(CNSNews.com) – President Obama appeared to concede this week that under a final nuclear deal, Iran — after 13 or so years — would be able to build a nuclear bomb quickly if it chooses to do so. But State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf insisted later that the words had been misread.
Harf told a daily briefing that Obama’s words “were a little mixed up” and “a little muddled,” saying they had referred to a hypothetical state of affairs in which an agreement had not been reached, rather than the situation as it will be in 13 years’ time under a negotiated agreement.
A crucial declared achievement in last week’s framework agreement is extending Iran’s “breakout” time – the period of time it would take the Iranians to acquire the material needed for one nuclear weapon, once it initiates the work – to at least one year, from current estimates of two or three months.
According to the State Department, that minimum one-year breakout situation will pertain “for a duration of at least ten years.”
More at CNS News
Speaking of confused and muddled….
I suppose, when Tel Aviv is a smoking, radioactive ruin, Obama could explain, “I guess I could have stated that differently.”
Hmmm … if Obama is a “little mixed-up” and a “little muddled”, then who’s responsible for his state of confusion? Oh, that’s right, it’s Bush’s fault he’s all confused about this Iran thing.