Iran Is Judged 10 Years From Nuclear Bomb

What to make of the Washington Post article that says that the National Intelligence Estimate believes that Iran is a decade away from nuclear capability? Well, it's not earth-shattering news, though Dafna Linzer would like you to believe that "Bush is lying!" about Iran's nuclear intentions, by writing that "Administration officials have asserted, but have not offered proof, that Tehran is moving determinedly toward a nuclear arsenal". However, the article contradicts itself two paragraphs later when a 'senior intelligence official' says that "it is the judgment of the intelligence community that...Iran is determined to build nuclear weapons." That, and the ever-present argument that why in the world would Iran even want nuclear energy if it's sitting on top of a huge motherload of oil??? Environmental concerns?

So, where are we? About 10 years away from Iran having enough fissile material to make a bomb, not counting whether it has the technical expertise or equipment to deliver said weapon (the article doesn't say directly, but it implies that the Iranians have redesigned existing missile technology to do so). It does give more leeway for the diplomats, but unless Iran goes through a regime change towards democracy in between now and then, we'll have to be prepared to use force.