The most recent US intelligence assessment, the method by which President Obama and his advisors receive the latest global espionage reports from around the world, suggests that the Iranian government is only pursuing nuclear energy at this time. Although, the report also insists that the regime of Iranian President Ahmadinejad is determined to reach a level of nuclear development that would give the country the capability and technology to launch a nuclear weapons program one day, if the country’s leaders so desired.

In an ominous warning, critics of US foreign policy point to the propaganda build-up before the invasion of Iraq, all of which was contrary to the facts. At that time, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had given in to all the US and UN’s demands for inspections and documentation, but US authorities continued to insist the Iraqis were not only hiding stockpiles of chemical weapons, but actively developing nuclear weapons out of mobile freight trucks.

Faced with numerous intelligence assessments of his own that insisted all of Iraq’s chemical weapons had been accounted for except one crate of sarin gas and there was no nuclear weapons program, President Bush instead chose to use an outdated intelligence assessment based on the testimony of one single informant that insisted Hussein was hiding chemical weapons and a nuclear weapons program.

Secret intelligence, censored news

As reported by the LA Times, but blacked-out throughout most of the rest of America, US policy makers have been advised that according to the official assessment of all 16 US spy agencies, Iran is not pursuing nuclear weapons. The “highly classified US intelligence assessment” also advises that all intelligence points to fact that Iran has faithfully kept to its 2003 international agreement to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions.

The report does confirm one aspect of Iran’s detractors such as Israel and the US – Iran is intent on achieving the technology and level of nuclear power advancement that would give it the ability to develop nuclear weapons. Iranian officials and US authorities both insist there is no nuclear weapons program at this time.

In public statements to a US Senate Intelligence Committee, America’s top spy chief Director James Clapper, gave Senators a similar assessment. In his report to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Clapper reported:

“Iran’s technical advancement, particularly in uranium enrichment, strengthens our assessment that Iran has the scientific, technical and industrial capacity to eventually produce nuclear weapons, making the central issue its political will to do so. These advancements contribute to our judgment that Iran is technically capable of producing enough highly enriched uranium for a weapon, if it so chooses.”

Read the Feb 4 Whiteout Press article, ‘America’s 2012 Global Threat Assessment’ for details.

Reiterating that sentiment, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei insisted last week that his country had no intention of developing nuclear weapons. The country’s most prominent religious leader emphasized his sentiment explaining, “Owning a nuclear weapon is a big sin.” Like his power-sharing partner, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Khamenai insisted “pressure, sanctions and assassinations” would not deter the country from pursuing nuclear power for peaceful purposes.

International critics counter that if Iran’s nuclear program was strictly peaceful, the regime wouldn’t have bared United Nations IAEA inspectors from one of its facilities last week.

Israel-Iran war                                                            

Just as in Iraq during the Bush Presidency, realities on the ground may not matter. Israel, the US and Iran have all been escalating their war rhetoric over the past months. Israel has repeatedly warned of its intention to disable Iranian nuclear sites, just as it did to Iraq and Syria in years past. Iran has vowed that any attack would result in a full counter attack. Even more ominous, Iran has threatened to attack Turkey, Saudi Arabia and other US allies if the Islamic Republic is the victim of an Israeli or US pre-emptive strike. In response, US officials have also repeatedly expressed their intention to defend Israel. In reply to US threats, nuclear-Pakistan, and to a lesser extent Russia and China, have warned Americans that they would have no choice but to retaliate against the US and Israel in that event.

Read the Feb 24 Whiteout Press article, ‘Superpowers prepare for Proxy War in Middle East’ for more information.

Israeli pre-emptive strike

A report from an un-named US intelligence official is documented by Press TV, as well as British sources such as The Telegraph, as confirming that Israel has announced that it will not give the United States advance warning of any pre-emptive strike upon Iran. The reason for keeping US leaders out of the loop, according to the official, is that such a move would shield the US from criticism from its allies for failing to stop the attack.

The same US official insists that message was delivered personally by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak to the highest-level American military officials when they visited Israel in preparation for upcoming joint military exercises. Just in the past weeks, unprecedented visits by US military brass to Israel have occurred, including visits by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey, White House National Security Advisor Tom Donilon and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.

Read the Jan 2 Whiteout Press article, ‘US Troops going to Israel’ for details.

Last month, President Obama was publicly criticized when he privately demanded that Israeli officials give their American counterparts advance warning of any attack upon Iran. Confirming the Israeli position, the President explained that Israel had no plans to “seek Washington’s permission.”

Iranian pre-emptive strike

Feeling the deadly pressure of an economic and financial boycott, Iran is rapidly settling into a state of crisis and despair. Food and energy shortages are already being forcast. Ironically, it isn’t the boycott on Iranian oil that is causing the high level of economic destruction in Iran. It’s the boycott on Iranian banking. The country, and its private merchants and businesses, can’t buy or sell commodities and raw materials in the global marketplace. In some instances, companies and individuals have resorted to trading oil for food and other supplies, rather than use global banks to facilitate a financial transaction.

Feeling it is being unfairly and illegally crippled for merely pursuing a peaceful energy program, something Iran is fully within its international rights in doing, the country’s leaders are rapidly reaching the point of desperation. Last week, The Telegraph reported on what they termed Iran’s latest ‘belligerent grandstanding’. In the report, Iranian officials announced the possibility of Iran’s launching a pre-emptive strike “in case of a foolish act by the Zionist regime.”

Such threats by Iran have always included proxy battles led by Iranian-supported groups in Palestine including Hamas and Hezbollah. Flexing their naval muscles, Iran sent one war ship through the Suez Canal and into the Mediterranean Sea last week, while docking another war ship in Syria in a show of support of the Assad regime. Exposing a rift between allies, Hamas broke with its long-time sponsor Iran and declared its support last week for the Syrian protesters and rebels. Regardless of their disagreement over Syria, all experts agree that any strife would be instantly set aside in the event of another war with Israel.

Heating up fast

In a sign that military preparations are taking place much more rapidly and quickly than possibly anticipated, British and US officials have taken the unusual step in recent days of using public news outlets to urge the Israelis to hold off on any military action and allow sanctions to take their toll instead. With the recent visit to Israel by America’s top military commanders and widespread speculation that an Israeli attack would occur some time during the spring, an attack just before spring would certainly utilize the element of surprise.

Whether or not that is what is quietly transpiring before our eyes, and just how soon an Israeli or Iranian pre-emptive strike may occur, is still anyone’s guess.