Reply #18: (Congressional) Report rips U.S. intelligence on Iran

[sabra]

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14489338/

Report rips U.S. intelligence on Iran
House panel points to ‘major gaps,’ draws parallels to Iraq failures

WASHINGTON - The U.S. intelligence community is ill-prepared to assess Iran's nuclear weapons capabilities and its intentions for developing weapons of mass destruction, a congressional report said Wednesday.

Noting "significant gaps in our knowledge and understanding of the various areas of concern about Iran," the House Intelligence Committee staff report questioned whether the United States could even effectively engage in talks with Tehran on ways to defuse tensions.

The Bush administration said it was handling the problem.

"The Office of the Director of National Intelligence is already taking steps along the lines the committee has recommended," said a spokeswoman, reading from a statement.