U.S. Now Sees Iran as Pursuing Nuclear Bomb

[Los Angeles Times] Greg Miller - Little more than a year after U.S. spy agencies concluded that Iran had halted work on a nuclear weapon, the Obama administration has made it clear that it believes there is no question that Tehran is seeking the bomb. Obama's nominee to serve as CIA director, Leon E. Panetta, testified on Capitol Hill last week, "From all the information I've seen, I think there is no question that they are seeking that capability." Senior U.S. officials now discount a National Intelligence Estimate issued in November 2007 that was instrumental in derailing U.S. and European efforts to pressure Iran to shut down its nuclear program. U.S. officials said there was growing consensus that the 2007 estimate provided a misleading picture and that the country was poised to reach crucial bomb-making milestones this year.


2009-02-12 06:00:00

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