Iran has no nuke program, U.S. intel saysThe consensus view of 16 agencies is that the nation halted its weapons project in 2003 because it feared international sanctions.
By Greg Miller, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
10:01 AM PST, December 3, 2007
WASHINGTON -- WASHINGTON -- U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 and that the threat of international sanctions has worked in compelling the Islamic republic to back away from its pursuit of the bomb.
These judgments were among the key findings of a long-awaited intelligence report in which U.S. spy agencies retreated from earlier assessments that were more hard-line in their view of Iran's nuclear ambitions and intentions.
The document, and the nuanced tone it strikes toward Iran, is likely to generate fierce new debate within the U.S. government, challenging the positions of officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney, who have urged taking a hard line against Tehran.
© Jed Lewison