IRAN'S NUCLEAR POLICY: LATENCY

"... An Iranian nuclear bomb is neither imminent nor a foregone conclusion. The 16 U.S. intelligence agencies judge with high confidence that Iran has conducted no nuclear weapons-related experiments since 2003, that it currently has no nuclear weapons program, and that is has not made the political decision to pursue nuclear weapons. In theory, this provides ample political space for Obama to pursue a sustained process of diplomacy dedicated to ensuring that Iran's nuclear program remains verifiably peaceful.

In practice, however, we often see the opposite from Washington -- self-imposed time limits on diplomacy, unprecedented coercive measures, and sensationalistic journalism about an imminent Iranian nuclear weapon. Why the disconnect? Because at present, Iran is pursuing a strategic middle ground called nuclear latency: It aims to build a nuclear energy program that would allow for the production of a nuclear weapon on short notice if an existential threat came to the fore...."

http://www.niacouncil.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8827&security=1&news_iv_ctrl=-1

WHY U.S. WILL NOT ALLOW ISRAEL TO BOMB IRAN

"... The Department of Defense is aware that the thousands of US personnel at the US embassy in Baghdad...  are vulnerable to attacks by the Mahdi Army if Israel bombs Iran, as are US facilities in the Gulf such as the al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar and the US naval base in Manama, Bahrain. That is, there is no such thing as a unilateral Israeli military action against Tehran. Any such strike would immediately cause attacks on US facilities in the region and bring the US into the war... Washington should remember the law of unintended consequences.
http://www.juancole.com/2013/01/obamas-inaugural-danger.html>http://www.juancole.com/2013/01/obamas-inaugural-danger.html