As noted in the HotAir headlines, here’s a WSJ article – “Germany’s Spies Refuted the 2007 NIE Report” – that will be a must-read for those following the Iranian nuclear program and keeping score on the CIA.
(In the world it’s Moon Day Monday, I guess, but so far it’s WSJ Day here in the Land of the Dead.)
Comments 6
German intelligence was the source of a number of the 18 intelligence documents the IAEA has been asking Iran to explain since early 2008. Those documents, collectively referred to as the “alleged studies,” have been an agenda item for the IAEA inspectors for some time, but Iran first stonewalled the requests, and then summarily announced that she had provided all the response she was going to, and considered the matter closed.
So in a way, it’s even worse than it appears from the WSJ report. Not only did the BND share its intel with CIA before the Execrable 2007 NIE (its official title) — Germany provided it to IAEA, as did other nations their own intelligence, and the US has been aware of that entire process the entire time.
IAEA deemed the “alleged studies” to suggest that Iran was violating her NPT obligation to not pursue nuclear weapons, which is why they were presented to Iran for explanation. And again, Iran has not provided explanations.
All of this has been fully known by US intelligence, the State Department, and the US media for a long time. This is most definitely NOT an “intelligence failure.” This is a failure of policy, will, honesty, and moral courage, on the part of many people both outside the intel community, and in it.
I discussed this at greater length in one of the earliest posts at my blog:
http://theoptimisticconservative.wordpress.com/2009/02/14/the-nie-is-dead/
July 20th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
JED, I think what’s most interesting about this particular report isn’t just that it confirms what you and others have been saying for a very long time, but that the conclusions have been further legitimized by court proceeding. There may have been no good reason to doubt them previously, but it moves the issue that much further beyond the realm of my-self-interested-analysts vs. your-self-interested-analysts.
July 20th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
JED, What’s the BND? What’s the NPT?
July 20th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
German national police, Non-Proliferation Treaty
July 20th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
I apologize, George. The WSJ identifies the BND as Germany’s foreign intelligence service.
July 20th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Thanks, fuster.
July 20th, 2009 at 5:54 pm