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U.S. Commission Finds Iran WMD Evidence Inadequate
U.S. intelligence agencies have not gathered enough intelligence to develop concrete conclusions on Iran’s possible development of weapons of mass destruction, a bipartisan commission is expected to tell U.S. President George W. Bush this month in a classified report (see GSN, March 8). Bush last year requested that the panel — led by retired federal judge Laurence Silberman and former Virginia Governor and Senator Charles Robb — assess the overall quality of U.S. intelligence on WMD proliferation. The commission’s report is also expected to criticize U.S. intelligence on North Korea, according to the New York Times. U.S. intelligence on Iran is “scandalous” given that the country is more open than secretive nations such as North Korea, according to one source familiar with the panel’s deliberations and conclusions. While U.S. intelligence agencies have devoted substantial resources to Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution, they have not succeeded in penetrating the country’s decision-making circles, said former U.S. officials with Iran expertise. The panel is expected to issue a public document at about the same time as it presents Bush with the classified report. The report is also expected to include recommendations for further structural changes among U.S. intelligence agencies, according to the Times (Jehl/Schmitt, New York Times, March 9). The international community needs to consider potential actions against Iran if Tehran fails to reach a negotiated settlement with the European Union over its nuclear program, U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said yesterday. Iran should “fully comply with its obligations,” to the International Atomic Energy Agency, he said, according to Agence France-Presse. “It needs to sign the Additional Protocol [to its IAEA safeguards agreement]. It needs to turn this temporary suspension into a permanent cessation of enrichment activities,” he said (Agence France-Presse/SpaceWar.com, March 8). U.S. President George W. Bush yesterday repeated his backing of the negotiation effort by France, Germany and the United Kingdom, AFP reported. “We want our allies to succeed, because we share the view that Iran’s acquisition of nuclear weapons would be destabilizing and threatening to all of Iran’s neighbors,” he said (Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, March 8). The European Union also yesterday called on Iran to maintain its uranium enrichment freeze. “It is important to remain vigilant over the need for Iran to maintain, under surveillance by (U.N. nuclear inspectors), a total suspension of its activities without exception so long as the negotiations last,” said Deputy Foreign Minister Nicolas Schmit of Luxembourg, which holds the rotating EU presidency. He added that “a total suspension (is) the condition for the continuation and success” of the talks (Agence France-Presse/SpaceWar.com, March 8). Iran yesterday warned that it would end talks with EU representatives if they continued to insist that Tehran abandon uranium enrichment, Reuters reported. The EU has said Iran must terminate its uranium enrichment program, while Iran has insisted it would not go beyond permitting increased inspections and limiting enrichment levels, according to Reuters. “If ambiguities over the guarantees remain in place, continuation of the talks will be meaningless,” said Sirus Naseri, a senior Iranian negotiator. European diplomats close to the talks told Reuters no breakthroughs were expected in a round of negotiations this week (Parisa Hafezi, Reuters, March 8).
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