When the National Intelligence Estimate announced that, “We judge with high confidence that in fall 2003, Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program,” it was the lead story in the nation’s biggest newspapers. But following congressional testimony from Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell that only the “least significant” parts of Iran’s nuclear program had been halted, the nation’s paper’s either did not mention Iran’s nuclear threat, or buried it deep in the story. McConnell’s retreat on the NIE’s conclusions validates many of the exact criticisms leveled against the report. Specifically …
Throughout President Bush’s current Middle East trip, administration officials have had to quell confusion about how the December 3, 2007 National Intelligence Estimate on Iran’s nuclear program affects U.S. policy in the region. Already the report has undercut efforts to form “an international coalition to impose sanctions against Tehran” and Iran has used the report for its own propaganda purposes. Besides the great damage it has done to the containment of Iran’s regional dominance efforts, the report’s conclusions are just fundamentally flawed. Heritage Foundation Comprehensive Guide to What is Wrong …
