Bolton condemns handling of nuclear proliferation issue
Bolton suggested the only explanation for their silence is that they were working with the North.
That silence of other countries in the region also suggests that the Sunni-Arab region is becoming a satellite of an Iranian nuclear revolution, Bolton warned.
Yet world powers continue to disregard the threat, Bolton believes this Iranian nuclear revolution deserves. He angrily referred to the 2007 National Intelligence Estimates, the United States' authoritative assessments of national security. The 2007 NIE misrepresented the information American Intelligence had gathered.
"It was written in a very politicized way and had an intended policy outcome," he said.
In terms of substance the report was not very different from previous NIEs. There was one key difference however - the first sentence of the document stated, "In 2003, Iran halted its nuclear weapons program."
This sentence, Bolton argued, was the only thing that got any attention from the press, however the foot note explaining the incredibly narrow definition of "nuclear weapons program" did not.
Bolton found it irrational to disbelieve that Iran is actively pursuing nuclear proliferation. In the past, the Iranian government has claimed they are only experimenting with nuclear materials for benign purposes.
Iranian leaders said they wanted nuclear power as an alternative energy source for the fear that they were running out of oil and natural gases.
Bolton cited a recent study that concluded if Iran continued to both consume and export oil and natural gases at its current rate, they would run out of these energy sources in the next 300 to 400 years - making their fear unbelievable.
"I could go on and on with examples like this. There's very little doubt Iran is producing nuclear weapons and there's very little doubt that Syria would have engaged in North Korea's [program] without Iranian support," Bolton said.
And Iran and North Korea working in tandem would be a very dangerous combination. Two things are required to build weapons of mass destruction: the technical capabilities, which North Korea possesses, and the financial resources Iran has from its oil reserves.
The two countries share "the same interest in hiding nuclear activity from international inspectors."
Bolton reiterated his desperate claim that this was a dire situation that our administration and administrations across the world were failing to address properly.
We either must immediately put a stop to this activity or, "get used to the idea of an Iran and North Korea with nuclear weapons," he said.
Bolton also warned of a "chain reaction" in the middle east should the western powers let Iran get away with building nuclear weapons.
"Each country [that develops nuclear weapons] inspires more than one country to do the same," he said. It is a very scary situation that can only be prevented by "a more robust program against proliferation."
That silence of other countries in the region also suggests that the Sunni-Arab region is becoming a satellite of an Iranian nuclear revolution, Bolton warned.
Yet world powers continue to disregard the threat, Bolton believes this Iranian nuclear revolution deserves. He angrily referred to the 2007 National Intelligence Estimates, the United States' authoritative assessments of national security. The 2007 NIE misrepresented the information American Intelligence had gathered.
"It was written in a very politicized way and had an intended policy outcome," he said.
In terms of substance the report was not very different from previous NIEs. There was one key difference however - the first sentence of the document stated, "In 2003, Iran halted its nuclear weapons program."
This sentence, Bolton argued, was the only thing that got any attention from the press, however the foot note explaining the incredibly narrow definition of "nuclear weapons program" did not.
Bolton found it irrational to disbelieve that Iran is actively pursuing nuclear proliferation. In the past, the Iranian government has claimed they are only experimenting with nuclear materials for benign purposes.
Iranian leaders said they wanted nuclear power as an alternative energy source for the fear that they were running out of oil and natural gases.
Bolton cited a recent study that concluded if Iran continued to both consume and export oil and natural gases at its current rate, they would run out of these energy sources in the next 300 to 400 years - making their fear unbelievable.
"I could go on and on with examples like this. There's very little doubt Iran is producing nuclear weapons and there's very little doubt that Syria would have engaged in North Korea's [program] without Iranian support," Bolton said.
And Iran and North Korea working in tandem would be a very dangerous combination. Two things are required to build weapons of mass destruction: the technical capabilities, which North Korea possesses, and the financial resources Iran has from its oil reserves.
The two countries share "the same interest in hiding nuclear activity from international inspectors."
Bolton reiterated his desperate claim that this was a dire situation that our administration and administrations across the world were failing to address properly.
We either must immediately put a stop to this activity or, "get used to the idea of an Iran and North Korea with nuclear weapons," he said.
Bolton also warned of a "chain reaction" in the middle east should the western powers let Iran get away with building nuclear weapons.
"Each country [that develops nuclear weapons] inspires more than one country to do the same," he said. It is a very scary situation that can only be prevented by "a more robust program against proliferation."
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matt
posted 3/06/08 @ 12:14 PM EST
What about Israeli nulclear proliferation ? - Bolton does not address this of course. The safest option would be to make the middle east a nuclear free zone which is what Tehran has suggested. (Continued…)
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