McClatchy Newspapers: Both McCain, Obama exaggerating Iran's nuclear program

[laststeamtrain]

Both McCain, Obama exaggerating Iran's nuclear program
Jonathan S. Landay | McClatchy Newspapers

last updated: June 02, 2008 07:17:06 PM

WASHINGTON — The presumptive Republican nominee for president and the leading contender for the Democratic nomination are exaggerating what's known about Iran's nuclear program as they duel over how best to deal with Tehran.

Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., say that Iran is developing nuclear weapons.

The U.S. intelligence community, however, thinks that Iran halted an effort to build a nuclear warhead in mid-2003, and the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency, which is investigating the program, has found no evidence to date of an active Iranian nuclear-weapons project.

The candidates' comments raise questions about how carefully the two have studied the public record on what's become a major campaign issue and is one of the most difficult foreign-policy challenges likely to confront the next president.

The issue is also significant because the Bush administration inflated assessments of the Iraqi nuclear threat and the possibility that former dictator Saddam Hussein could pass nuclear weapons to terrorists as it sought to whip up public support for the March 2003 invasion of Iraq.

<snip>

Neither campaign immediately responded to requests for comment on its candidate's assertions.

The 16 agency-strong U.S. intelligence community said last November in an unclassified National Intelligence Estimate that it concluded with "high confidence" that Iran had halted an effort to develop a nuclear weapon in fall 2003.

A senior U.S. intelligence official, who requested anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly, said that U.S. intelligence agencies stuck by the NIE's judgment of "moderate confidence" that Iran hadn't reactivated the alleged effort.

<more>

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/39423.html

[hokies4ever]

1. Iran is enriching uranium

They also want a nuclear weapon. Doesn't take a genius to figure that out. Not as a means of offense, but as a means of defense. The world stood by and watched as Saddam Hussein used biological warfare during the Iran-Iraq War. They learned the lesson that you can't trust other countries to protect your own sovereignty. Nobody engages in pre-emptive war doctrine when the other country has nuclear capability.

[yurbud]

12. I was going to disagree, but by the end, your point was valid--who protected IRAN from WMD?

[slipslidingaway]

2. Thanks for posting and a reminder...

http://www.atlargely.com/2008/05/mcclatchy-boys.html

"McClatchy Boys Take Scotty, the White House and the "Liberal Media" to the Woodshed...

Jonathan Landay and Warren Strobel, my good friends and the few reporters who actually did their job during the Iraq war build-up, are pissed and I am fully backing their anger..."



BUYING THE WAR: Biographies and Terms

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/btw/biosandterms.html

"...THE KNIGHT RIDDER TEAM (Now McClatchy)

Reporters in the Washington Bureau for the Knight Ridder News Service were one of the few mainstream news operations that set out to test the case for war..."

[KoKo]

6. That's excellent....thanks for reminder. Could you do this as a separate post?

Maybe you already have and I missed it...but I was wondering when someone would talk about what the Knight-Ridder reporters did to report on this war. The MS Whoring Media seems to want to ignore it and focus on Scott's revelations as if they are new.

MSMcCorporate Media still wont talk about how Millions who Marched to Stop Iraq Invasion managed to know more than Scotty McClelland and they did about how it was based on Propaganda. It's the under-reported story and I hope Scotty's revelations don't go off the radar until "the rest of the story" is out there on the Blogosphere.

[slipslidingaway]

8. Here's the thread by Hissyspit from the other day...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=3361598

[slipslidingaway]

3. Posted a link to this thread in GD...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3379684

[stillcool]

4. Obama quote...

"Iran is stronger now than when George Bush took office," Obama said. "And the fact that we have not talked to them means that they have been developing nuclear weapons."

[Hydra]

5. Thank you for posting the truth

The powers that be have decreed an Iran war. End of story.

[KoKo]

7. I hope this is just "posturing by Obama to diffuse McCain...because if he caves on what

he's supposedly been running on ....then we are sunk and Bush will bomb Iran or Obama will do it under pressure to show he's "tough" when he's elected. :-(

[slipslidingaway]

9. April 16, 2008 Democratic Debate & April 2007 Debate

It will be interesting to see what Clinton & Obama say at the AIPAC conference tomorrow.

Of the top three candidates I would prefer Obama, but that does not mean he gets a free pass on his comments and I'm happy to see Jonathan Landay point them out.


http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/16/us/politics/16text-debate.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin

"...MR. STEPHANOPOULOS: Senator Obama, let's stay in the region. Iran continues to pursue a nuclear option. Those weapons, if they got them, would probably pose the greatest threat to Israel. During the Cold War, it was the United States policy to extend deterrence to our NATO allies. An attack on Great Britain would be treated as if it were an attack on the United States. Should it be U.S. policy now to treat an Iranian attack on Israel as if it were an attack on the United States?

SEN. OBAMA: Well, our first step should be to keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of the Iranians, and that has to be one of our top priorities. And I will make it one of our top priorities when I'm president of the United States.

I have said I will do whatever is required to prevent the Iranians from obtaining nuclear weapons. I believe that that includes direct talks with the Iranians where we are laying out very clearly for them, here are the issues that we find unacceptable, not only development of nuclear weapons but also funding terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as their anti-Israel rhetoric and threats towards Israel. I believe that we can offer them carrots and sticks, but we've got to directly engage and make absolutely clear to them what our posture is.

Now, my belief is that they should also know that I will take no options off the table when it comes to preventing them from using nuclear weapons or obtaining nuclear weapons, and that would include any threats directed at Israel or any of our allies in the region.

MR. STEPHANOPOULOS: So you would extend our deterrent to Israel?

SENATOR OBAMA: As I've said before, I think it is very important that Iran understands that an attack on Israel is an attack on our strongest ally in the region, one that we -- one whose security we consider paramount, and that -- that would be an act of aggression that we -- that I would -- that I would consider an attack that is unacceptable, and the United States would take appropriate action..."



April 27, 2007
Transcript
The Democrats’ First 2008 Presidential Debate


http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/27/us/politics/27debate_transcript.html?pagewanted=print

"...REP. KUCINICH: All right. My good friend, Senator Obama, that's a very provocative statement. You previously said that all options are on the table respect to Iran. And I think that it's important for people to reflect on the real meaning of that, that you're setting the stage for another war.

I think it's important that we move away from global warming and global warring. And the connection is oil. We're in Iraq for oil. We're looking at attacking Iran for oil. And until we change our international policies, which -- quit using war as an instrument of policy --

MR. WILLIAMS: Time.

REP. KUCINICH: -- and change our energy policies --

MR. WILLIAMS: Time.

REP. KUCINICH: -- we will continue to repeat this sorry cycle.

MR. WILLIAMS: Congressman, thank you. Time has expired.

SEN. OBAMA: I -- (off mike) --

MR. WILLIAMS: Senator Obama, 30.

SEN. OBAMA: I know I just got some time, but I want to respond to this.

I think it would be a profound mistake for us to initiate a war with Iran. But have no doubt, Iran possessing nuclear weapons will be a major threat to us --

REP. KUCINICH: They do not -- (off mike) --

SEN. OBAMA: -- and to the region. I understand that.But they're in the process of developing it, and I don't think that's disputed by any experts. They are the largest state sponsor of terrorism, Hezbollah and Hamas.

REP. KUCINICH: It is disputed by -- it is disputed.

SEN. OBAMA: And -- and there is no contradiction, Dennis, between --

REP. KUCINICH: It is disputed.

SEN. OBAMA: Let me finish. There is no contradiction between us taking seriously the need, as you do, to want to strengthen our alliances around the world. But I think it is important for us to also recognize that if we have nuclear proliferators around the world that potentially can place a nuclear weapon into the hands of terrorists, that is a profound security threat for America and one that we have to take seriously.

MR. WILLIAMS: Way -- way over on time.

Senator Gravel, 30 seconds, please.

MR. GRAVEL: With respect to Iran, we've sanctioned them for 26 years. We've scared the bejesus out of them when the president says they're evil. Well, you know something? These things don't work, they don't work. We need to recognize them. And you know something, who is the greatest violator of the Non-Proliferation Treaty? The United States of America. We signed a pledge that we would begin to disarm, and we're not doing it. We're expanding our nukes. Who the hell are we going to nuke?

MR. WILLIAMS: Senator --

MR. GRAVEL: Tell me, Barack. Who -- Barack, who's -- who do you

want to nuke?

SEN. OBAMA: I'm not planning to nuke anybody right now, Mike, I

promise you.

MR. GRAVEL: Good, good, we're safe then for a while..."

[KoKo]

10. Thanks for the "snips." It's always good to look back for former statements..eom.

[slipslidingaway]

13. YW and yes it does. n/t

[KoKo]

11. kick.