“We judge with high confidence that in fall 2003, Teheran halted its nuclear weapons program. We judge with moderate confidence that the earliest possible date Iran would be technically capable of producing enough highly enriched uranium (HEU) for a weapon is late 2009.”–declassified portion of the latest National Intelligence Assessment Report, Dec 4, 2007.

As I read the various news stories and op-ed pieces concerning this report, I feel as if I’m in an alternate universe. Those on the left are trumpeting this report as a formal rebuke of George W. Bush’s “warmongering.” Those on the right claim if it is true Iran suspended its nuke program in 2003, it was because we scared them when we invaded Iraq–which is essentially high praise for George W. Bush’s “warmongering.”

Pick your praise or poison as the case may be–but keep your eye on the ball. Actually make that two balls.

The first ball is the complete abandonment of an idea embodied in the phrase that, during wartime, “all politics stops at the water’s edge.” Throughout our history, Democrats and Republicans have had bitter political and policy disagreements–but whenever conflicts arose, they put their country ahead of the political affiliations. They were Americans, first, Democrats or Republicans, second.

The Vietnam war was the beginning of a cancer which has now metastasized: nothing is above political exploitation. The principle architects of this attitude are those on the far left for whom all military undertakings are evidence of America’s degeneration. That they hold the Democratic party hostage to such ideas is sad.

But more than sad is the reality the that such political exploitation threatens our national security. The principle authors of the NIE report–C. Thomas Fingar, deputy director of national intelligence for analysis, Vann H. Van Diepen, national intelligence officer for weapons of mass destruction and proliferation, and Kenneth C. Brill, director of the national counterproliferation center–are purported to be “hyper-partisan, anti-Bush” types. According to a unnamed U.S. official interviewed by the Washington Times the NIE report is “a political exercise to torpedo the threat that this administration would pose to (the authors) desired policy outcomes on Iran, which is some kind of accommodation with an Iranian nuclear program.”

In other words, we have a “shadow government” operating independently of our Commander-in-Chief, one willing to undermine his policies for political gain. Those Americans who think this is a good idea should remember a very old adage: what goes around, comes around. We elect presidents from BOTH parties. We don’t elect spies. Who do you want in charge?

The second ball is a question: in an age of portable WMDs and suicidal terrorists, would you prefer erring to the side of caution or leniency when it comes to Iran? That would be an Iran whose leadership is on the record as saying they are preparing the way for the re-emergence of the 12th or Hidden Imam, whose return to earth requires a period of “cosmic chaos, war and bloodshed” with “evil” and “darkness”–aka America the Great Satan and Israel the Little Satan. Are you willing to give Mr. Ahmadinejad, et al, the benefit of the doubt? Or as the NIE report puts it, do you have “high confidence” that the Iranians have abandoned their nuclear ambitions?

Neville Chamberlain put it second best: “My good friends, for the second time in our history, a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time. ” P.T. Barnum put it best: “There’s sucker born every minute.”

atahlert@comcast.net

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