I hear those war drums. The former director of death squads in Central America now Director of National Intelligence for the Bush crime and slime war regime, John Negroponte, is beating the drum. We have heard over and over again that United States does not have good intelligence information about Iran's activities. The U.N. nuclear weapons program inspector, Mohammed el-Baradei, cautions against rushing to the conclusion that Iran even has a nuclear weapons program and cautioned against the imposition of sanctions.
So how does Negroponte come up with this magic intelligence conclusion that Iran can or might have a nuclear bomb in 10 years right at a time when Bushco opened a supposedly new tack toward Iran of "incentives" (carrot) and "disincentives" (stick)("last chance")? more below...
Because Negroponte is part of Bush's rush to war. The so-called "incentives" are designed to fail. This isn't about any threat from Iran from nuclear arms or otherwise. This is about the Bush-Cheney war regime's plan to overthrow the Iranian government and reshape the middle east in the U.S. economic and political image. This is about U.S. hegemony. This is war on Iraq redux. Same script, act II.
Is Negroponte relying on information from Iranian exiles and insiders disgruntled with the Iranian government like the U.S. relied on Ahmed Chalabi and "Curveball" for information on Saddam's supposed weapons program? Note Negroponte says "[Iran] seems to be determined to develop nuclear weapons. We don't have a clear cut estimate...". Then Negroponte's fall back position for his rush to war becomes "Iran is the world's leading sponsor of terrorism."
First the Bush war regime gives Iran an ultimatum designed to fail, then immediately imposes sanctions, then because "President Bush is not taking military action off the table" (quote from Sec. of State Condoleezza Rice) bombs the hell out of Iran.
So we bomb Iran, eventually find they were not producing a bomb, but Commander-in-Chief George W. Bush can nevertheless say that Iran was the world's leading sponsor of terrorism the world and is better off without the Ahmadinejad regime in power. George W. Bush and his cadre of war criminals are one trick ponies.
Iran nuclear bomb 'in 10 years'
Last Updated: Friday, 2 June 2006, 11:17 GMT 12:17 UK BBC News
Iran nuclear bomb 'in 10 years'
Iran is determined to have a nuclear weapon and could possess one within 10 years, according to the top US intelligence chief.
Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte told BBC Radio's Today programme Tehran could have a nuclear bomb ready between 2010 and 2015.
snip
... [I]n his interview with the BBC, Mr Negroponte said: "[Iran] seems to be determined to develop nuclear weapons.
"We don't have a clear-cut knowledge but the estimate we have made is some time between the beginning of the next decade and the middle of the next decade they might be in a position to have a nuclear weapon, which is a cause of great concern."
He accused Iran of being the world's top state sponsor of terrorism.
"Their behaviour has been a cause of concern not only in Lebanon and Israel and in the Palestinian territories but in Iraq," Mr Negroponte said.
He also acknowledged that US intelligence had made mistakes assessing the weapons capabilities of Iraq before the invasion, but said lessons had been learned and corrective measures taken.
He said: "I think we have improved the integrity of our analyses substantially. I think we have internalised some of these lessons."
Of the US-led war on terror, Mr Negroponte said it was "hard to estimate" when it would end. "I think we are talking about something that might go on for some period of time," he said.
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Also on Friday, Mr Lavrov said the Vienna accord meant there could be no military response, which the US has so far refused to rule out.
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US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Iran's response would have to be "within weeks".
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The US has so far refused direct talks with Iran over the issue ...