AMERICAblog: The reality in Iran

AMERICAblog: John in DC has a terrific presentation on what's going on in Iran and why Bush is using it: "George Bush has decided to use Iran as a foil to help his sagging poll numbers and to help Republicans in the fall congressional elections. I'm going to discuss why this is true, and what the Dems should do about it.

Iran is ten years away from developing nukes.

I'll say it again, TEN YEARS away. That would be TEN YEARS at the earliest, according to the best estimate we have. And that's not according to some peacenik liberal, it's according to the best estimate of US intelligence.

From the US State Department's own Web site:

Iran is likely years away from producing weapons-grade plutonium or highly enriched uranium. Vice Adm. Jacoby, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, told the Senate Armed Services Committee in March 2005 that Iran is expected to be able to produce a weapon early next decade. According to one report, the new National Intelligence Estimate on Iran assesses that it will be ten years before Iran has a bomb.

And I'm sure you'll find this to be a big shock, but the State Department didn't bother mentioning that the five year 'sometime early next decade' estimate has now been overruled by this ten year estimate. Yes, the 'according to one report' reference State makes in its document, that would be THE definitive federal government report on this issue, not just 'one' report. State conveniently mentions the now-debunked five-year estimate by the DIA director to, one might suspect, confuse the issue and shorten the time span."

Go read the whole post.