Seymour Hersh: The Admin's war to bomb Iran

Seymour Hersh's latest article is the very definition of required reading.

The New Yorker's surliest investigative reporter traces the administration's and intelligence agencies' internal debate on the alleged status and ambitions of Iran's nuclear program. But, just as important as these more technical issues, Hersh also records the words of those souls more familiar with the Middle East -- and Iran in particular -- who warn that Iran may well benefit from an attack, and American security receive a severe blow, as it has the potential to unite the Islamic world against a common enemy. Us.

I've pulled choice quotes but the whole thing is worth the read.

For more on Iran, watch the Ritter VIDEO and read today's top story, an excerpt from Scott Ritter's new book, Target Iran.

The C.I.A.'s analysis, which has been circulated to other agencies for comment, was based on technical intelligence collected by overhead satellites, and on other empirical evidence, such as measurements of the radioactivity of water samples and smoke plumes from factories and power plants. Additional data have been gathered, intelligence sources told me, by high-tech (and highly classified) radioactivity-detection devices that clandestine American and Israeli agents placed near suspected nuclear-weapons facilities inside Iran in the past year or so. No significant amounts of radioactivity were found.