Fear of U.S. Drove Iran's Nuclear Policy

[G_j]

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0208-01.htm

Published on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 by OneWorld.net

Fear of U.S. Drove Iran's Nuclear Policy
by Gareth Porter

WASHINGTON - The George W. Bush administration's adoption of a policy of threatening to use military force against Iran disregarded a series of official intelligence estimates going back many years that consistently judged Iran's fear of a U.S. attack to be a major motivating factor in its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Two former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officials who were directly involved in producing CIA estimates on Iran revealed in separate interviews with IPS that the National Intelligence Estimates (NIEs) on Iran have consistently portrayed its concerns about the military threat posed by the United States as a central consideration in Tehran's pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability.

Paul Pillar, who managed the writing of all NIEs on Iran from 2000 to 2005 as the national intelligence officer for the Near East and South Asia, told IPS that all of the NIEs on Iran during that period addressed the Iranian fears of U.S. attack explicitly and related their desire for nuclear weapons to those fears.
<snip>

Pillar said one of the things analysts have taken into account is Iran's May 2003 proposal to the Bush administration to negotiate on its nuclear option and its relationship with Hezbollah and other anti-Israel groups as well as its own security concerns.

"It was seen as an indicator of Iran's willingness to engage," he said.



..more..

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Bush's bullying behavior is enough to make

all countries in the Middle East contemplate going nuclear, imho.

[madmark]

7. why would any soveriegn that was sideways with the us not want

nukes?

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Classic set-up. * & PNAC knew this and provoked Iran and

expected it to excelerate its nuclear program, this giving the Administration a seemingly valid excuse to engage in another pre-emptive strike/invasion of a non-hostile, sovereign nation.

Will no other country in the world call us on this tactic? Threaten to defend IRAN if we try anything "funny"?

[LynnTheDem]

3. Except Iran is persuing, their legal right, nuclear power.

Not one shred of proof to show they're persuing weapons...except bushit "we know what they're thinking" crap.

And even the few actual non-rightwingnut media isn't pointing that wee fact out.

Wonder why.

[G_j]

8. I agree

as far as I have not seen evidence of weapons development presented by anyone. Notice that the 'assessments' came from the CIA.

It is good to remember however that we have been threatening them.

[LynnTheDem]

10. IAEA says no proof of any pursuit of weapons program.

But Cheney the dick today says THERE IS NO DOUBT that's Iran's INTENTIONS!
http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=40359&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs

And Cheney the dick is always bang on!

"Simply stated, THERE IS NO DOUBT Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction."
-lied Cheney the dick
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/08/20020826.html

And here he goes again. Are even MFing freepingly stupid rightwingnuts stupid enough to fall for the same shit again??!

Rhetorical Q.

[cantstandbush]

4. There is a price to be paid for wanting to be "feared" and not "respected"

Our children and grand children will be paying that price.

[G_j]

6. PNAC MO all the way n/t

[Dr.Phool]

5. No Shit!!!!

5 years ago, Iran was starting to make a few first steps to normalize relations with the US. North Korea was also.As soon as this bunch came to power, they started threatening and sabre-rattling at Iran,Iraq, China, and North Korea. Well, the Iranians got scared and elected an anti-western strongman to protect them. North Korea got goofier than ever.

It just goes on and on and on with this bunch of provacateurs in power.

[Sparkman]

9. Palestine & Israel portends U.S. & Iraq future, same policies in place.

PERPETUAL INVASION against the people, from occupying military.
U.S. history up to 1860 had perpetual insurgency with original peoples, put into concentration camps. How stupid are governments that can't learn from the past, driven by greed and materialism and hatred and bigotry.

Why don't the Iraqis just lay down and give us access to our OIL?

freedom isn't on the march. multi-national energy corporations, are.

[MrPrax]

12. Thank you...

Right said...

It's hardly news that 'fear' of the enemy drives the war machines of world...

No more than it was news that the US have CREATED far more terrorists in attacking Iraq and Afghanistan than they ever eliminated. That was the whole point.

Simple racist imperialism...the US gov't isn't even bothering to float a coherent rationale anymore, the Admin. just figures that the public debate over 'Iran' and 'nukes' will fill in the national will part.

[occuserpens]

11. "Iranian WMD" and cartoongate

2006-02-08 "Iranian WMD" and cartoongate