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New York Times
a day ago
- Politics
- New York Times
How the C.I.A. Lost Its Way After the Cold War
THE MISSION: The CIA in the 21st Century, by Tim Weiner On the evening of June 21, President Trump took to the airwaves to announce that his secret directive for the bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities had just been carried out. 'Tonight,' he proclaimed, 'I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success,' with those facilities 'completely and totally obliterated.' Trump's triumphalist tone was swiftly undercut by a preliminary Defense Intelligence Agency analysis that found the airstrikes had caused limited damage, and likely set back Iran's nuclear capabilities by a mere few months. The furious president not only doubled down on his 'obliterated' claim but insisted that further analysis would confirm it. Sure enough, his Central Intelligence Agency director, John Ratcliffe, soon scurried forward to cast doubt on the D.I.A.'s assessment and to insist that 'new intelligence' from an unidentified source confirmed the sites had been 'severely damaged,' not quite Trump's adverb of choice, but close. Nothing on the ground is any clearer now, but to many observers one thing is: These events served as yet another example of the rank politicization of America's pre-eminent intelligence agency. As Tim Weiner demonstrates in 'The Mission,' his latest account of misadventure at the C.I.A., this trend is likely only to accelerate with Trump in the White House. Both as a onetime reporter for The New York Times and as a book author, Weiner has made tracking the fluctuating fortunes of the American intelligence community his life's work. His masterly 'Legacy of Ashes,' detailing the C.I.A.'s first half-century, won a National Book Award in 2007. 'The Mission' picks up where that book left off, narrating the agency's history well beyond the fall of communism. It is exhaustive and prodigiously researched, but also curiously ungainly. The story begins in the 1990s. Grasping for a new mission in the wake of the Cold War, the C.I.A. played a supporting role in the war on drugs, and then, after the 9/11 attacks, the war on terror. Agents hunted for the Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan and tortured high-value prisoners in hopes of gaining information on future attacks. Much of the testimony, Weiner writes, was gathered by a quickly raised army of often inexperienced interrogators. 'If people thought we did something illegal, something immoral,' a former C.I.A. official, James Cotsana, who reportedly oversaw such interrogations, tells Weiner, 'we'll live with it. I'll live with it.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Iran can recover enriched uranium buried under Isfahan nuclear site that was bombed by US, warns Israel official
A senior Israeli official told reporters in Washington that stocks of enriched uranium that remain buried under Iran's Isfahan nuclear site, which was hit by US bombs recently, could be recovered. Much of Iran's enriched uranium is believed deeply buried at the third site, Isfahan, the official said, according to news agency AP. According to NBC News, Israel is monitoring the site closely and will not hesitate to conduct new strikes if recovery efforts begin. The US Defense Threat Reduction Agency, which designed the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator to penetrate hardened facilities, said it has yet to receive data confirming whether the bombs reached their intended depths. Two agency officials explained that without impact assessments from the field, they cannot determine if the munitions performed as engineered, reported AP. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly asserted that the June 22 strikes 'obliterated' Iran's Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan sites. CIA Director John Ratcliffe has said in a statement that a 'body of credible intelligence' shows Iran's metal conversion facility was destroyed, reported NBC News. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said, as per AP, that the strikes so severely damaged the facilities that Tehran cannot yet assess the full extent of the destruction. He suggested Iran may resume cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog once access is restored. Meanwhile, IAEA Director Rafael Grossi acknowledged significant damage to Iran's enrichment, conversion, and treatment capabilities but warned that 'if they so wish, they will be able to start doing this again.' Israel maintains that the combined US-Israeli action has set Iran's nuclear progress back by up to two years. This claim contested by a preliminary Defense Intelligence Agency report, which estimated only a several‑month delay. (With inputs from AP, NBC News)
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Israel says Iran could reach enriched uranium at nuclear site hit by U.S.
Israel believes deeply buried stocks of enriched uranium at one Iranian nuclear facility hit by the U.S. military are potentially retrievable, a senior Israeli official said. And the agency that built the U.S. 'bunker buster' bombs dropped on two other nuclear sites said on Thursday (July 10, 2025) that it is still waiting for data to be able to determine if those munitions reached their targets. Both developments widen the views on the damage from last month's strikes, when the United States inserted itself in Israel's war in a bid to eliminate the threat of Iran developing a nuclear weapon. Iran says its program is peaceful. President Donald Trump is adamant that the U.S. strikes 'obliterated' the three Iranian nuclear facilities it targeted. International assessments and an initial U.S. intelligence assessment have been more measured, with the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency saying in a preliminary report that the strikes did significant damage to the Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan sites, but did not destroy them. CIA Director John Ratcliffe has since told skeptical U.S. lawmakers that American military strikes destroyed Iran's lone metal conversion facility, a setback to the nuclear program that would take years to overcome, and that the intelligence community assessed that the vast majority of Iran's amassed enriched uranium likely remains buried under the rubble at Isfahan and Fordo. The White House didn't immediately respond to messages seeking comment on Thursday. Much of Iran's enriched uranium is believed deeply buried at the third site, Isfahan, the senior Israeli official said. The U.S. used B-2 stealth bombers to target the Fordo and Natanz sites. The official spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity to share Israeli assessments that had not been made public. Israel believes Iran's enriched uranium was distributed in the three sites and had not been moved, the Israeli official said. Nuclear and nonproliferation experts have warned that Iranians could have moved the stockpiles somewhere safer as Israeli strikes pounded Iran last month and expectation grew that the U.S. military might join in. The enriched uranium at Isfahan could potentially be retrieved by Iranians but reaching it would take a very difficult recovery effort, the Israeli official said. Mr. Trump and other administration officials have rebuffed suggestions that the June 22 US strikes did anything short of wiping out the nuclear sites. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said they were 'destroyed.' Two officials from the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency, which spent decades designing the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs specifically to destroy Iran's facilities, said they still did not know yet if the munitions had reached the depths the bombs had been engineered for. Those officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide additional details on the bombs that had not been previously announced. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in an interview published on Monday said the U.S. airstrikes so badly damaged his country's nuclear facilities that Iranian authorities still have not been able to access them to survey the destruction. Mr. Pezeshkian added in the interview with conservative American broadcaster Tucker Carlson that Iran would be willing to resume cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog but cannot yet commit to allowing its inspectors unfettered access to monitor the sites. 'We stand ready to have such supervision,' Mr. Pezeshkian said. 'Unfortunately, as a result of the United States' unlawful attacks against our nuclear centers and installations, many of the pieces of equipment and the facilities there have been severely damaged.' Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said late last month that the three Iranian sites with 'capabilities in terms of treatment, conversion and enrichment of uranium have been destroyed to an important degree.' But, he added, because capabilities remain, 'if they so wish, they will be able to start doing this again.' He said assessing the full damage comes down to Iran allowing in inspectors. 'Frankly speaking, one cannot claim that everything has disappeared, and there is nothing there,' Mr. Grossi said.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israel says Iran could reach enriched uranium at a nuclear site hit by US
WASHINGTON (AP) — Israel believes deeply buried stocks of enriched uranium at one Iranian nuclear facility hit by the U.S. military are potentially retrievable, a senior Israeli official said. And the agency that built the U.S. 'bunker buster' bombs dropped on two other nuclear sites said Thursday that it is still waiting for data to be able to determine if those munitions reached their targets. Both developments widen the views on the damage from last month's strikes, when the United States inserted itself in Israel's war in a bid to eliminate the threat of Iran developing a nuclear weapon. Iran says its program is peaceful. President Donald Trump is adamant that the U.S. strikes 'obliterated' the three Iranian nuclear facilities it targeted. International assessments and an initial U.S. intelligence assessment have been more measured, with the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency saying in a preliminary report that the strikes did significant damage to the Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan sites, but did not destroy them. CIA Director John Ratcliffe has since told skeptical U.S. lawmakers that American military strikes destroyed Iran's lone metal conversion facility, a setback to the nuclear program that would take years to overcome, and that the intelligence community assessed that the vast majority of Iran's amassed enriched uranium likely remains buried under the rubble at Isfahan and Fordo. The White House didn't immediately respond to messages seeking comment Thursday. Much of Iran's enriched uranium is believed deeply buried at the third site, Isfahan, the senior Israeli official said. The U.S. used B-2 stealth bombers to target the Fordo and Natanz sites. The official spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity to share Israeli assessments that had not been made public. Israel believes Iran's enriched uranium was distributed in the three sites and had not been moved, the Israeli official said. Nuclear and nonproliferation experts have warned that Iranians could have moved the stockpiles somewhere safer as Israeli strikes pounded Iran last month and expectation grew that the U.S. military might join in. The enriched uranium at Isfahan could potentially be retrieved by Iranians but reaching it would take a very difficult recovery effort, the Israeli official said. Trump and other administration officials have rebuffed suggestions that the June 22 U.S. strikes did anything short of wiping out the nuclear sites. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said they were 'destroyed.' Two officials from the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency, which spent decades designing the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs specifically to destroy Iran's facilities, said they still did not know yet if the munitions had reached the depths the bombs had been engineered for. Those officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide additional details on the bombs that had not been previously announced. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in an interview published Monday said the U.S. airstrikes so badly damaged his country's nuclear facilities that Iranian authorities still have not been able to access them to survey the destruction. Pezeshkian added in the interview with conservative American broadcaster Tucker Carlson that Iran would be willing to resume cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog but cannot yet commit to allowing its inspectors unfettered access to monitor the sites. 'We stand ready to have such supervision,' Pezeshkian said. 'Unfortunately, as a result of the United States' unlawful attacks against our nuclear centers and installations, many of the pieces of equipment and the facilities there have been severely damaged.' Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said late last month that the three Iranian sites with 'capabilities in terms of treatment, conversion and enrichment of uranium have been destroyed to an important degree.' But, he added, because capabilities remain, 'if they so wish, they will be able to start doing this again.' He said assessing the full damage comes down to Iran allowing in inspectors. 'Frankly speaking, one cannot claim that everything has disappeared, and there is nothing there,' Grossi said.
Hamilton Spectator
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Israel says Iran could reach enriched uranium at a nuclear site hit by US
WASHINGTON (AP) — Israel believes deeply buried stocks of enriched uranium at one Iranian nuclear facility hit by the U.S. military are potentially retrievable, a senior Israeli official said. And the agency that built the U.S. 'bunker buster' bombs dropped on two other nuclear sites said Thursday that it is still waiting for data to be able to determine if those munitions reached their targets. Both developments widen the views on the damage from last month's strikes , when the United States inserted itself in Israel's war in a bid to eliminate the threat of Iran developing a nuclear weapon. Iran says its program is peaceful. President Donald Trump is adamant that the U.S. strikes 'obliterated' the three Iranian nuclear facilities it targeted. International assessments and an initial U.S. intelligence assessment have been more measured, with the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency saying in a preliminary report that the strikes did significant damage to the Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan sites, but did not destroy them. CIA Director John Ratcliffe has since told skeptical U.S. lawmakers that American military strikes destroyed Iran's lone metal conversion facility, a setback to the nuclear program that would take years to overcome, and that the intelligence community assessed that the vast majority of Iran's amassed enriched uranium likely remains buried under the rubble at Isfahan and Fordo. The White House didn't immediately respond to messages seeking comment Thursday. Much of Iran's enriched uranium is believed deeply buried at the third site, Isfahan, the senior Israeli official said. The U.S. used B-2 stealth bombers to target the Fordo and Natanz sites. The official spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity to share Israeli assessments that had not been made public. Israel believes Iran's enriched uranium was distributed in the three sites and had not been moved, the Israeli official said. Nuclear and nonproliferation experts have warned that Iranians could have moved the stockpiles somewhere safer as Israeli strikes pounded Iran last month and expectation grew that the U.S. military might join in. The enriched uranium at Isfahan could potentially be retrieved by Iranians but reaching it would take a very difficult recovery effort, the Israeli official said. Trump and other administration officials have rebuffed suggestions that the June 22 U.S. strikes did anything short of wiping out the nuclear sites. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said they were 'destroyed.' Two officials from the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency, which spent decades designing the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs specifically to destroy Iran's facilities, said they still did not know yet if the munitions had reached the depths the bombs had been engineered for. Those officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide additional details on the bombs that had not been previously announced. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in an interview published Monday said the U.S. airstrikes so badly damaged his country's nuclear facilities that Iranian authorities still have not been able to access them to survey the destruction. Pezeshkian added in the interview with conservative American broadcaster Tucker Carlson that Iran would be willing to resume cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog but cannot yet commit to allowing its inspectors unfettered access to monitor the sites. 'We stand ready to have such supervision,' Pezeshkian said. 'Unfortunately, as a result of the United States' unlawful attacks against our nuclear centers and installations, many of the pieces of equipment and the facilities there have been severely damaged.' Rafael Grossi , head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said late last month that the three Iranian sites with 'capabilities in terms of treatment, conversion and enrichment of uranium have been destroyed to an important degree.' But, he added, because capabilities remain, 'if they so wish, they will be able to start doing this again.' He said assessing the full damage comes down to Iran allowing in inspectors. 'Frankly speaking, one cannot claim that everything has disappeared, and there is nothing there,' Grossi said. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
