It’s only an estimate, but everyone’s buying

Answer: Aside from the fact that they all belong to NATO, they also still believe — NIE findings notwithstanding — that there should be stiffer sanctions on Iran and that Iran remains a threat to produce nuclear weapons.

Remember the name of the report: The National Intelligence Estimate.

It’s not the National Intelligence Determination, or the National Intelligence Conclusion or even the National Intelligence Opinion. Indeed, the report is aptly given the moniker of an estimate, because no definitive premise can be reached on the findings of our intelligence experts.

As we have well learned over the years, intelligence is not an exact science. Clearly, our presumptions, based on the best information we had going into Iraq in 2003, were faulty. I find it more than ironic that the same media that excoriated President Bush, Vice President Cheney and our allies for taking action based on the accepted intel at the time are now holding up the same intelligence community as an infallible source to further decry our leadership.

Some say you can’t have it both ways. I guess most of the talking heads and their ilk can have it both ways when it meets their needs.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, for whom the media has held a months-long love fest, said following the NIE release: “The (Iranian) threat exists, notwithstanding the latest elements. Everyone is fully conscious that there still is a will of the Iranian leaders to obtain nuclear weapons.”

Our British friends are wary of jumping on the Can’t We All Just Get Along bandwagon as well. I believe I read the word “hoodwinked” in a British newspaper, in relation to the CIA and the information it is gleaning from Tehran.

After listening to mainstream media and many of our friends on the left last week, one would have thought from the proclamations they were making that they had found the Grinch who stole Christmas.

The report stated that Iran had “suspended” its nuclear program four years ago. This was the statement everyone latched on to.

You heard statements to the effect that Iran has changed but the U.S. hasn’t …

The president is wrong again …

The president is a deceiver …

This proves the president is anxious to go to war with Iran …

This should stop the president’s saber rattling …

In light of all of the hysteria, a review of what the document actually said would be instructive.

For one, it states “with high confidence” that the Iranian government “suspended” their program four years ago, in response to “international pressure.”

Another something that makes you go “hmmm.” What international pressure could have been in place in 2003? I wonder …

But I digress. Note the words, “high confidence.” Not “metaphysical certitude.” We don’t know if the program is over, or simply on the back burner. It further states “with moderate confidence” a supposition that the program has remained on the back burner in subsequent years.

I don’t know about you, but this doesn’t give me a lot of confidence in the fella who says he wants to blow Israel off the map and destroy the United States. He’s pretty proud of his developing long-range missiles, as well.

Why our friends on the left and so many in the press will bend over backward to give Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the benefit of the doubt, yet reflexively doubt the United States with impunity is beyond me.

It’s also fascinating to me how the “we shouldn’t defend ourselves” crowd latched on to Iran suspending — not discontinuing — its program, yet ignored the fact that Iran continues to enrich uranium.

Memo to all: Enriching uranium results in bombs that go “boom” real loud and kill lots of people. There is not a hint of assurance in this report that says we’re out of the woods, or that Iran does not still pose a threat.

They also ignored the fact that NATO and other friendly countries believe Iran should be treated as a danger. Everyone in NATO understands they should remain vigilant toward Iran and its rogue leadership.

Don’t be lulled into believing that this report means we can pack up our bags and go home and not worry about Iran.

J.C. Watts (JCWatts01@jcwatts.com) is chairman of J.C. Watts Companies, a business consulting group. He is former chairman of the Republican Conference of the U.S. House, where he served as an Oklahoma representative from 1995 to 2002. He writes twice monthly for the Review-Journal.