SHOW: WORLD NEWS TONIGHT WITH PETER JENNINGS (06:30 PM ET) - ABC March 9, 2005
Wanted: Intelligence Nuclear Program
PETER JENNINGS, ABC NEWS
(Off Camera) On the subject of intelligence, "The New York Times" reported this morning that a report on American intelligence about Iran's alleged nuclear weapons capability is inadequate. The Bush administration accuses Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons. Iran says it isn't true. Poor intelligence is a very big issue. So we asked our national security correspondent Martha Raddatz to work on this today. What did you find?
MARTHA RADDATZ, ABC NEWS
(Off Camera) Well, Peter, this report is still in draft form. It's not due out until the end of the month, and no one I talked to had seen it.
MARTHA RADDATZ
(Voice Over) The "Times" says one source described American intelligence on Iran as "scandalous," given the relative openness of the country. A senior administration official tells ABC News the failure is in human intelligence, spies on the ground. Today, the president would not directly answer questions about the commission report.
PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH, UNITED STATES
I think it's very important to, for the United States to continue to work with our friends and allies, which believe that the Iranians want a nuclear weapon.
MARTHA RADDATZ
(Voice Over) Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said today she had not seen the report, but suggested it would not change her mind.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE
There is enough evidence that there are problems with Iran's civilian nuclear power ambitions.
MARTHA RADDATZ
(Voice Over) The commission report could have serious consequences for the US. If a presidential commission here is not impressed with intelligence, what are the chances that US allies will be?
JOHN PIKE, GLOBALSECURITY.ORG
Given the intelligence failure that we had with Iraq, I think that the administration is simply not going to be able to convince much of the rest of the world that Iran is working on atomic bombs.
MARTHA RADDATZ
(Off Camera) The administration is also awaiting a report from the National Intelligence Council, Peter, but if you will recall, the National Intelligence Council was the group that was so certain that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.
PETER JENNINGS
(Off Camera) Many thanks, Martha. Martha Raddatz at the Pentagon today.
PETER JENNINGS
(Off Camera) Speaking of Iraq, in Iraq today, progress and the usual violence. The US Said today there are now 2,000 separate reconstruction projects going on. It is, as we've said before, hard to get out in the country and record them.
PETER JENNINGS
(Voice Over) And here's the day's body count, 15 bodies found south of Baghdad all decapitated. An Iraqi soldier died and 30 American contractors were wounded when a suicide bomber drove a garbage truck near a hotel early this morning. And an American soldier was killed when a small bomb exploded near his patrol.
PETER JENNINGS
(Off Camera) Still overseas, the Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, today disagreed with the US again about the shooting in Baghdad last Friday. An Italian intelligence agent and an Italian journalist was wounded. Actually, the journalist was wounded and the intelligence agent was killed. Mr. Berlusconi said today US forces did know that the Italians were on their way taking her to the airport, which contradicts what the US has said so far.
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