Monday, September 17, 2012

ABC News Reporter Makes Specious Claim That Iran Is Capable Of Producing Nuclear Weapons In Four Weeks


http://thinkprogress.org/security/2012/09/16/855731/abc-news-reporter-makes-specious-claim-that-iran-is-capable-of-producing-nuclear-weapons-in-four-weeks/

fact or fiction?
On ABC’s This Week, ABC News reporter Brian Ross responded to a question from host Jake Tapper about when Iran might be capable of producing a nuclear weapon by claiming that if Iran decides to pursue them, they could acquire a nuclear weapon in as little as four weeks.
 Ross was met with incredulity by the rest of the This Week panel, including foreign correspondent Christiane Amanpour:
TAPPER: Brian, very quickly, what are your sources telling you about how far the Iranians are when it comes to building a nuclear device?
ROSS: Four to six weeks away, if they made the decision to do it. That’s some of the intelligence. They haven’t made that decision, that’s the key.
AMANPOUR: That has been so vastly disproved. Others say that it could be a year. So, this is a guessing game that has gone on for years.
is right wing hoof in mouth spreading?  if this had any validity wouldn't Netanyahu have stated such a deadline in his fierce urgengcy of now?
Ross’ timeline is way off the mark. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta just last week addressed the potential timeline for an Iranian nuclear device, telling CBS News that it would take at least a year for the Iranians to build any kind of nuclear weapon if they decide to pursue it. “It’s going to take them a while once they make the decision to do it,” he said.
According to U.S. and Israeli intelligence and the International Atomic Energy Agency, there have been no indications as of yet that Iran has even decided to actively pursue a nuclear weapons program.
another right wing 11th hour attempt to scare "we the people"?