? When will the American government honor its responsibilities under the NPT to eliminate these instruments of state sponsored terror?
Posted by: Pvt. Keepout at January 16, 2009 09:20 AMWell done, Mr. Bacon. I'm stealing that.
Posted by: SteveB at January 16, 2009 09:35 AMI don't understand why the quantity of low-enriched uranium is being indicated as if that's some sort of milestone. You can't make a bomb with that; you need highly-enriched uranium. If they were making highly-enriched uranium, we would know about it. What does low-enriched uranium have to do with anything?
There was a nice discussion on Meet the Press about this a few weeks back (Jan 4), where David Sanger said why it was important that Iran not get the bomb: "Because, as we saw with the Iraq invasion, it's a lot easier for the United States to go in after a dictator who it says may get the bomb than against one who has one."
He also ties in Gaza neatly to the question of Iran: "Because the Israelis need to show that they once again have their deterrent capability back. That is what their bombing of the Syrian reactor that the North Koreans helped the Syrians build was all about a year and a half ago. It's what this is about. It's about saying to the Iranians, 'We have a way to get out and reach you.'"
Control, control. You must learn control!
Transcript: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28493781/page/4/
Posted by: saurabh at January 16, 2009 12:41 PMDon Beacon: thanks!
I am going to post that on my blog one day soon.
Posted by: Susan at January 16, 2009 09:17 PM
