Ok, So You Didn't Hear It Here First

But you heard it here.

"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A new U.S. intelligence report says Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 and it remains on hold, contradicting the Bush administration's earlier assertion that Tehran was intent on developing a bomb.

The National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) released on Monday could undermine U.S. efforts to convince other world powers to agree on a third package of U.N. sanctions against Iran for defying demands to halt uranium enrichment activities."

I was in a university lecture hall in 2003 to hear former UN weapons inspector tell the audience that o weapons of mass destruction wold be fond in Iraq. I was in the same hall when Joe Wilson explained how he knew that the yellow cake uranium story in the 2004 State of the Union Address was false.

In recent months there have been several statements from the Bush White House that Iran is close to building a nuclear weapon. I am here to tell you that, at least for the next decade, that is false.

Although the intentions of the government, or the mullahs, in Iran are unclear and although some of their public statements are troubling, Iran does not have the capability to refine uranium to the level needed and is not now trying to build such weapon.

Remember you heard it here.