You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Most US intelligence on Iran inaccurate
2007-02-26
Most US intelligence on Iran shared with the International Atomic Energy Agency has proved to be inaccurate, The Los Angeles Times reported on its website on Saturday. Citing unnamed diplomats working in Vienna, the newspaper said the CIA and other Western intelligence services have been providing sensitive information to the IAEA since 2002. But none of the tips about Iran’s suspected secret weapons sites provided clear evidence that the country is developing a nuclear arms arsenal, the report said. “Since 2002, pretty much all the intelligence that’s come to us has proved to be wrong,” the paper quotes a senior IAEA diplomat as saying. US officials privately acknowledge that much of their evidence on Iran’s nuclear programme remains ambiguous, fragmented and difficult to prove, the report said.
Posted by:Fred

#4  After Iran nukes someone, the surviving MSM will be running the headline: "Why Was US Intelligence on Iran Inaccurate?"
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2007-02-26 16:46  

#3  Well the IAEA can go eff itself in general, but it certainly wouldn't surprise if the CIA matieral were mediocre. I've never been in a loop for this sort of concrete, narrow, actionable intel on a given topic, but the analytical products (and personnel) I've been exposed to over the years (with a few exceptions), have been frighteningly unimpressive. Worse even than the appallingly sophomoric crap that gets "leaked" to the NYT/WaPo complex and is treated as dephic revelation (couldn't be bothered to keep track, but one of my favorites is still the NIE from '04 I think that grimly forecast a Shi'a rebellion against the Coalition if services like electricity etc. were not delivered with a specific time-frame - ludicrous on its face, to say the least). But then again it all started badly for me - in my first ever private briefing back in the 80s I literally had to help the analyst with some specific issues and even translation issues as he "briefed" me on the sitrep in an African conflict. Geez.
Posted by: Verlaine   2007-02-26 11:55  

#2  The LA Times and the rest of the Copperhead media attempting to get out in front of the West acting in self defense. At least when the Mongols arrive we can have the satisfaction of what editors heads thrown onto the pile.
Posted by: Excalibur   2007-02-26 09:10  

#1  Just like most IDF intelligence on Hizbulla shared with UNIFIL "proved" to be inaccurate?
Posted by: gromgoru   2007-02-26 03:06  

00:00