Iran Vindicated

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran on Tuesday touted a new U.S. intelligence report as vindication that its nuclear program is peaceful. But it was unclear if the finding would lead to any immediate warming in U.S.-Iranian relations, including on key issues like Iraq.

Iranian officials insisted Washington should take a less hawkish stance and drop attempts to impose new sanctions in light of the report's conclusion that Iran stopped its nuclear weapons program in late 2003 and has shown no signs of resuming.

President Bush ruled out any change in policy. He said sanctions were still needed to force Iran to stop uranium enrichment, which he warned could be used for building atomic warheads someday. France and Britain also said pressure must be maintained on Tehran.

Even Russia, which urges continued negotiations rather than more sanctions, said Iran must open its nuclear program fully to international scrutiny and keep it under control of the U.N. atomic watchdog agency.

------KAB interprets: As I've said for a couple of years the Iranian/BushCo tug-of-nuclear energy is not genuine – it's all sideshow. Iran is already a nuclear power.

The show began around the time of John F. Kennedy's assassination. Around, about, soon after the assassination, Israel went nuclear. Around, about, a few short years after that Pakistan, India, and Iran were negotiating with the West, with Russia, with China because they too wanted to be nuclear.

Zulfikar Bhutto, (daddy of Benizar "the defender of democracy") established Pakistan's nuclear weapons program in 1972. When India flexed its nuclear muscle, testing a nuke device in 1974, Pakistan stepped up their program and had nuclear ability by 1987. The West, the USSR, North Korea, China, and oh my god - even Brazil, Turkey, Japan, and Canada - all contributed technology, materials, and know-how to Pakistan and India, directly or indirectly but mostly directly (for money, for alliances, and to piss off rivals). Iran was not left out – no sirree. Money talks dirty, and then goes to the laundry.

The Shah of Iran said in 1975 "... his country had "no intention of acquiring nuclear weapons but if small states began building them, then Iran might have to reconsider its policy." Smaller states being specifically Israel of course, and every country with a spy or two knew Israel had nuclear capability long before the secret leaked out to Joe Blows. Besides, arms dealers (after the liquor but before the women or whatever preference) cannot help but boast around the hired help of who they sold what to and for how much, whether authorized or black market - it's all greenbacks after the wash.

As with any other nation with funds to spend, Iran was wheeling and dealing with France, the Netherlands, China, USSR, US, etc. in the 1970s for nuclear know-how, all for "peaceful purposes." After Iran's brief 1979 revolutionary upheaval Iran continued its quest for nuclear power (again, for peaceful purposes - but would you want to live in the neighborhood with a nuclear armed "small state" and not have some of your own?), and pretty much continued dealing with the same countries, except the US ... well ... unless you count the time Reagan/Poppy Bush and their fall guy Oily North were making deals with Iran from the White House basement.

Of course the US knew Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction; the US had been up Saddam's butt with a colonoscope for 2 decades and knew everything Saddam had or did not have. The powers that be know who has what because they sell it to one another. There are no secrets at top levels - only information withheld to scare the peasants.

But at any rate – the real story – Iran is a nuclear power, as is Israel, Pakistan, and India (I won't mention nukes in Turkey). The PTB know Iran has nuclear capability. And of course, you too will know it officially when the PTB want you to know it - possibly when Iran performs an underground test and a satellite photo of the cratering, before it could be backfilled, is "leaked" by an anonymous former Pentagon or CIA "hero" who thinks the voting public needs to know – gosh it all depends on which cheek of the corporate ass is running the show (the war profiting republicans or the war profiting democrats, or possibly the underdog independent who really gives you what you wish for, good and hard:).

But that could be months or years from now – so remember, you heard it here first.