Since Israeli leaders do not accept the US intelligence assessment, one has to question if the report is correct or mistaken.
By EARL COXearl cox(photo credit: )
"A new assessment by US intelligence agencies, made public on December 3, concludes that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003, and that the program remains on hold. This contradicts an assessment two years ago that Iran was working inexorably toward building a nuclear bomb," the New York Times reported.
The US intelligence report acknowledges that Iran is continuing to produce enriched uranium, which the Iran government keeps saying is designed for civilian purposes. The new assessment estimated that Iran could still produce nuclear weapons by the middle of the next decade.
But the report declares "with high confidence" that a military-run Iranian program intended to produce a nuclear weapon has been shut down since 2003, in response to international scrutiny and pressure.
However, Israeli officials are strongly disagreeing with this surprising US assessment. "I don't buy that Iran has stopped trying to manufacture nuclear weapons, but simply continues enriching uranium for civilian purposes," declared Infrastructure Minister Ben Eliezer. "Israel should not take any risks on this matter," he added.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak told the media that Israel's conclusion remains that Iran is actively trying to build nuclear weapons. "I am familiar with the American assessment," he said, "but I say again that Iran is still a dangerous threat to the world and to the State of Israel." Barak added: "Words do not stop missiles. Action is still needed, in the form of sanctions, and in the diplomatic and economic spheres, as well." In November Barak had warned that military strikes against Iran might be needed in the next 24 months. And he stressed, "We cannot take any option off the table."
We Bible-believing Christians tend to agree with the Israeli assessment. For one thing, the Arabs and Muslims are famous for their deception, and we find it hard to believe there is no Iranian deception involved in these intelligence studies and reports. We remember that Muslims do not consider it a sin to tell a lie, especially if it helps to achieve a deceptive purpose.
Certainly a great and deceptive purpose has been achieved, if the US believes that Iran stopped working four years ago to produce a nuclear bomb.
A second reason for doubt on the part of Bible believing Christians is that our Bible prophesys a war, which we believe is soon coming, with Iran and Russia leading a military coalition of Arab-Muslim nations against Israel. Some may consider the rants of Iranian President Ahmadinejad to "wipe Israel off the face of the map" as hot air, but they could well be true indications of Iranian intentions, soon to be attempted. So Israel is wise to be prepared and not to sit back and rest on the naive US assessment.
One has to reason that this new US intelligence report means that the US is going to sit back and rest a while. The US now is less likely to launch pre-emptive military strikes against Iranian nuclear research facilities before the end of President Bush's term in office.
That is exactly what disturbs Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Right away he remarked that "a military confrontation with Iran might be unavoidable." He also said that Israel would work to prove to the International Atomic Energy Agency that "Iran remains determined to build an atomic bomb."
Olmert told his Cabinet that if Iran continues to bolster its long-range missile arsenal, and if Iran continues to produce enriched uranium, that would be two warning signs that should call into questions any assessment that says that Iran is no longer pursuing nuclear arms."
Since Israeli leaders do not accept the US intelligence assessment, one has to question if the report is correct or mistaken. It would be wonderful if Iran is not the immediate nuclear threat that everybody has been thinking and saying it is. But there is certainly the possibility that the US assessment is wrong.
After all, the accuracy of some US intelligence reports from the Middle East have certainly been in question in recent years. In 1998 when India and Pakistan conducted nuclear weapons tests, US intelligence agencies had no idea that either country was so close to getting the powerful bomb.
God forbid that we should experience such a failure again with regard to Iran. We pray that God will guide and protect Israel and the United States through these difficult days.
Earl Cox, International Christian Broadcaster, known as 'the voice of Israel to the world.' He is also the founder of Israel AlwaysPrevious entries:
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