How did such a patently bogus article get through the editors at ABC news?
Seriously, the article has one source, and one source alone that says an Iranian nuke could be possible by 2009. And what does this one source base this completely unrealistic claim on? 1,000 new centrifuges Iran is installing at Natanz, which the articles notes, are not even operational.
As David Albright says, "If they continue at this pace, and they get the centrifuges to work and actually enrich uranium on a distinct basis," said David Albright of the Institute for Science and International Security, "then you're looking at them having, potentially having enough highly enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon in 2009."
But if you go back and look at the record and see how long it has taken for Iran to get where they are you realize what garbage this article is. We've been expecting Iran to install 3,000 centrifuges for some time. And now that they've installed / that number we're going to blow it up into a crisis? First it was 3,000 centrifuges that make up the red line, now it's 1,000?
Please. This is nothing more than disinformation, a well timed leak doled out to Ross and ABC. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Update 11:12PM Central Time: I just watched the Brian Ross investigative report at ABCNews.com and I cannot begin to tell you how shoddy and sensationalistic it is. Watch it for yourself. It really doesn't get any worse than this. Every single claim in the video hinges on one major "IF."
"If they can get the centrifuges to work . . ." Did you get that? Exactly: the centrifuges don't even work! How outrageous is that? Scare us to death with the prospect of mad Iranian nukes in the region when the technology they have doesn't even work.
Pathetic and shoddy and meant only to excite our emotions.