IAEA Calls U.S. Iran Nuke Intel Report " Outrageous And Dishonest"

[kpete]

IAEA Calls U.S. Iran Nuke Intel Report "Dishonest"
By Paul Kiel - September 14, 2006, 10:22 AM
Sound familiar? From Reuters:

U.N. inspectors have protested to the U.S. government and a Congressional committee about a report on Iran's nuclear work, calling parts of it "outrageous and dishonest", according to a letter obtained by Reuters.

The letter recalled clashes between the IAEA and the Bush administration before the 2003 Iraq war over findings cited by Washington about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction that proved false, and underlined continued tensions over Iran's dossier.

Sent to the head of the House of Representatives' Select Committee on Intelligence by a senior aide to International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei, the letter said an August 23 committee report contained serious distortions of IAEA findings on Iran's activity.

The letter said the errors suggested Iran's nuclear fuel program was much more advanced than a series of IAEA reports and Washington's own intelligence assessments have determined.

more at:
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001517.php

Update: More from The Washington Post:
Privately, several U.S. intelligence officials said the committee report included at least a dozen claims that were either demonstrably wrong or impossible to substantiate. The office of Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.), chairman of the House intelligence committee said the report was reviewed by the office of John D. Negroponte, the director of national intelligence.

more at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/13/AR2006091302052.html

[murray hill farm]

1. I wish this were the reoccurring nightmare it feels like, but

in reality, it is..as glaringly absurd as it is, reoccurring reality.

[Marr]

2. LOL- "reviewed by John Negroponte".

Oh, that's comforting. Guess I can go back to sleep.

[Straight Shooter]

3. I heard this morning's NPR segment on the Iran uranium enrichment program

It came across like every other significant country in the world was working something out to take care of this situation, except for the United States. "Stop the program now and then we'll talk," says Condi Rice. All the other countries are willing to begin talks immediately because they sense progress, Iran says it's strongly considering stopping the program if talks begin. Everyone is trying to help everyone else save face.

But bush doesn't care about anyone saving face. "My way or the highway," that's the bush administration response to everything.

[Coexist]

4. knr

its funny - the things I think are HUGE seem to sink so fast.

If this had come out about Iraq several years ago...

[Tom Joad]

5. This is one of the most important stories of the day, thanks kpete

Can't believe its not yet in the top ten. We gotta prevent this war against Iran, which is being built on lies, more lies, and damn lies.

[Tom Joad]

6. This report was prepared by Fredrick Fleitz, former assistant to J. Bolton

John Bolton, of course, is the darling of the Neo-Conned community that is again aching for even more war for empire. About the only place this guy gets love these days (in public) is at AIPAC dinners, where they gave him thunderous applause (like Cheney, who also gets little love these days, got the same kind of reception). In turn, he gave the hawkish speech these folks like to hear.

“Given the comprehensive nature of the threat, we must be prepared to rely on comprehensive solutions and use all tools at our disposal <including nuclear bunker busters that could kill millions of people..tom> to stop the <unreal> threat that the Iranian regime poses,” Bolton told participants at a policy conference sponsored by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee March 5 in Washington.

The lobbies of war must be confronted.

[Oilwellian]

7. U.S. Spy Agencies Criticized On Iran

A key House committee issued a stinging critique of U.S. intelligence on Iran yesterday, charging that the CIA and other agencies lack "the ability to acquire essential information necessary to make judgments" on Tehran's nuclear program, its intentions or even its ties to terrorism.

The 29-page report, principally written by a Republican staff member on the House intelligence committee who holds a hard-line view on Iran, fully backs the White House position that the Islamic republic is moving forward with a nuclear weapons program and that it poses a significant danger to the United States. But it chides the intelligence community for not providing enough direct evidence to support that assertion.

"American intelligence agencies do not know nearly enough about Iran's nuclear weapons program" to help policymakers at a critical time, the report's authors say. Information "regarding potential Iranian chemical weapons and biological weapons programs is neither voluminous nor conclusive," and little evidence has been gathered to tie Iran to al-Qaeda and to the recent fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, they say.

The report relies exclusively on publicly available documents. Its authors did not interview intelligence officials. Still, it warns the intelligence community to avoid the mistakes made regarding weapons of mass destruction before the Iraq war, noting that Iran could easily be engaged in "a denial and deception campaign to exaggerate progress on its nuclear program as Saddam Hussein apparently did concerning his WMD programs."

"We want to avoid another 'slam dunk,' " Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.) said in an interview yesterday, explaining why the staff report was made public before it had been approved by the full committee. "We think it's important for the American people to understand the kinds of pressures that we are facing and to increase the American public's understanding of Iran as a threat."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/23/AR2006082301309.html

So they didn't interview intelligence officials before filing this report? Why the hell not?

[LSK]

8. K&R

[Bluebear]

13. .

[CarlVK]

9. They should have called it BULLSHIT

[texpatriot2004]

10. Now there's an idea nm

[Wilms]

11. K&R n/t

[JCMach1]

12. Same Modus Operandi as Iraq-- Discredit UN

then spread as many lies and uncertainty as possible and see what sticks. Bring in the glossy posters and then expect the UN to go along with them.

Conveniently ignore UN, Democrats roll-over... You and your allies (read Israelis here) do whatever you like...

[rman]

14. Does it mention Cheney sold nuclear technology to Iran?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=928662

Does it mention Cheney already knows the next 9/11 wil be done by Iran?
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=CHO20060810&articleId=2942

[magellan]

15. This is looking more and more like a fait accompli

I'm sure the oil barons and war profiteers are gleefully rubbing their hands together as BushCo prepare to plant visions of mushroom clouds in our heads.