American intelligence analysts believe that there is no hard evidence that Iran has decided to build a nuclear bomb, according to the New York Times.
Iran has abandoned its nuclear weaponsprogram years ago. This is the consensus among former and current intelligence officials (see article: “U.S. Agencies See No Move by Iran to Build a Bomb” http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/25/world/middleeast/us-agencies-see-no-move-by-iran-to-build-a-bomb.html ). This was reaffirmed in a 2010 National Intelligence Estimate, and it remains the consensus view of all the major America’s 16 intelligence agencies.
According to the article:
“In Senate testimony on Jan. 31, James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence, stated explicitly that American officials believe that Iran is preserving its options for a nuclear weapon, but said there was no evidence that it had made a decision on making a concerted push to build a weapon. David H. Petraeus, the C.I.A. director, concurred with that view at the same hearing. Other senior United States officials, including Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have made similar statements in recent television appearances”, the article pointed out.
Later on the intelligence chief’s seem to contradict themselves.
“They are certainly moving on that path, but we don’t believe they have actually made the decision to go ahead with a nuclear weapon,” Director Clapper told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
"I wonder how much this cost us to find out there was no Iranian boggyman out there", says Nathan Denny of Charlotte, a dishwasher working for minimum wage, with a 11 grade education. "I think if Iran had the bomb they would say so wouldn't you?", he said.
I think he right. Maybe we should hire him as Director of Intelligence?
Robert Tilford
Charlotte, N.C.
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