Israeli intelligence: Iran will not have a bomb before 2015
Israeli intelligence officials now estimate that Iran won’t be able to build a nuclear weapon before 2015 or 2016, pushing back by several years previous assessments of Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Intelligence briefings given to McClatchy over the last two months have confirmed that various officials across Israel’s military and political echelons now think it’s unrealistic that Iran could develop a nuclear weapons arsenal before 2015. Others pushed the date back even further, to the winter of 2016.
“Previous assessments were built on a set of data that has since shifted,” said one Israeli intelligence officer, who spoke to McClatchy only on the condition that he not be identified. He said that in addition to a series of “mishaps” that interrupted work at Iran’s nuclear facilities, Iranian officials appeared to have slowed the program on their own.
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Not before 2015, unless, of course, they do….
JFKY on January 29, 2013 at 11:29 AM
Stuxnet and her offspring?
aunursa on January 29, 2013 at 11:31 AM
And a few ‘explosions” and “accidents”….”Nice ‘Hot Cell’ you have here, be a SHAME if sumfing ‘appened to it.”
JFKY on January 29, 2013 at 11:35 AM
That little nation on the other side of the globe? Pffft. What, someone somewhere will figure out how to produce a magic guided intercontinental ballistic missile that can deliver a nuclear payload anywhere on Earth? Yeah, right.
Bishop on January 29, 2013 at 11:36 AM
Joe Biden told me there was nothing to worry about because they don’t have missiles. Thanks Joe.
rhombus on January 29, 2013 at 11:39 AM
Anonymous sources, disgruntled underlings, etc.
One thing I agree with Netanyahu on is that it’s important to sound the alarm early, not when Iran is 2 minutes from the breakout stage. The stakes are too important not to.
AlexB on January 29, 2013 at 11:41 AM
Well it is a “tiny little country” that does not pose a threat to anyone…
stvnscott on January 29, 2013 at 11:47 AM
Has no one else noticed that they’re moving the goal posts? Not just nuclear material, or weapons-grade nuclear material, but now we’re talking about a weapon ie a delivery device.
I doubt Iran is going to launch an ICBM against Israel when / if they nuke them. It will be a dirty bomb in a suitcase or something similar. And they most likely already have that capability.
Timin203 on January 29, 2013 at 11:51 AM
ANY state with nefarious intent and a nuclear reactor has that possibility…US, Great Britain, Germany, France, Japan…it’s not merely Iran.
JFKY on January 29, 2013 at 11:54 AM
Clearly no one is willing / able to stop Iran from doing whatever they want to do, so why the charade?
Let’s just admit we cant or wont stop them and stop pretending like we’re actually doing something. This has been going on since the middle of the Bush administration, and I’m sick and tired of hearing about Iran, especially since no one is going to do anything about it no matter what.
Timin203 on January 29, 2013 at 11:54 AM
It will be in an Iranian Airbus that needs to make an “emergency” diversion from its planned route.
Aplombed on January 29, 2013 at 12:51 PM
Oh good, lots of time.
Missy on January 29, 2013 at 12:53 PM
Excellent! We still have 23 months!
Blaise on January 29, 2013 at 1:28 PM
I think more confirmation is needed than from the leftist McClatchy newspapers. Lying in the pursuit of their agenda is more important than informing their readership.
iconoclast on January 29, 2013 at 1:28 PM