Did Barak Leak New US Intel on Iran’s Nuclear Program?
According to CBS News, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has leaked information to the press about a new, and allegedly more damning, assessment from the US intelligence community about Iran’s nuclear program. Ever since the US National Intelligence Estimate concluded that Iran halted any semblance of a weapons program back in 2003, Israel has been grudgingly working their hawkish rhetoric around that inconvenient conclusion. Now they’ve apparently pounced at the opportunity to amplify press coverage of another assessment, which according to CBS doesn’t conclude Iran has a nuclear weapons program, but says “Iran has made surprising, significant progress toward military nuclear capability,” as stated by Barak.
Earlier in the week I debunked a new report from Haaretz making these same claims, but naming no names. See here for why the new rumors lack any credibility.
The Obama administration has so far refused to speak about this latest news. Trita Parsi, who has demonstrated high-level contacts in the US government, tweeted that behind the scenes Washington is “livid” about Barak’s leaking. No other information has yet been forthcoming.
In the meantime, here’s Nima Shirazi’s pithy take:
From The New York Times on September 8, 2002:
From Ha’aretz on August 9, 2012:
Update: Laura Rosen at Al-Monitor on Barak’s leaks:
“The rules of the spy game are clear,” former US Navy intelligence analyst John Schindlerwrote on his blog. “When intelligence services share information, as they do every day, you don’t pass it to third parties without clearance. Ever. And if you do, eventually you will get burned and nobody will want to play marbles with you.”
…Non-proliferation analysts speculated that it could involve one of the categories of continuing research activities specified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in its November 2011 report on Iran. Those research activities were engaging in experimental research, after 2003, on hemispherical initiation of high explosives; further validation, after 2006, of a neutron initiator design; conducting modeling studies, in 2008 and 2009, that could determine the yield of a nuclear explosion.
However, “carrying on scattered research activities does not amount to a full-fledged restart of an integrated weapons program,” Greg Thielmann, a former US intelligence analyst and senior fellow at the Arms Control Association, wrote in an ACA Iran Nuclear Threat Assessment brief (.pdf).
See here and here for information on that November IAEA report and why it changes nothing.
Update II: From Reuters – “US still believes Iran not on verge of nuclear weapon“
elmysterio
August 9th, 2012 at 11:05 am
I really wish these Israeli warmongers would shut the hell up with their damn dirty lies before they drag the world into a fiery inferno of global war. These people are truly psychopathic.
MoT
August 9th, 2012 at 12:11 pm
Were these new "revelations" found on yet another laptop that's managed to ghost itself?
skulz fontaine
August 9th, 2012 at 1:13 pm
At some point, you'd think that Team Obama would learn to avoid the Israelis like the plague. But sadly, is not to be the case. Our once great nation is humiliated just about daily by Barak and especially Bibi the nutjob and, our current administration cowers in utter servility. Were the Mittster to gain the presidency, the situation would get even worse.
@richardhack
August 9th, 2012 at 3:31 pm
Well, I'd like to hear from Ray McGovern and Phil Giraldi on this alleged "new" NIE. Has the CIA and the rest of the intelligence agencies finally bowed to pressure like they did with the Iraq "WMD" crap?
It wouldn't surprise me in the least. When these agencies learn that the real intent of Obama – let alone Romney – is to attack Iran, they either get in line to CYA or there will be reprisals against them by the Administration. This is how the game is played. We've already seen it played once on Iraq, why should we be surprised when it happens with Iran?
Sam
August 9th, 2012 at 4:57 pm
The US and Israel have been almost silent in regards to Iran over the last several days. Is this the quiet before the storm???
Rob Payne
August 9th, 2012 at 5:42 pm
This is the best comment yet. The lesson should be never to rely on so-called intel, even when you like what it says. Common sense is a far better thing, the intelligence community is a political animal, not the source of truth or reality. If we ignore the intelligence community as we should it is clear that even if Iran had a nuclear bomb it wouldn't be a threat to the US. The entire nuclear question is irrelevant to the US stance on Iran anyway.
curmudgeonvt
August 10th, 2012 at 5:39 am
"… or there will be reprisals against them by the Administration…" Don't think so…that option was co-opted by the CIA when they convinced the Administration to not investigate them regarding the torture and rendition issues. Pwned!!!
Always Wrong: Predicting Iranian War and Weapons « Antiwar.com Blog
August 10th, 2012 at 9:23 am
[...] in the shadow of Ehud Barak’s bluster yesterday, people are still gullible enough to believe these clowns. Print This | var [...]
Popsiq
August 10th, 2012 at 12:48 pm
Moving along to the next topic: when does Iran get bombed and will the American's step into the bomb bay?
Kenisha Carman
August 11th, 2012 at 1:50 am
“livid” about Barak’s leaking. No other information has yet been forthcoming.
Rosana Rodrigue
August 13th, 2012 at 3:42 am
I debunked a new report from Haaretz making these same claims, but naming no names
Annis Kee
August 13th, 2012 at 10:56 pm
The problem is clearly much bigger than one police chief, but the US continues to justify promoting state-terrorism in the name of fighting drugs.
Always Wrong: Predicting Iranian War and Weapons | Youth4Truth
August 14th, 2012 at 5:18 am
[...] in the shadow of Ehud Barak’s bluster yesterday, people are still gullible enough to believe these [...]
ISRAEL / IRAN: POINTS OF NO RETURN « Desertpeace
August 15th, 2012 at 2:51 am
[...] only was Ravid’s reporting – tactlessly and transparently planted by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak – full of evidence-free [...]
ISRAEL / IRAN: POINTS OF NO RETURN « IRAN, a New Pearl Harbour
August 15th, 2012 at 10:30 pm
[...] only was Ravid’s reporting – tactlessly and transparently planted by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak – full of [...]
Points of no return, zones of immunity: The constant Israeli hype over Iran | Mondoweiss
August 16th, 2012 at 5:37 am
[...] information about military components of Iran's nuclear program." Not only was Ravid's reporting – tactlessly and transparently planted by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak – full of evidence-free claims by [...]
Israeli Opposition Leader Slams Netanyahu for “Creating a Panic” for War on Iran -- News from Antiwar.com
August 16th, 2012 at 11:01 am
[...] calls for war from Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Ehud Barak have intensified in recent weeks, only to be rebuffed by the Obama administration who has reiterated several times [...]
Israeli Opposition Leader Slams Netanyahu for “Creating a Panic” for War on Iran « Stop Making Sense
August 17th, 2012 at 5:35 am
[...] calls for war from Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Ehud Barak have intensified in recent weeks, only to be rebuffed by the Obama administration who has reiterated several [...]
Siempre Equivocados: Prediciendo la guerra de Irán y su armamento | R-evolución
August 27th, 2012 at 2:36 am
[...] embargo, a la sombra de la fanfarronada de Ehud Barak en el día de ayer , la gente todavía es lo suficientemente ingenua como para creerle a estos [...]
tubidy
May 25th, 2013 at 3:41 pm
I'm not going to lie, I'm really impressed. Its rare for me to find something on the internet that's as entertaining and intriguing as what you've got here.