Speaking at the National Press Club this morning, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-MN) called Iran “a danger to every nation in the world,” and claimed that, according to “intelligence,” “we know that they [Iran] already have a nuclear capability.”
This is at odds with the CIA’s March 2010 report (pdf) to Congress, which did not state that Iran had already achieved a weapons capability, but that:
We continue to assess Iran is keeping open the option to develop nuclear weapons in part by developing various nuclear capabilities that bring it closer to being able to produce such weapons, should it choose to do so. We do not know, however, if Iran will eventually decide to build nuclear weapons.
Bachmann may have been misled by a sensational(ly dishonest) Washington Times headline that screamed “CIA: Iran capable of producing nukes.” In the body of that story, however, reporter Bill Gertz acknowledges the CIA report actually states nothing of the kind, but rather “reflects the published conclusion of a controversial 2007 National Intelligence Estimate that stated Iran had halted work on nuclear weapons in 2003.”
The promotional materials for this morning’s event, hosted by the right-wing organization Freedom Watch, condemned the Obama administration’s policy of “appeasement” and stated that, as Iran “introduces nuclear weapons into the Middle East… the Islamic regime of fraudulently-elected President Ahmadinejad must be removed now, before it is too late.”
Bachmann also called for the U.S. to support the People’s Mujahideen of Iran, also known as the Mujahideen Khalq Organization (MKO), an organization previously supported by Saddam Hussein and listed by the State Department as a terrorist organization since 1997 for alleged attacks on Americans.
Referring to the People’s Mujahideen Bachmann said, “We have shackled this freedom-seeking group which has the ability to help Iranians rise up against that tyrannical regime.”
I predicted last week that we should expect to see conservative calls for the U.S. to support the People’s Mujahideen — which, like the Iraqi National Congress, enjoys little actual support among the people they propose to lead in revolution — though I’m actually a bit surprised to see it come so soon.
Connect With Us