Report requested by Harry Reid

Is someone at CIA/NSA undercutting Bush on Iran?

or

Did we make a backroom deal with Achmedhandjob to stop flow of IED and terrorist into Iraq if we look the other way on their nuke program?

Yeah, Something isn't right there.  Last month the admin was beating the drums to stir up a case for bombing them.  Now this??  Something stinks.  The C.I.A. is not pro-Bush at all in fact most are clintonian leftists.  Would they lie?  Who knows.  hairry ried is a known liar and would do anything to regain his former ( undeserved ) stature.  Would he lie? Absolutely -- at this point he is a washed up lying leftist.  

Or did we just throw the task of handling Iran to Israel given what just took place at Annapolis?  All in all, that NIE report seems pretty screwy and gives the anti-Bush folks more fodder.  I'm confused...

dvo

Don't forget, the report is called the Intelligence Estimate.

Ever had an estimate that was off?  I have.  Cost me some money.  A lot more than money at stake here.

The intelligence community is trying to prevent the same thing from hapening agiain.  Except this time I doubt Douglas Feith and Judith Miler are on board.

Didn't we go through the same crap with Saddam?  He tells us one thing, then does another.  We send in people to check, and can't seem to find anything--never once figuring to ponder the likelihood that they might have hidden everything beforehand.

These sand snakes are punks, but they're not stupid.  They're not an open, go-as-you-wish society, and tend to be very good at keeping things under the radar, away from prying eyes.

Quoted: I go with backroom deal with Imanutjob.  Allows him to back down gracefully before we or the Izzy's decide to end his reign and potential threat.   Make no mistake that Israel's Nuke raid into Syria had a significant impact on both Syria and Iran.  They both realized that Russia was not letting out their first rate countermeasures and that both were seriously vulnerable to first world military action.

+1  Gotta agree with this assesment.

Quoted: These sand snakes are punks, but they're not stupid.  They're not an open, go-as-you-wish society, and tend to be very good at keeping things under the radar, away from prying eyes.

Given that you are an epert on Iranian culture, why don't you enlighten us:

1) What is the major religion of Iran?
2) What is the language spoken in Iran?
3) What other languages does that language bear resemblance to?
4) What ethnic group comprises the majority of the Iranian population?

The intelligence community was of similar opinions about Iraq in 2002.  Analysts like Michael Scheuer spent weeks looking for connections to Al Quaeda and looking for evidence of nuclear biological and chemical weapons.  Nothing substantive was found.  The DoD and the Executive branch then took what little there was and restated it with the utmost conviction, swaying the public towards war.

The intelligence commnity was surprised by September 11, and failed to accurately predict what would hapen during the war in Iraq (this isn't necessarily because they were wrong; it might also be in large part because they didn't state their views more forcefully and prevent their work from being co opted and reversed).  At this point, they may be wrong, but they could also be attempting to get their version out and try to salvage what little reputation they have left.

It isn't unusual for a government to say one thing and mean another, and given that the President of Iran is:

1) Politically unimportant
2) Politically weak
3) Lacking in support from his own people
4) in constant disagreement with the mullahs

it is entirely possible that the majority of the rhetoric we hear from Iran is brought to us by the president and not the mullahs.  They aren't acting as a monolithic block.

bump

WSJ editorial points out main authors are anti Bush former state Dept officials that think Iran should be able to have a "peaceful" nuke program.

Quoted: bump WSJ editorial points out main authors are anti Bush former state Dept officials that think Iran should be able to have a "peaceful" nuke program.

Yeah, that news has changed my take on the situation. Looks like a little bit of "enemies domestic" at work. If it comes out that the report was fudged into a lie as yet another "get Bush" tactic, then I think the three main authors should be hanged as traitors.  Maybe shot, then hanged.