So what is the truth about Iran's nuclear program ?
Everyone hung their hat on the December 3 NIE about the Iranian nuclear program ,that they had stopped development programs in 2003 . The assumption was then that the threat about the Mullahs getting a bomb and the Mahdi Hatter making Jerusalem glow was being overstated .
But yesterday National Director of Intelligence Admiral Michael McConnell sang a different tune to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence ,testifying that "If I had 'til now to think about it, I probably would change a few things." ......., "I would change the way we describe the Iranian nuclear program. I would have included that there are the component parts, that the portion of it, maybe the least significant, had halted."
He said that the part of the program that had been suspended was a specific Iranian program to design warheads.Yesterday he admitted that "Declared uranium enrichment efforts, which will enable the production of fissile material, continue. This is the most difficult challenge in nuclear production. Iran's efforts to perfect ballistic missiles that can reach North Africa and Europe also continue."
"We remain concerned about Iran's intentions and assess with moderate-to-high confidence that Tehran at a minimum is keeping open the option to develop nuclear weapons."
He warned in his annual threat assessment that Iran "would be technically capable of producing enough highly enriched uranium for a weapon" by the end of 2009.
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/package..._testimony.pdf
(relevent testiomny starts page 11)
The Mossad says they could have nukes within 3 years .
AFP: Iran will have nuclear weapon in three years: Mossad
Meanwhile the Russians have raised new doubts about Iran's program due to a missile test they conducted .Perhaps that will convince them of the folly of providing Iran with enriched uranium and upgraded anti-aircraft missile systems .
The release of the December NIE threw a big monkey wrench into efforts to get tighter UN sanctions against Iran . Russian alarm over Iranian missile test | Russia | Guardian Unlimited
Hopefully Russia will see the wisdom of keeping the pressure on Iran.