What changed with the NIE? Here's an idea.
Thomas Joscelyn, along with several bloggers such as Ace and CQ, hammer home that the latest NIE represents a flip-flop from a position one of its authors advocated just five months before:
As many recognize, the latest NIE on Iran’s nuclear weapons program directly contradicts what the U.S. Intelligence Community was saying just two years previously. And it appears that this about-face was very recent. How recent?Read it yourself, and then check out more skepticism at from John Bolton at Hot Air.Consider that on July 11, 2007, roughly four or so months prior to the most recent NIE’s publication, Deputy Director of Analysis Thomas Fingar gave the following testimony before the House Armed Services Committee...
I don't think this is just some ideologically-driven snow job. I'm sure politics are involved but there are other things at stake here: the IC is having to admit it was drastically wrong just a short time before. Nobody does that lightly.
So what could have changed in that time period that would lead the IC to completely alter its assessment of Iran's intentions?
Remember General Asgari?
Just a thought.
If I'm right, we better watch out for a reverse Cue Ball.Curve Ball.
PS: Dang--Allah just beat me to the post button.