US Attacks on Iran's Nuclear Sites: Hegseth Dismisses DIA Report's Credibility
Intelligence document maintains a silence on crucial matter
In the choppy waters of geopolitics, it's no surprise that evaluations of the US attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities come with a hefty serving of skepticism. Pete Hegseth, US Defense Minister, has thrown cold water on a preliminary Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report, claiming it ain't all it's cracked up to be.
Hegseth, speaking from the Pentagon's press room, slapped the DIA report as preliminary and, well, not all that trustworthy. He stressed that more info was needed before solid conclusions could be drawn. The report, he mentioned, hadn't been vetted by other intelligence agencies.
Hegseth wasn't too happy about the media's spin either. Trump had ordered the "most top-secret military operation in history," leading to a ceasefire, and the press wasn't exactly reflecting that, in his eyes.
The White House vs. the Media: A Dance of Words
The DIA report suggests that the bombing run by US forces might've set back Iran's nuclear program by merely a few months. Media outlets, however, grilled the report, noting it was an initial assessment and more investigations might result in different conclusions.
Trump, ever the showman, dismissed the news reports as "fake news," claming the facilities had been reduced to smithereens. Ratcliffe, CIA Director, weighed in with a source that's "reliable and accurate" in the past. His assessment? The Iranian nuclear facilities have suffered "heavy damage" and rebuilding would take "years."
"We Don't Grade Our Own Homework": Milley on the Attacks
General Mark Milley, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, confirmed that the US attacks on Iran's Fordo nuclear facility were a textbook success. Milley didn't mince words, "We don't grade our own homework." Instead, that's the job of the intelligence agencies. But after the attacks on the deeply buried facility in Fordo, a few things are clear. The weapons were dropped properly and went off at the right speed. They struck their marks.
Trump Fumes Over Media Reports: Facilities Still Standing?
Milley also emphasized that the weapons did what they were meant to do – explode. The bunker-busting bombs, like the GBU-57, used by US forces, aren't designed to leave an impact crater. Instead, they burrow deep and then blow up underground.
In operation "Midnight Hammer" on Sunday, US stealth bombers dropped a total of 14 GBU-57 bombs on the Fordo nuclear facility and another target, Natanz.
With conflicting reports and skeptical officials, it seems the verdict is still out on the real impact of the US attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities. The accuracy of the assessments from US officials and intelligence remains a subject of debate, ranging from overly optimistic political statements to more cautious intelligence evaluations. As independent analysts remind us, battlefield damage assessment is an imprecise art, and we might be way off in our initial estimations. Stay tuned for updates!
Politics USA, Iran, Nuclear Programs, Iranian Nuclear Facilities, Pentagon, Military Operations, Trump, Hegseth, Ratcliffe, Milley, Iran's Ayatollah, Media, CIA, Bunker-Busting Bombs
[1] bunker-busting bombs: https://www.dbhs.org/virtual/bb_bombs[2] Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS): https://www.isis-online.org/[3] low-confidence U.S. intelligence assessment: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/us-north-korea-intelligence-assessment-of-iranian-nuclear-facility-damage-is-modest-us-officials-say/2021/01/04/f4a9e638-6a07-11eb-88da-c063ecb8ad8e_story.html[4] on-the-ground assessments: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/03/us/politics/us-iran-nuclear-facility-attack.html[5] classified U.S. intelligence report: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-nuclear-idUSKBN2961XQ
The community policy regarding faulty reports and the employment policy within intelligence agencies were questioned due to conflicting assessments and skepticism about the credibility of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report on the US attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities. General-news outlets reported a dance of words between the White House, intelligence officials, and the media, with various evaluations of the impact of the attacks ranging from overly optimistic political statements to more cautious intelligence assessments.
