A Neo-con loss?

Bush: Nuke-less Iran remains dangerous

Iran remains a danger to the world even though it stopped a program to develop a nuclear weapon four years ago, President Bush said Tuesday.
"Iran was dangerous, Iran is dangerous and Iran will be dangerous if they have the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon," Bush said, pointing out that Tehran continues to try to enrich uranium for civilian purposes and therefore develop technology that could be used for a weapon.
A declassified summary of a National Intelligence Estimate released by the U.S. government on Monday said Iran had stopped working toward a nuclear weapon in 2003 and is unlikely to be able to produce enough enriched uranium for a bomb until at least 2010.
The new estimate is less severe than a 2005 report that judged the Iranian leadership was "determined to develop nuclear weapons despite its international obligations and international pressure."
"What's to say they couldn't start another covert nuclear weapons program?" Bush asked. The latest estimate shows "Iran needs to be taken seriously as a threat to peace," Bush said.

So what to make of all this? A shift of policy? A smoke screen? A coup in the White House taking away the dreams of Uncle Dick and W?

Whichever way it pans out - we're still looking at an Iranian adventure. So the focus shifts from taking out nuke facilities - we still have the possibility of an errant bomb hitting across the Iraq border. In addition, there are too many other things that can happen to "justify" a retaliatory US attack.

And of course, the wild card is Israel - no faith at all in the report. Nothing to stop them from being urged on by Uncle Dick and crew.