CIA: Iran capable of producing nukes

Washington Times ^ | March 30, 2010 | Bill Gertz

[SmartInsight]

Iran is poised to begin producing nuclear weapons after its uranium program expansion in 2009, even though it has had problems with thousands of its centrifuges, according to a newly released CIA report.

"Iran continues to develop a range of capabilities that could be applied to producing nuclear weapons, if a decision is made to do so," the annual report to Congress states.

A U.S. official involved in countering weapons proliferation said the Iranians are "keeping the door open to the possibility of building a nuclear weapon."

[ETL]

May 18, 2008: Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, these countries are tiny compared to the Soviet Union. They don't pose a serious threat to us. ...they spend 1/100th of what we spend on the military. I mean, if Iran ever tried to pose a serious threat to us, they wouldn't stand a chance.

May 20, 2008 (2 days later!): Iran is a grave threat. It has an illicit nuclear program. It supports terrorism across the regions and militias in Iraq. It threatens Israel's existence. It denies the Holocaust.

Source for these genuine Obama quotes (2 days apart!): NewsBusters.org:
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/brad-wilmouth/2008/05/23/fnc-shows-obamas-iran-flip-flop-colmes-might-talk-hitler

[G8 Diplomat]

No duh.

I see the CIA has reversed their earlier 2007 NIE which claimed Iran had shelved its nuke program. The CIA is such a joke nowadays.

[ETL]

From June, 2006...

Senator Santorum Makes Major Announcement Regarding Newly Declassified Information Concerning Chemical Weapons Discovered in Iraq

“This is critically important information that the world community needs to know” – Senator Santorum

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, joined Congressman Peter Hoekstra, (R-MI-2), Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, today to make a major announcement regarding the release of newly declassified information that proves the existence of chemical munitions in Iraq since 2003. The information was released by the Director of National Intelligence, John Negroponte, and contained an unclassified summary of analysis conducted by the National Ground Intelligence Center. In March, Senator Santorum began advocating for the release of these documents to the American public.

“The information released today proves that weapons of mass destruction are, in fact, in Iraq,” said Senator Santorum. “It is essential for the American people to understand that these weapons are in Iraq. I will continue to advocate for the complete declassification of this report so we can more fully understand the complete WMD picture inside Iraq.”

The following are the six key points contained in the unclassified overview:

• Since 2003 Coalition forces have recovered approximately 500 weapons munitions which contain degraded mustard or sarin nerve agent.

• Despite many efforts to locate and destroy Iraq’s pre-Gulf War chemical munitions, filled and unfilled pre-Gulf War chemical munitions are assessed to still exist.

• Pre-Gulf War Iraqi chemical weapons could be sold on the black market. Use of these weapons by terrorists or insurgent groups would have implications for Coalition forces in Iraq. The possibility of use outside Iraq cannot be ruled out.

• The most likely munitions remaining are sarin and mustard-filled projectiles.

• The purity of the agent inside the munitions depends on many factors, including the manufacturing process, potential additives, and environmental storage conditions. While agents degrade over time, chemical warfare agents remain hazardous and potentially lethal.

• It has been reported in open press that insurgents and Iraqi groups desire to acquire and use chemical weapons.

http://santorum.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressOffice.View&ContentRecord_id=1891&CFID=4490718&CFTOKEN=51133099

[SeekAndFind]

He did have WMD, some of them are still hidden in Syria. He didn’t have the aresenal he once had, but they did indeed exist.

The lack of WMDs is one of the biggest libtard lies ever.


Let's agree to disagree on this.

The liberals told us that "Bush lied". That is the lie they perpetrated. Bush did not lie. He LISTENED to his CIA ( what else can the President do ?).

The CIA made a mistake. That mistake happened long before Bush became president. Every single Senator from Kerry to Hillary to John Edwards BELIEVED the CIA report. Bill Clinton himself signed the Iraq Liberation Act ( approved by these same liberal senators ) when he was in office PRECISELY because they believed the CIA.

But a mistake is not a lie. The CIA made a mistake, Bush believed them ( as did Congress ) and they should. The big outrage is the Dems voting FOR deposing Saddam and then bailing out when the going got rough and then LYING about Bush lying when they themselves got us into this war by APPROVING it.

But please --- if there are WMDs, WHERE ARE THEY ?

It's easy to pinpoint Syria, but unless we have proof of that, I am not going to believe it. Not at this point in time after 7 years of futile attempts to find them.

[cranked]

Say it ain’t so, CIA. =.=

As such, allow me to give some examples as to how fraked up the CIA, and other US intelligence agencies, is and how accurate their predictive powers are (from a research paper I did for a graduate school class:

• Late 1991: In Congressional reports and CIA assessments, the US estimates that there is a ‘high degree of certainty that the government of Iran has acquired all or virtually all of the components required for the construction of two to three nuclear weapons.’ A February 1992 report by the US House of Representatives suggests that these two or three nuclear weapons will be operational between February and April 1992 (73).
• Late October 1991: A US National Intelligence Estimate report says that Iran’s nuclear program appears disorganized and in its early stages. Richard H. Solomon, US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, says that China has sold nuclear-related technologies to Iran despite earlier assurances that it would not sell such technologies to Iran (73).
• November 1991: Israeli officials contend that, using Pakistani assistance, Iran could make a nuclear bomb by the end of the decade. For their part, US officials estimate that it would take 10 to 15 years. According to a New York Times report (1 November), US analysts insist that Iran has neither the money nor the professional personnel to produce a nuclear weapon in a short time. One expert said that although China may assist Iran in nuclear weapons development, such assistance ‘will certainly not be on the scale of Western help to Iraq’ (73).
• February 24, 1993: CIA Director James Woolsey says that Iran is still 8 to 10 years away from being able to produce its own nuclear weapon, though if it were assisted from abroad; it could become a nuclear power earlier (73)
• December 13, 1993: According to Defense News, the CIA ‘believes that Iran could have nuclear weapons within eight to 10 years, even without critical assistance form abroad’ (73).
• February 16, 1994: According to the latest CIA estimates, Iran could develop a nuclear bomb in six to eight years, although its nuclear weapons program is still in an early stage and relies on foreign technology and expertise (73)
• September 23, 1994: CIA Director James Woolsey says that, ‘Iran is eight to ten years away from building [nuclear] weapons, and that help from the outside will be critical in reaching that timetable. Iran has been particularly active in trying to purchase nuclear materials or technology clandestinely from Russian sources. Iran is also looking to purchase fully-fabricated nuclear weapons in order to accelerate sharply its timetable’(73).
• January 5, 1995: US Defense Secretary William Perry says that Iran may be less than five years from building an atomic bomb though ‘how soon … depends how they go about getting it.’ Perry said buying or stealing a bomb from one of the Soviet states could happen in ‘a week, a month, five years.’ Alternatively, if Tehran could obtain a large amount of highly enriched uranium, then ‘five years is on the high end’(73).
• January 1995: The director of the US Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, John Holum, testifies that Iran could have the bomb by 2003 (74).
• January 19, 1995: According to Thomas Graham, Special U.S. Representative for Nonproliferation, Iran has ‘no current program’ for producing weapons-grade fissile materials. ‘They are not that far along,’ he added (74).
• February 29, 1996: Lynn Davis, US Undersecretary of State, says that Iran is ‘many years away’ from possessing a nuclear weapons capability, but stealing nuclear technology or material ‘can reduce the time dramatically in terms of developing a weapon’ (74).
• April 29, 1996: Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres says ‘he believe that in four years, they [Iran] may reach nuclear weapons’ (74).
• March 1997: John Holum, director of the US Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, testifies to a House panel that Iran could develop a nuclear bomb sometime between 2005 and 2007 (74).
• June 26, 1997: General Binford Peay, US military commander in the Persian Gulf, says that Iran may have nuclear weapons ‘some time at the turn of the century, the near-end of the turn of the century’ if it gets access to fissionable material (74).
• October 21, 1998: General Anthony Zinni, head of US Central Command, says Iran could have the capacity to deliver nuclear weapons within five years; ‘If I were a betting man,’ he said, ‘I would say they are on track within five years, they would have the capability’ (74).
• November 21, 1999: According to a senior Israeli official, Iran will have a nuclear capability within five years, unless Russian military aid to Iran stops (74).
• January 17, 2000: A new CIA assessment on Iran’s nuclear capabilities says that the CIA cannot be ruled out the possibility that Iran may possess nuclear weapons. This analysis is based on the CIA’s admission that it cannot monitor Iran’s nuclear activities with any precision and hence cannot exclude the prospect that Iran may have nuclear weapons (74).
• September 20, 2000: According to the CIA, Iran is ‘attempting to develop the capability to produce both plutonium and highly enriched uranium, and it is actively pursuing the acquisition of fissile material and the expertise and technology necessary to form the material into nuclear weapons.’ A CIA official also claimed that Iran could be in a position to test fire an ICBM within five years (74).
• February 6, 2002: CIA Director George Tenet tells the Senate that Iran is seeking long-range ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction and will probably succeed in having them by 2015.376 He also said that Iran ‘may be able to indigenously produce enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon by the end of this decade … obtaining material from outside could cut years from this estimate’ (74).

[cranked]

Forgot the paper was online: http://www.lamp-method.org/eCommons/Bulls.pdf

[GOPJ]

Three well placed nukes would take out most of the Jews... Hitler would be sooooo proud.

Here's my solution = sell South Florida to Israel. Move as many holy sites here as possible, blow up what can't be moved - leave Arab holy sites for the new "Palestine".

In ten years Palestine will be one more crappy Arab hellhole - poor, feuding with neighbors and blaming all for their problems. The New Israel will be flourishing, happy and working well with their neighbors.

Reality will force Muslims to come face to face with the truth - they have crappy countries BECAUSE the ideas behind their cultures are dreadful. And Jews have successful countries - because the ideas behind their cultures are sound - values of education, hard work, fair play, rights for women and children etc,

[ETL]

The liberals told us that "Bush lied".

Pre-war quotes from "lying" House and Senate democrats...

"In 1998, the United States also changed its underlying policy toward Iraq from containment to regime change and began to examine options to effect such a change, including support for Iraqi opposition leaders within the country and abroad.

In the 4 years since the inspectors, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al-Qaida members, though there is apparently no evidence of his involvement in the terrible events of September 11, 2001."

"It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein wiill continue to increase his capability to wage biological and chemical warfare and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons. Should he succeed in that endeavor, he could alter the political and security landscape of the Middle East which, as we know all too well, affects American security."
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), Oct 10, 2002
Congressional Record – Sen. Hillary Clinton
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2002_record&page=S10288&position=all
____________________________________________________

John Kerry: “I agree completely with this Administration’s goal of a regime change in Iraq – Saddam Hussein is a renegade and outlaw who turned his back on the tough conditions of his surrender put in place by the United Nations in 1991.” (July 2002)
____________________________________________________

John Kerry: “I believe the record of Saddam Hussein’s ruthless, reckless breach of international values and standards of behavior is cause enough for the world community to hold him accountable by use of force if necessary.”
____________________________________________________

"We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction." -
Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002
U.S. Senate - Ted Kennedy
____________________________________________________

"We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country." -
Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
Transcript of Gore’s speech, printed in USA Today
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002-09-23-gore-text_x.htm
____________________________________________________

"When I vote to give the President of the United States the authority to use force, if necessary, to disarm Saddam Hussein, it is because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a threat, and a grave threat, to our security and that of our allies in the Persian Gulf region. I will vote yes because I believe it is the best way to hold Saddam Hussein accountable." -
Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Oct. 9,2002
Congressional Record – Sen. John F. Kerry
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2002_record&page=S10174&position=all
____________________________________________________

John Kerry on the floor of the Senate
October 2002:

"With respect to Saddam Hussein and the threat he presents, we must ask ourselves a simple question:

Why?

Why is Saddam Hussein pursuing weapons that most nations have agreed to limit or give up?

Why is Saddam Hussein guilty of breaking his own cease-fire agreement with the international community?

Why is Saddam Hussein attempting to develop nuclear weapons when most nations don't even try, and responsible nations that have them attempt to limit their potential for disaster?

Why did Saddam Hussein threaten and provoke?

Why does he develop missiles that exceed allowable limits?

Why did Saddam Hussein lie and deceive the inspection teams previously?

Why did Saddam Hussein not account for all of the weapons of mass destruction which UNSCOM identified?

Why is he seeking to develop unmanned airborne vehicles for delivery of biological agents?

Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), October 9, 2002
Congressional Record – Sen. John F. Kerry
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2002_record&page=S10171&position=all
____________________________________________________

“The Joint Chiefs should provide Congress with casualty estimates for a war in Iraq as they have done in advance of every past conflict. These estimates should consider Saddam's possible use of chemical or biological weapons against our troops.

Unlike the gulf war, many experts believe Saddam would resort to chemical and biological weapons against our troops in a desperate -attempt to save his regime if he believes he and his regime are ultimately threatened.”
Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) Oct. 8, 2002
Congressional Record - Sen. Ted Kennedy
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?position=all&page=S10090&dbname=2002_record
____________________________________________________

John Kerry: “I would disagree with John McCain that it's the actual weapons of mass destruction he may use against us, it's what he may do in another invasion of Kuwait or in a miscalculation about the Kurds or a miscalculation about Iran or particularly Israel. Those are the things that--that I think present the greatest danger. He may even miscalculate and slide these weapons off to terrorist groups to invite them to be a surrogate to use them against the United States. It's the miscalculation that poses the greatest threat." (October 2002)
____________________________________________________

John Kerry: “If You Don’t Believe . . . Saddam Hussein is a threat with nuclear weapons, then you shouldn’t vote for me.” (January 2003)
____________________________________________________

John Kerry: Saddam Hussein is a brutal dictator who must be disarmed. (March 2003)
____________________________________________________

"Saddam Hussein's regime represents a grave threat to America and our allies, including our vital ally, Israel. For more than two decades, Saddam Hussein has sought weapons of mass destruction through every available means. We know that he has chemical and biological weapons. He has already used them against his neighbors and his own people, and is trying to build more. We know that he is doing everything he can to build nuclear weapons, and we know that each day he gets closer to achieving that goal."..."Iraq has continued to seek nuclear weapons and develop its arsenal in defiance of the collective will of the international community, as expressed through the United Nations Security Council. It is violating the terms of the 1991 cease-fire that ended the Gulf war and as many as 16 Security Council resolutions, including 11 resolutions concerning Iraq’s efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction." –
Sen. John Edwards, October 10, 2002
Congressional Record – Sen. John Edwards
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2002_record&page=S10325&position=all
____________________________________________________

"There is no doubt that since that time Saddam Hussein has invigorated his weapons programs. Reports indicate that biological, chemical and nuclear programs continue apace and may be back to pre-Gulf War status. In addition, Saddam continues to redefine delivery systems and is doubtless using the cover of a licit missile program to develop longer-range missiles that will threaten the United States and our allies." –
Letter to President Bush, Signed by Sen Bob Graham (D, FL,) and others, December 5, 2001
http://usinfo.org/wf-archive/2001/011207/epf510.htm
____________________________________________________

"We should be hell bent on getting those weapons of mass destruction, hell bent on having a credible approach to them, but we should try to do it in a way which keeps the world together and that achieves our goal which is removing the... defanging Saddam.." -
Sen. Carl Levin (D, MI), Dec. 9, 2002
Online with Jim Lehrer – Public Broadcasting Service
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/middle_east/july-dec02/iraq_12-10.html
____________________________________________________

"We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country." -
Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
Transcript of Gore’s speech, printed in USA Today
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002-09-23-gore-text_x.htm
____________________________________________________

"Iraq's search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power." -
Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
Transcript of Gore’s speech, printed in USA Today
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002-09-23-gore-text_x.htm
____________________________________________________

"We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction." -
Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002
U.S. Senate - Ted Kennedy

"The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998. We are confident that Saddam Hussein retains some stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a crash course to build up his chemical and biological warfare capabilities. Intelligence reports indicate that he is seeking nuclear weapons..." -
Sen. Robert Byrd (D, WV), Oct. 3, 2002
Congressional Record – Robert Byrd
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2002_record&page=S9874&position=all
____________________________________________________

"When I vote to give the President of the United States the authority to use force, if necessary, to disarm Saddam Hussein, it is because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a threat, and a grave threat, to our security and that of our allies in the Persian Gulf region. I will vote yes because I believe it is the best way to hold Saddam Hussein accountable." -
Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Oct. 9,2002
Congressional Record – Sen. John F. Kerry
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2002_record&page=S10174&position=all
____________________________________________________

"There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons within the next five years .. We also should remember we have always underestimated the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction."-
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D, WV), Oct 10, 2002
Congressional Record –Sen. Jay Rockefeller
____________________________________________________

"He has systematically violated, over the course of the past 11 years, every significant UN resolution that has demanded that he disarm and destroy his chemical and biological weapons, and any nuclear capacity. This he has refused to do" –
Rep. Henry Waxman (D, CA), Oct. 10, 2002
Congressional Record – Rep. Henry Waxman
____________________________________________________

MY SOURCE FOR ALL OF THESE QUOTES:
http://www.americandaily.com/article/4694

[massgopguy]

Never mind Iran building Nukes. Don’t you know that Jews are building houses?!

[mkjessup]

Don’t worry about the nuke threat, folks. We all have healthcare now.

Right! So if there is a dirty bomb detonated somewhere on American soil, everyone will have equal access to radiological countermeasures, iodine, stuff like that.

And lead. Don't forget lead.

[rmlew]

When Iran nukes us, we should hang half the CIA for the 2005/6 assessment.

[pb929]

Move along....nothing to see here...

[SmartInsight]

“But please -— if there are WMDs, WHERE ARE THEY ? “

Most likely in Syria, and probably some in Iraq.

What you need to realize is that you don’t need TONS of anthrax, smallpox, or other WMD, to cause thousands of deaths. All you need is a few ounces, literally. So, just think how difficult is it to hide a few ounces of something?

How would you go about finding such amounts, which can still wipe out entire countries?

[Wisconsinlady]

DUH! How much are these people paid to come up with “intelligence” like this? They should be writing Chinese fortune cookie predictions.

[SmartInsight]

"Never mind Iran building Nukes. Don't you know that Jews are building houses?!

Excellent!!!!! Quote of the day!!!!

[hennie pennie]

What a nice quote!!

>>> "Never mind Iran building Nukes. Don't you know that Jews are building houses?!" <<<<

[b4its2late]

Hey come on.

We're too busy in this country with health care and cap and trade to worry about little things like this.....

[left that other site]

Here's my solution = sell South Florida to Israel. Move as many holy sites here as possible, blow up what can't be moved - leave Arab holy sites for the new "Palestine".

Too late. There are already Mosques here so we are part of the "Ummah".

[Nobel_1]

Ping to #2 on the Plato quote ...

very appropriate!

[John-Irish]

Mark my words, Iran will become a nuclear power on Obamas watch.