Posted on 07/12/2012 8:41:03 PM PDT by kristinn
MI6 agents have foiled Iran’s attempts to obtain nuclear weapons but the Middle Eastern state will succeed in arming itself within the next two years, the head of the Secret Intelligence Service has warned.
Sir John Sawers said that covert operations by British spies had prevented the Iranians from developing nuclear weapons as early as 2008.
However, the MI6 chief said it was now likely they would achieve their goal by 2014, making a military strike from the US and Israel increasingly likely.
Sir John gave a secret briefing to the Cabinet in March about Iran’s growing military threat but this is the first time his views on the issue have been made public.
It is extremely rare for the head of MI6 to disclose details of operations by the intelligence service.
Sir John made the remarks at a meeting of around 100 senior civil servants in London last week in only his second public speech since he was appointed to the post in 2009.
Speaking at the Civil Service Live event in Olympia he said that Iran was now “two years away” from becoming a “nuclear weapons state”.
He said that “when that moment came” Israel or the United States would have to decide whether to launch a military strike.
“The Iranians are determinedly going down a path to master all aspects of nuclear weapons; all the technologies they need,” he said. “It’s equally clear that Israel and the United States would face huge dangers if Iran were to become a nuclear weapon state.”
Sir John said that without MI6’s work dealing with the threat, “you’d have Iran as a nuclear weapons state in 2008 rather than still being two years away in 2012.”
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Iran has been 6 months to 2 years away from a nuke for how long now? 10 years?
Very well, “M”. But, what have you done lately? Delay is one thing, but stopping the Iranians dead in their nuclear ambitions is the end game. Perhaps “Double Zero” Branch could cause some major WMD “accidents” in Iran?
Stuxnet stopped the program for more than a year and it almost succeeded in a rather significant event by having the centrifuges spin wildly out of control. It would have been a series of incredible events.
many of the estimates were based on the assumption that the development went without setbacks, which always happen on development projects. You always find stubborn rocks in any groundbreaking process.
Each administration starting w/ Clinton has kicked the can down the road.
Every day that goes by allows Iran the build it’s defenses and ability to retaliate. Aside from getting closer to nuclear capability.
Another point..
Russia is a de facto ally of Iran. At some point they may publicly announce they are true allies and protectors of Iran.
That will take any military action against Iran up several levels. WWIII.
I expect that if Zer0 sees he is going to lose in Nov. he will pull an ‘October Surprise’.
A measured (in his mind) confrontation with Iran, banking on a Rally ‘Round the Flag moment.
But as all democrats do, it will be just enough military action (again, in his mind) to discourage Iran from going further with their nuclear program.
Since he has absolutely no idea what he’s doing it may end badly.
If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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I wonder what the true story is.
There have been a fair number of setbacks, like the Stuxnet computer virus and the Mossad taking out Iranian nuke scientists with car bombs.
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