Iran's Nuclear Project, the Idiocy of the NIE, and NYRB

Remember the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) from three months ago, which "proved" that Iran had ceased to seek nuclear weapons back in 2003, and which thereby severely crimped the ability of the rest of the world to pressure Iran to desist, since it had already desisted? Of course you do. Well, it ain't necessarily so, as the NYT is honest enough to explain in a longish report. Not only are the Iranians very likely still moving forward, it turns out that the story of the publication of that NIE was murkier than previously admitted.

(At the time my assessment was that the authors of the report simply didn't know what they were talking about).

Update: Of course, the folks at the NYRB, ever eager to assume the best about the worst, and the worst about the best, have just put up a call for embracing Iran by the US, since the NIE has proven that the Iranians aren't so bad, are they.