During a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on national security threats, National Intelligence Director John D. Negroponte and other officials expressed a new level of concern over Iran's capabilities and intentions, saying the Islamic regime's pursuit of nuclear weapons was only one element of its increasingly aggressive behavior.
"Iran's influence is rising in ways that go beyond the menace of its nuclear program," said Negroponte, ticking off several developments that had emboldened the country in the last year.
Among them, he said, was an increase in oil revenue that allowed greater funding of terrorist activities, and a belief in Iran and Lebanon that Hezbollah — the Tehran-sponsored militant group based in Lebanon — was the victor in heavy fighting with Israel last summer.
Iran "regards its ability to conduct terrorist operations abroad as a key element of its national security strategy," Negroponte said, adding that Hezbollah, which the United States classifies as a terrorist organization, "could decide to conduct attacks against U.S. interests if it feels its survival — or that of Iran — is threatened." (LA Times)
I suppose most of us have lost all confidence in the US intelligence community -at least the top-men - as anything other than political lackeys carrying the water for the "greater good".
Thus, this this multi-pronged approach by Negroponte, laying out multiple reasons why Iran is a threat is no surprise. He is just one more drummer in Bush's band beating war drums. We will see more and more of this.
It appears that Bush and company learned a little from their initial WMD failures in Iraq. Instead of focusing just on Iran's terrorist connections or their nuclear program they have decided to take the smorgasbord approach - listing many reasons early on. That way, after it all begins they have a fall back plan.
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