THE IRANIAN NUKE – AT 7:32 P.M. ET:  In 2007, the CIA put out a remarkably misleading report claiming that Iran had stopped its nuclear weaponization program in 2003.  George W. Bush was in the White House, and the knee-jerk, everything-jerk anti-Bush press seized on the report immediately.  "Now they tell us," shouted TIME, the weekly viewsmagazine. 

A wave of contentment swept over many in the media, similar to the effect of a better-grade narcotic.  We had nothing to worry about.  The Iranians were just peaceful, good-guy Persians interested only in better production methods for colorful rugs. 

Saner and more mature observers at the time thought the report was a crock.  And, indeed, crockdom had reared its ugly head.  Now, though, sobriety has apparently returned.  From Fox:

A recently published report by the Central Intelligence Agency says Iran is still working on building a nuclear weapon despite some technical setbacks and international resistance -- and the Pentagon say it's still concerned about Iran's ambitions. The mandated report to congress reads, "Iran continues to develop a range of capabilities that could be applied to producing nuclear weapons, if a decision is made to do so."

"Iran continued to expand its nuclear infrastructure and continued uranium enrichment and activities related to its heavy water research reactor, despite multiple United Nations Security Council Resolutions since late 2006 calling for the suspension of those activities," the report says.

The CIA's new characterization of Iran's nuclear program stands in contradiction to the 2007 National Intelligence Estimate on Iran, which determined the country halted its nuclear production efforts in 2003.

The CIA report is unable to determine if Tehran has come to a decision about whether or not to build a bomb.

COMMENT:  I wouldn't get too hung up on that last paragraph.  I doubt if Tehran is putting all this effort into a nuclear-weapons program just to have the "knowledge" of how to build a bomb.  We have to assume they'll build one, unless stopped.  And there's not much stoppin'  goin' on out there.

March 30, 2010