What is the significance of the timing of the NIE release?

[tekisui]

When did the War Crimes Administration find out it would be released?

And, did they have any influence as to when it came out?

Anything that the don't want us to pay attention to, right now?

Waxman is picking at the festering wound of the Plame-outing. No one is looking mentioning Iraq, now. What else might be missed?

[Ytzak]

1. According to Kevin Drum of the Washington Monthly...

WHY WAS THE NIE RELEASED?....

This NIE was apparently finished a year ago, and its basic parameters were almost certainly common knowledge in the White House well before that. This means that all the leaks, all the World War III stuff, all the blustering about the IAEA — all of it was approved for public consumption after Cheney/Bush/Rice/etc. knew perfectly well it was mostly baseless.

If Mr. Drum is correct, and all this was known for a year, then it would appear that someone in the Bush Administration doesn't want a war with Iran. That indicates there is some infighting between the Cheney Warhawks some other group of advisor's.

It also indicates that Bush has been lying out his fudge nozzle again and is continuing to lie.

It was released so people can get the truth before we go to war with Iran Next March, or when ever Bush gets around to it.

[AlertLurker]

2. It gets easier to understand after you read their official position on the NIE:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/03/world/04irantext.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

"Today’s National Intelligence Estimate offers some positive news. It confirms that we were right to be worried about Iran seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

"But the intelligence also tells us that the risk of Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon remains a very serious problem."

"The estimate offers grounds for hope that the problem can be solved diplomatically — without the use of force — as the Administration has been trying to do. And it suggests that the President has the right strategy: intensified international pressure along with a willingness to negotiate a solution that serves Iranian interests while ensuring that the world will never have to face a nuclear armed Iran."


I believe that the WH is pissed that their sanctions regime has not been working and has, in fact, given China and Russia greater access to Iran's natural resources. Of course, since their OFFICIAL POSITION, as laid out above, is that sanctions are working but have to be intensified and international in scope, they have to get China and Russia on board, to a] deprive them of all that lovely cheap oil and b] push Iran further into a corner. The more marginalized the Iranian government gets, the greater the chance of an Iranian "mistake," in terms of Iraq or Israel, "justifying" US-Israeli intervention.

[DCKit]

3. Why are there sanctions? Seriously, what's the point?

Iran has stopped their weapons development so any legal basis for sanctions is gone.

The U.N. needs to vote to restore Iran's status and stop enabling this administration.