It was obvious that Iran made a mistake when they announced that they defeated the United States on “debate” if their nuclear program was for peace or more demonic purposes. They then retracted that statement by accusing the United States of spying on them. Well, no duh! President Bush wants Iran to explain to the world why they had a nuclear weapons program.

From the Associated Press:

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush on Tuesday called on Iran to explain why it had a secretive nuclear weapons program, and warned that any such efforts must not be allowed to flourish “for the sake of world peace.”

“Iran is dangerous,” Bush said after an Oval Office meeting with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano. “We believe Iran had a secret military weapons program, and Iran must explain to the world why they had such a program.”

Bush’s comments came after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that it was “a step forward” that U.S. intelligence agencies had concluded that Tehran stopped developing its nuclear weapons program four years ago.

Ahmadinejad told reporters that an “entirely different” situation between the United States and Iran could be created if more steps like the intelligence report followed.

“We consider this measure by the U.S. government a positive step. It is a step forward,” Ahmadinejad said.

“If one or two other steps are taken, the issues we have in front of us will be entirely different and will lose their complexity, and the way will be open for the resolution of basic issues in the region and in dealings between the two sides,” he said.

Iran has said its nuclear program is peaceful, but until last week, the United States and Western allies had countered that Iran was hiding plans for a bomb.

“Iran has an obligation to explain to the IAEA why they hid this program from them,” Bush said, referring to the nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency.

“Iran is dangerous, and they’ll be even more dangerous if they learn how to enrich uranium,” Bush said. “So I look forward to working with the president,” Bush said, referring to Napolitano, the Italian leader, “to explain our strategy and to figure out ways we can work together to prevent this from happening for the sake of world peace.”

For Immediate Release from Fred08.com:

Fred Thompson Statement on the National Intelligence Estimate

McLean, VA – Fred Thompson released the following statement today on the latest National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) regarding Iran:

“The accuracy of the latest NIE on Iran should be received with a good deal of skepticism. Our intelligence community has often underestimated the intentions of adversaries, including Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and North Korea. And are all of the CIA detractors now going to take intelligence pronouncements at face value? It’s awfully convenient for a lot of people: the administration gets to say its policies worked; the Democrats get to claim we should have eased up on Iran a long time ago: and Russia and China can claim sanctions on Iran are not necessary. Who benefits from all this? Iran.

“And what if the NIE estimate is accurate? It’s essentially an analysis of Iran’s intentions at a point in time. Meanwhile, Iran continues to enrich uranium for allegedly peaceful purposes, but which would allow them to easily transition to a nuclear weapons program at any point in the future. Maybe even now–now that so many seem willing to forget Iran’s past deceptions and ongoing intransigence. After all, a nuclear weapons program is simply an extension of the process by why uranium is enriched for civilian nuclear fuel. To this day Iran has yet to comply with international demands and its Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty requirements for open inspections and other safeguard measures.

“The bottom line is that the United States must continue to improve its human intelligence capabilities and intelligence analysis. We must hope for the best, but not let our guard down for a moment. If something appears to be too good to be true, it very well may be.“

The Associated Press reporting:

TEHRAN, Iran – A new U.S. intelligence review concluding Iran stopped developing an atomic weapons program in 2003 is a “declaration of victory” for Iran’s nuclear program, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday.

The U.S. intelligence report released Monday concluded that Iran had stopped its weapons program in late 2003 and shown no signs since of resuming it, representing a sharp turnaround from a previous intelligence assessment in 2005.

“This is a declaration of victory for the Iranian nation against the world powers over the nuclear issue,” Ahmadinejad told thousands of people during a visit to Ilam province in western Iran.

“This was a final shot to those who, in the past several years, spread a sense of threat and concern in the world through lies of nuclear weapons … Thanks to your resistance, a fatal shot was fired at the dreams of ill-wishers and the truthfulness of the Iranian nation was once again proved by the ill-wishers themselves,” Ahmadinejad said, drawing celebratory whistles from the crowd.

Yea… okay Mr President. The same guys you are accusing of spreading “a sense of threat and concern in the world through lies of nuclear weapons” is the same government that gives you your so-called vindication. We love the spin though!

Iran has touted the new U.S. intelligence report as vindication of its claims that its nuclear program is peaceful and Iranian officials insist that Washington should take a less hawkish stance and drop attempts to impose new sanctions in light of the report’s surprise conclusions.

Just like the liberal media before it, Iran is totally glossing over the fact that there was a Nuclear Weapons program in 2003. That that program was halted because of pressures from the United States and coalition forces (See Iraq War). And, that by now the Iranians have probably restarted their weapons program and we’ll hear about it in the next intelligence report due in 2013.

Rice explains new US view on Iran nukes

Also from the Associated Press:

Rice said Tuesday it would be a “big mistake” to ease any diplomatic pressure on Iran despite the new U.S. findings.

“It doesn’t mean you should take the pressure off,” she said en route to Ethiopia to see African leaders. “It puts a premium on diplomatic efforts.

“I continue to see Iran as a dangerous power in international politics,” Rice told reporters traveling with her. “At this moment, it doesn’t appear to have an active weaponization program. That frankly is good news. But if it causes people to say, ‘Oh, well, then we don’t need to worry about what the Iranians are doing,’ I think we will have made a big mistake.”

Since 2003 Iran “elected” Ahmadinejad and his religious nutjob views into office. The rhetoric against Israel increased dramatically. Including various times when he said that Israel would be forced into the sea, or wiped off the face of the earth (depending on the translation). There should be caution over Iran and what’s going on with it’s civilian nuclear plant.

The article continues.

Rice said it may take some time for U.S. allies to understand the administration’s new conclusions on Iran, but she said there should be great concern still about the Islamic republic’s continuing preprocessing and enrichment of uranium, which Tehran insists is only for civilian energy production. Such an enrichment program also could lead to nuclear weapons production.

“We need to do everything we can to stop them from being able to perfect this enrichment and reprocessing program,” she said.

The U.S. secretary of state urged nations such as China and Russia not to harden their stance against a new round of sanctions, arguing that the fact that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 because of international pressure shows that diplomacy works.

“We know that pressure has worked in the past and it caused them to do something very important,” Rice said. “Now let’s use our collective efforts to cause them to take the next important step,” she added, referring to a potential halt to its enrichment of uranium.

Rice said she wants officials from other countries to try to understand the nuance of the new U.S. intelligence assessment.

“People need the opportunity to absorb what they’ve heard,” she said. “We have been completely transparent about what the intelligence assessment says. And people need a chance to read it. When they do that and when they read it in its detail and nuance, they will be able to see the points that I have made.”

President Bush: “Come Clean” Iran!

Continuing on the Associated Press tour:

Two days after a new intelligence report said that Iran had halted its nuclear weapons program four years ago, Bush demanded that Tehran detail its previous program to develop nuclear weapons “which the Iranian regime has yet to acknowledge.”

“The Iranians have a strategic choice to make,” he said. “They can come clean with the international community about the scope of their nuclear activities, and fully accept the long-standing offer to suspend their enrichment program and come to the table and negotiate, or they can continue on a path of isolation.”

The administration is worried that the new National Intelligence Estimate — representing a consensus of all U.S. spy agencies — weakens its leverage over Iran and its ability to build global pressure on Tehran to stop its uranium enrichment program.

Bush, arriving here on a campaign fundraising trip, said he had consulted with members of his national security team, who gave him a report about what Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley have learned in talks during the past several days with their counterparts in Britain, Germany, France and Russia.

“These countries understand that the Iranian nuclear issue is a problem, and continues to be a problem and must be addressed,” Bush said.

Backing the U.S. intelligence community, Bush said he appreciated its work in helping people to understand past and present activities in Iran and helping the administration develop a sound policy.

“It is clear from the latest NIE that the Iranian government has more to explain about its nuclear intentions and past actions,” Bush said.

I agree. The fact is they were developing a nuclear weapons program. Now they need to answer why.

Right before Thanksgiving the Chinese Government wouldn’t allow the USS Kitty Hawk to dock on the shores of Hong Kong. It’s only been a nearly 50 year tradition for the ship and its crew to meet up with family members in Hong Kong for some R&R. Now Red China says that the reason the American ship was turned away cause it gave them “grave concern” when the ship changed course to avoid an oncoming storm.

From the AP:

BEIJING (AP) – China said Tuesday it expressed “grave concern” over the USS Kitty Hawk’s passage through the politically sensitive Taiwan Strait on its return to Japan.

The U.S. aircraft carrier had been barred by China from entering Hong Kong for a Thanksgiving port call.

Mainland Chinese authorities reversed their decision, but by then the ships were too far out to sea and did not turn back.

“U.S. officials informed China at that time that it took the route because of a storm,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said at a briefing. “China expressed grave concern to the U.S. and requested the U.S. to take prudent moves in this highly sensitive area.”

In a couple of hours the results in the Venezuela election should be known. Local Venezuelan websites are already reporting some exit poll results, but it is too soon to know anything for certain.

Early Exit Polling Results from Reuters show President Hugo winning the referendum:

CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez appeared headed for victory on Sunday in a referendum on allowing the leftist to rule for as long as he keeps winning elections, government-linked sources said, citing exit polls.

Three exit polls showed Chavez won by between six and eight percentage points in a vote where turnout was low, the two sources said.

If confirmed, it would be by far the slimmest victory margin in the career of a man who wants to rule for life and turn the major oil exporter into a socialist state.

Opposition says their exit polls show that they won by 4% (Salon)

Update I:

Plenty of sources are saying that NO will win – but the government might still announce that the referendum passed.

Update II:

Venezuela News and Views blog is reporting that Chavez has canceled his press conference – which could be seen that the results might be to close to call.

Alexis Marrero Blog has regional results.

Update III:

Reuters still reporting a win for Chavez.

CARACAS (Reuters) – Three cabinet ministers on Sunday said Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez won a referendum on whether he can run indefinitely for reelection.

The ministers, who asked not to be named, cited preliminary polling and electoral data.

Update IV:

Venezuela News and Views blog is reporting that reporters are begging for their viewers to keep the peace while the results are coming in cause the results are going to be very close.

Update V:

Alexis Marrer Blog English Translation:

The Tendency is very clear the triumph of is not definitive, all the acts that have been entered give like result a definitive triumph of the opposition. it is certain that when I write this post I do not have the confirmation of the Zuliano state, Barquisimeto, Mérida, and Barina. But in the other states the Triumph is definitive. We could say with clarity that the triumph is by very little point but it is it.
The National press has not managed to give the tendency so that the law Jaw therefore stipulates it. But there are pro-government foreign newspapers of tendency that are using single the source that the government gives them. Cómos con is Country and other sources already known.
Venezuelan you do not lose the faith here soon will leave the truth.
The results in tendency are the one of
51% NO
49% YES

Update VI:

Sky News headline: Venezuelans ‘Back President For Life’

Update VII: Official word is that NO has won the election. Chavez’s referendums failed the election. Now I wonder if he’ll follow up on his threat to end exportation of Oil to the United States or not.

Update VIII: Isn’t amazing on Al Jazeera and Reuters both called it as a win for Chavez hours before the official word came out? No doubt there will be investigations into the results by Chavez.

AP Flash:

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) – President Hugo Chavez suffered a stinging defeat in a vote on constitutional changes that would have let him run for re-election indefinitely, the chief of National Electoral Council said Monday.

Voters defeated the sweeping measures by a vote of 51 percent to 49 percent, Tibisay Lucena said.

Update IX: Freedom wins.

A
North Korean official has warned that the communist nation could fire a
nuclear-tipped missile unless the US acts to resolve its standoff with
Pyongyang, the South Korean Yonhap news agency has reported.

“We hope the situation will be resolved before an unfortunate
incident of us firing a nuclear missile comes,” the unnamed official
said on Monday, according to a Yonhap report from Beijing.

“That depends on how the US will act.”

Of course, what North Korea wants is bilateral talks with the United States.

Update: Some reports are covering this story without the first two paragraphs. Hmmm.

GERTZ: U.S. doubts Korean test was nuclear; Readings fall short of atomic explosion… MORE…

U.S. intelligence agencies say, based on preliminary indications, that North Korea did not produce its first nuclear blast yesterday, WASHINGTON TIMES star reporter Bill Gertz is set to report in Tuesday editions.

U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that seismic readings show that the conventional high explosives used to create a chain reaction in a plutonium-based device went off, but that the blast’s readings were shy of a typical nuclear detonation.

The underground explosion, which Pyongyang dubbed a historic nuclear test, is thought to have been the equivalent of several hundred tons of TNT, far short of the several thousand tons of TNT, or kilotons, that are signs of a nuclear blast, the official said. Developing…

Original story from WashingtonTimes

(AP) North Korea said Monday it has performed its
first-ever nuclear weapons test. The country’s official Korean Central
News Agency said the test was performed successfully and there was no
radioactive leakage from the site.

North Korea Plans to launch a nuclear test, from NYtimes:

(WASHINGTON, Oct. 3) North Korea announced Tuesday that it intended to conduct its first nuclear test, prompting warnings from Tokyo to Washington that an underground explosion would lead to a sharp response and could undermine the security balance in Asia.

What if North Korea tests a nuclear bomb?

(CSMonitor) “At a minimum, a test would be a clarifying moment,” says Jonathan Pollack, director of the Strategic Research Department at the Naval War College in Newport, R.I.

In addition, a test would hold geopolitical ramifications for the northeast Asian region, experts say, and for international efforts to keep the proliferation genie in its bottle. “The political effects of a nuclear test would be at least as consequential – and destabilizing – as any technological leap it might provide the North Korean nuclear program,” says Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association in Washington.

A test would shake up northeast Asia, sending shock waves through South Korea and possibly inciting a regional arms race – causing Japan and even South Korea to consider it a necessity to reverse course and develop their own nuclear deterrents. That, experts say, would very likely mean that the international nonproliferation regime is dead. (More)

“Happy Birthday Puti!”

(JPost)North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has sent a birthday greeting to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the North’s official Korean Central News Agency said Saturday, amid mounting tensions over a possible nuclear weapons test by the reclusive communist country.

In a brief message, Kim extended congratulations to Putin on his 54th birthday and wished him success in accomplishing Russia’s socio-economic development, KCNA said.

Japan wants North Korea to halt the tests… or they can continue to test and they will ask the Anti-Security Council to slap the North Koreans on the wrist.

(news1130) Japan sees a possible nuclear test by North Korea as “a grave threat to the peace and security of Northeast Asia and the world” and welcomed the statement, a Japanese Foreign Ministry statement said.

“If North Korea conducts a nuclear weapons test, despite the concerns expressed by international society, the Security Council must adopt a resolution outlining severely punitive measures,” the ministry said.

Blowing up a coal mine…

(BEIJING) North Korea is ‘more or less ready’ to conduct a nuclear test deep inside an abandoned coal mine but might hold off it can win concessions from the United States, a Chinese source briefed by Pyongyang said on Friday.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a device would be detonated about 2,000 metres (6,500 feet) inside a mine near the border with China in the north of the country.