Avatar photoCuba BW "Program" Redux

I had an interesting conversation with Steve Weisman at the New York Times regarding his story on the “new” intelligence estimate that concludes “it is no longer clear that Cuba has an active, offensive bio-weapons program.” We still disagree about whether his story is misleading or not—in part, I suppose, because we see different things …

Avatar photoCIA Declassifies 1948-1972 NIEs on China

The CIA has partially declassified “over seventy National Intelligence Estimates on China covering the period 1948-76.” The Agency claims this is “the largest such release ever made at one time.” The documents were also published in a book and CD/ROM entitled Tracking the Dragon: Selected National Intelligence Estimates on China, 1948-1976 and were the subject …

Avatar photoVandenberg, Greely … Fylingdales?

The Independent reports that Washington and London have secretly agreed to place a US missile defense interceptor site at RAF Fylingdales in the UK. London insists Washington made no formal request to site the missiles, but The Independent reports a deal “in principle” that includes Washington’s agreement to withold any formal request until after the …

Avatar photoNorth Korea … after further review

Paul is right; Chuck Kartman is talking about North Korea’s ability to reprocess Pu during the pre-1994 period. As for the post-2002 period (when North Korea may have reprocessed 8,000 spent fuel rods frozen under the 1994 Agreed Framework). In reference to the post-2002 period, Kartman warned the European Parliament (in April 2004) that “I …