Henry Kissinger, in my opinion, is one of the smartest, astute observers of the international scene. He often sees hidden connections most observers are unable to contemplate. Some may not like him because he talks ”dugree,” straight and unashamed about global events. Most people like their news sugar coated, polite, to reduce the stinging effects that often surrounds global events we do not like.
So, when Kissinger wrote about the disingenuous National Intelligent Estimate (NIE) that said recently that Iran stopped its nuclear weapon’s program several years back, I listen to Kissinger
—see below. But I also listen to Ehud Barak (and many other experienced people).

Barak, is the current Israeli Minister of Defense, and previously prime minister and Chief of Staff, and the most highly decorated Israeli serviceman. I believe he has reasonable understanding of the danger Israel is facing from Iran.
By the way, Israel’s high-cost purchase of a large number of F-16I advanced aircrafts over the last few years, is especially to counter the threat from Iran.

Both Kissinger and Barak agree that Iran is close (2009) to having sufficient nuclear weapon material to make nuclear weapons and Iran also has proven long-range missiles to cover Israel and many other states in the Middle East and beyond.

In addition, there are likely to be hidden reasons why this NIE report was released at this time. It may be, I think, a diversion tool, to relax the highly strung Iranians from rushing to uncontrolled attacks on Israel, Iraq, or in the US itself. Or to cover our or Israeli preparations for an attack(s).

We are not privileged to the motives and the underlying stories, but it is hard for me to believe that President Bush would not be aware ahead of time of the release of this report.

We will have to wait and see, the facts are hidden, and the future of this dangerous situation is beyond our control, and possibly even beyond almost anybody. A lot of unexpected events may occur. This is a very complex situation, involving many nations, emotions, and fanaticism .

Matania
12/07

Misreading the Iran Report - Henry Kissinger (Daily Alert summary)

The new NIE holds that Iran may be able to produce enough highly enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon by the end of 2009 and, with increasing confidence, more warheads by the period 2010 to 2015. That is virtually the same timeline as was suggested in the 2005 National Intelligence Estimate. It is therefore doubtful that the evidence supports the dramatic language of the NIE summary and, even less so, the broad conclusions drawn in much of the public commentary.
If my analysis is correct, we could be witnessing not a halt of the Iranian weapons program - as the NIE asserts - but a subtle, ultimately more dangerous, version of it that will phase in the warhead when fissile material production has matured. The NIE does not reject this theory; it does not even examine it. (Washington Post)