War U.S. Intel Assessment Finds Strikes Failed to Destroy Iran's Nuclear Sites

https://www.informationliberation.com/?id=64968 (A)

US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities "did not collapse underground buildings" and only set their nuclear capabilities back "by a few months," Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing a source familiar with findings of a new classified Defense Intelligence Agency intel assessment.

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From Reuters, "US strikes failed to destroy Iran's nuclear sites, intelligence report says":

U.S. airstrikes did not destroy Iran's nuclear capability and only set it back by a few months, according to a preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment, as a shaky ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump took hold between Iran and Israel.

Earlier on Tuesday, both Iran and Israel signaled that the air war between the two nations had ended, at least for now, after Trump publicly scolded them for violating a ceasefire he announced at 0500 GMT.

As the two countries lifted civilian restrictions after 12 days of war - which the U.S. joined with an attack on Iran's uranium-enrichment facilities - each sought to claim victory.

Trump said over the weekend that the U.S. deployment of 30,000-pound bombs had "obliterated" Iran's nuclear program. But that claim appeared to be contradicted by an initial assessment by one of his administration's intelligence agencies, according to three people familiar with the matter.

One of the sources said Iran's enriched uranium stocks had not been eliminated, and the country's nuclear program, much of which is buried deep underground, may have been set back only a month or two. Iran says its nuclear research is for civilian energy production.

The White House said the intelligence assessment was "flat out wrong." According to the report, which was produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency, the strikes sealed off the entrances to two of the facilities, but did not collapse underground buildings, said one of the people familiar with its findings.

Some centrifuges still remained intact after the attacks, the Washington Post said, citing an unnamed person familiar with the report.

Trump's administration told the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday that its weekend strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities had "degraded" Iran's nuclear program, short of Trump's earlier assertion that the facilities had been "obliterated."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that the attack on Iran had removed the threat of nuclear annihilation and was determined to thwart any attempt by Tehran to revive its weapons program.

"We have removed two immediate existential threats to us: the threat of nuclear annihilation and the threat of annihilation by 20,000 ballistic missiles," Netanyahu said.

The GBU-57A/B bunker busters were developed in a half-billion dollar program the US created just for this task.

It appears they failed.

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Now the face-saving begins.

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Leaking the truth about these suspected failed strikes to the American people is "treasonous," Trump envoy/golfing buddy Steve Witkoff says.

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2:11

No doubt the pressure is already building to attack Iran again.

The Israelis -- always ones to show their gratitude -- are blaming Trump for the unprovoked war they started appearing to backfire.

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From Ary Jeay:

In an interview on the Israeli I24news network:

“The Iranian Fordow nuclear facility can only be destroyed from the inside. Let’s stop with illusions and fantasies—it can only be done from within, or with 100’s of bombs dropped one after another.

What’s troubling is this: We set a goal to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program—but we failed to do it. Iran still has enriched uranium, and it still has key (untouched) active facilities.

And I say this with great caution: The Iranians have not said their final word. Those who don’t understand the Shiites, the Arab world, or the Iranians don’t realize that as the Bedouins say: Revenge is served cold.

This was a mistake. Trump truly made a huge blunder. I hope we won’t be the ones to pay the price for Trump’s blunder.”

This is the "thanks" you get, Mr. President.

 

[666NASTYFUCKINGFREAK666]

@John Badman We need boots on the ground to fix this.

 

[WE'RE ALL GONNA]

This was a mistake. Trump truly made a huge blunder. I hope we won’t be the ones to pay the price for Trump’s blunder.”

What was the saying? "The jew complains as you wipe their ass?"

 

[One Winged Pear Farmer]

“We were just joking about the ceasefire to confuse our enemies” spin incoming

 

[LaxerBRO]

Just tell Iran that if they continue any more work at that facility they will be bombed again.

 

[Angry Alt Right Nerd]

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

 

[quaawaa]

TL;DR: Israelis and their shills mad that Trump accomplished their stated goal and refused to help them accomplish their real goal of regime change.

 

[merpalerpaherp]

It likely they didn't fail IMO, the pictures only tell one side of the story. The blast and/or shockwave is likely to have rendered the centrifuges inoperable and they're required to further enrich any uranium Iran saved. Damage, collapse, destruction of the support site are all just secondary goals, as long as the centrifuges are damaged it's a win.

 

[Snekposter]

citing a source familiar with

So, its bullshit then.

 

[John Badman]

@John Badman We need boots on the ground to fix this.

There’s nothing better than the smell of dead goy in the morning.

 

[Rei is Shit.]

Uhm, excuse me sweetie, it was just like Top Gun 2 or Star Wars. What do you mean physics in real life doesn't change for the good guys?

 

[JackoVerde]

It likely they didn't fail IMO, the pictures only tell one side of the story. The blast and/or shockwave is likely to have rendered the centrifuges inoperable and they're required to further enrich any uranium Iran saved. Damage, collapse, destruction of the support site are all just secondary goals, as long as the centrifuges are damaged it's a win.

You probably don’t want to work in heavily damaged underground structures where the support that keeps layers of rock from collapsing on you is in question.
It’s why it’s a really bad idea to climb into old mine shafts.

 

[Soso]

Are we really that surprised?

 

[merpalerpaherp]

You probably don’t want to work in heavily damaged underground structures where the support that keeps layers of rock from collapsing on you is in question.
It’s why it’s a really bad idea to climb into old mine shafts.

Yes, but you can always clear and resupport old mine shafts. It's a pain, but if there's a wall of gold or supply of caked uranium you're going to try. Those centrifuges on the other hand are extremely hard and costly to replace.

 

[VF-1J Armored Valkyrie]

Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing a source familiar with findings

Oh look, it's literally nothing. The reality is probably somewhere in the middle, as always; bad enough to render the facility useless, maybe permanently maybe not, but definitely not in a way that makes future work impossible. Call it 5 years before they're back the same spot.

 

[Zorak Prison Pod]

(mind melding with a giant vulva bug)

They're coping. THEY'RE COPING!

 

[Divine right to rule]

Seems like only Trump got his goal and nobody else did.

 

[Unarmed Gunman]

Seems like only Trump got his goal and nobody else did.

This would actually be pretty brilliant if his plan was to just look like he was doing something to stop the war, and putting Israel on their back foot by getting Netanyahu to praise the bombing and agree to the ceasefire, and then ..nothing. The problem is, Israel is not afraid to look like the bad guy and do whatever they want anyway so they're pretty much immune to political pressure. But I guess you could argue it gives the US an out by letting Trump say "we already helped you, our "greatest ally", now you're on your own if you keep going".

Or maybe as Jesus himself once said, "nothing ever happens".

 

[Disdainer of the Plebs]

Someone check John McCain’s grave, I bet his corpse is popping a woody at this news.

 

[JohnnyG]

I really hope this is giving normies a massive case of Middle East Fatigue.

I could not care less about these eternal desert tribe conflicts, but don't want to fund them or deal with the gorillion rapefugees they unleash. Give everyone short-range portable suns and they can learn to be civilized, or not.