Intelligence on Iran nuclear threat seen as inadequate

The Washington Post:

The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee acknowledged Sunday that mixed messages surround Iran's nuclear capabilities and that "we really don't know" how close Tehran is to developing a nuclear weapon.

"It all points out the fact we need to do much better in rebuilding our intelligence community, reshaping it, transforming it, making sure that we give public policy, that we give policymakers the information that they need so that we can make better decisions," Rep. Peter Hoekstra, R-Mich., told "Fox News Sunday."

National Intelligence Director John Negroponte said last week that Iran, while determined to acquire a nuclear weapon, remains as many as 10 years away from having the material it needs. READ MORE

A week earlier, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice brushed aside suggestions that Iran was far from nuclear weaponry and said the world believes Iran has the capacity and the technology that lead to nuclear weapons.

Asked how close is Iran to actually developing a nuclear weapon, Hoekstra replied, "I'd say we really don't know."

"We as public policymakers need to know that as we're moving forward and as decisions are being made on Iran, we don't have all of the information that we would like to have," Hoekstra said.