Except for the fact that I reject Imani's advice not to use military force against Iran, or at least against the atom facilities, I find his wisdom compelling. Once again, those who come from Islamic countries and have the mental strength to rise above their environment, prove themselves to be superior individuals. It's no accident that Ayaan Hirsi Ali is running away with this year's JW Oscar.

Posted by: jewdog at December 17, 2007 12:08 PM

One thing that I look for is inconsistency in opinions. Here's one of those.

Intelligence reports stated that Hussein was amassing MegaDeath Weapons and would use them. People now believe or desparately want to believe that those reports were not true and were perhaps manufactured as a false justification to invade Iraq.

Now we have a report that states that Iran has halted their nucular program; here is good news, and we wish you a merry Christams. Those dishonest skeptics are now claiming that this is somehow more accurate than the intel concerning Saddam's weapons program. Is this current report correct and not slanted to help an incumbent president? If one doubts the intel of 2002, the intel of 2007 must also be doubted because it was produced by the same people.

When I find these inconsistencies of opinion, there can only be one reason; the opinions are driven by the political agenda of the believer or disbeliever.

Posted by: Pelayo at December 17, 2007 12:13 PM

These fanatics firmly believe in an incomparably magnificent pleasure-filled next world that awaits the faithful Muslim. To them, this world is nothing but a heap of dust, while the next is a paradise of eternal lust.

So why do they care so much about who occupies what square foot of land anywhere in the world?

Amil Imani's words carry less and less weight. He goes on about what America needs to do about Iran. What about the Iranian people? The mullahs may want the bomb but, with few exceptions, they're not nuclear scientists. The Iranian nuclear program, whether military or industrial in nature, cannot be maintained without the support of large numbers of Iranian scientists and workers. It also cannot be maintained and advanced without the complicity of European nations, along with the Chinese and the Russians, to say nothing of the UN and the IAEA. All (the US included) will have to answer for the consequences of an Iranian bomb.
No matter what some people may think, the US is not omnipotent and its leaders are not omniscient. Americans cannot bring Iran's program to a halt merely by wishing it away and those who think once we decide to act the world will fall in line are dreaming. Amil Imani is a dreamer.

Posted by: PMK at December 17, 2007 12:17 PM

I agree, Pelayo. The CIA has made a lot of mistakes, as has the Mossad, which is only slightly better. Still, there are some glaring common sense reasons to be wary of NIE, among them the Iranian emphasis on long-range missile development, the fact they have the world's second largest oil reserves, and Ahmedinejad's threats. But forget logic when it comes to politics.

Posted by: jewdog at December 17, 2007 12:20 PM

When I find these inconsistencies of opinion, there can only be one reason; the opinions are driven by the political agenda of the believer or disbeliever.
by Pelayo

So whose word is valid? Whether you're a believer or a disbeliever, you have your own agenda and a reason for your opinion.

Are they both wrong? Maybe they're both right. Barring the overthrow of the mullahs and the opening of all records of Iran's nuclear program to outside examination, we'll probably never know.

Posted by: PMK at December 17, 2007 12:30 PM

Looks like we'll need a regime overthrow in Iran to avoid a nuclear war in theregion in the future. And the prospects for that happening are just about zero. In the meantime, the world at large can happily remain in ostrich mode.

Posted by: ISLAMSFORLOSERS at December 17, 2007 1:06 PM

Everyone knows what a great record American NIE's have of identifying WMD threats...

Posted by: Archimedes2 at December 17, 2007 1:11 PM