House Select Committee On Intelligence Releases Iran Threat Report
Congressman Kingston summarized the findings:
- Iran poses a threat to the United States and its allies due to its sponsorship of terror, probable pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, and support for the insurgency in Iraq.
- Iran’s efforts since December 2005 to resume enrichment of uranium, in defiance of the international community, Tehran?s willingness to endure international condemnation, isolation, and economic disruptions in order to carry out nuclear activities covertly indicates Iran is developing nuclear weapons.
- The US intelligence community believes that Iran could have a nuclear weapon sometime in the beginning to middle of the next decade.
- Iran has engaged in an extensive campaign to conceal from the IAEA and the world the true nature of its nuclear program.
- Iranian involvement in Iraq is extensive, and poses a serious threat to US national interests and U.S. troops.
- Evidence has mounted that Iran has facilitated IED attacks on U.S. forces.
- Iran has the largest inventory of ballistic missiles in the Middle East.
Full report (unclassified version) here.
Some highlights:
Since 2002, the IAEA has issued a series of reports detailing how Iran has covertly engaged in dozens of nuclear-related activities that violate its treaty obligations to openly cooperate with the IAEA. These activities included false statements to IAEA inspectors, carrying out certain nuclear activities and experiments without notifying the IAEA, and numerous steps to deceive and mislead the IAEA.
[T]here is no rational reason for Iran to pursue a peaceful nuclear program in secret and risk international sanctions when the International Atomic Energy Agency encourages and assists peaceful nuclear programs. If Iran sincerely wanted a peaceful nuclear program, the IAEA would have helped it develop one provided that Tehran agreed to IAEA supervision and monitoring.
Iranian involvement in Iraq is extensive, and poses a serious threat to U.S. national interests and U.S. troops. It is enabling Shia militant groups to attack Coalition forces and is actively interfering in Iraqi politics. General John Abizaid told the Senate Armed Service Committee on March 14,
2006:“Iran is pursuing a multi-track policy in Iraq, consisting of overtly supporting the formation of a stable, Shia Islamist-led central government while covertly working to diminish popular and military support for U.S. and Coalition operations there. Additionally, sophisticated
bomb making material from Iran has been found in improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Iraq.”
The report also starkly concludes a need for greater intelligence capabilities and resources.
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I am a libertarian-conservative blogger living in the DC area. I have a Master's degree in Political Science and work in public policy, but please don't hold that against me.



