Though it certainly is a relief, if true, that Iran has stopped developing nuclear weapons, the report contains some conclusions that are disturbing. And embarrasssing (again if the report is true) to those who have so vehemently denied Iran ever had a nuclear weapons program.

The report notes:

“We judge with high confidence that in fall 2003, Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program.”

Why did they stop?

But: “we also assess with moderate-to-high confidence that Tehran at a minimum is keeping open the option to develop nuclear weapons.”

and

“We judge with high confidence that the halt … was directed primarily in response to increasing international scrutiny and pressure resulting from exposure of Iran’s previously undeclared nuclear work.”

So is this saying that the pressure from outside, actually achieved results?

Now I know how this report has already been spun from all ends of the political spectrum. But the spinners can’t have it both ways. This report, which some will proclaim vindicates their view that Iran should not be attacked militarily (a view with which I agree ) also explicitly repudiates the claim that Iran never had a nuclear weapons program. It also suggests the Iranians lied: Here’s Iranian UN Ambassador Mohammed Javad Zarif on CNN on 13 December 2002:

CNN: “Is Iran planning a nuclear weapons program?”

ZARIF: “No. Absolutely not. Iran is a member of the Non Proliferation Treaty. We have safeguard agreements with the IAEA. Nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction do not have a place in our defense doctrine. We have stated that clearly. And we have shown it.

We’ve had cooperation with various multilateral organizations dealing with weapons of mass destruction. And that is why I can categorically tell you that Iran does not have a nuclear weapons program.”

The NY Times also reported that the US intel agencies who issued the NIE got their info from direct intercepts of Iranian military deliberations. Namely they “obtained notes last summer from the deliberations of Iranian military officials involved in the weapons development program.” According to the NYT story “the notes included conversations and deliberations in which some of the military officials complained bitterly about what they termed a decision by their superiors in late 2003 to shut down a complex engineering effort to design nuclear weapons, including a warhead that could fit atop Iranian missiles.”

The Iranian regime welcomed the report, despite its explicit refutation of their insistence their nuclear program was only for peaceful purposes.

As the NYT reported “It is natural that we welcome it,” Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told state-run radio. “Some of the same countries which had questions or ambiguities about our nuclear program are changing their views realistically.”

Later the Iranian regime branded the NIE a “lie.” UPI reported that “Kazem Jalali of the Iranian Parliament’s national security and foreign policy commission said Saturday the United States lied to the international community about the Iranian nuclear program, Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency reported Saturday.”

‘The claim that Iran had changed its nuclear weapons programs since 2003 is a mere lie to show that it was the U.S. pressures that forced Iran to stop its nuclear weapons program,’ Jalali said.”

These people have got to get their story straight.

How did you like last Friday’s death to America rally? The President of Iran has one nearly every week.

Sometimes the obvious doesn’t need explanation.