Did Iran Have Nukes? Almost Nukes? Pretend Nukes?

The NIE report on Iran has been in the works for a year at least. I know I've read a lot about it. Where was that? Let's see ... I remember. All over the place!

The NIE was returned at least three timesbecause Cheney got all gnarly about making it fit The Vader Agenda. And there was something about 164 centrifuges.

Getting 164 centrifuges to work is still a long way from having the capacity to manufacture fissile material for a nuclear weapon. ... The "key point," Negroponte asserted, "has always been the 164-cascade centrifuge."

And then this happened:

Cheney's desire for a "clean" NIE that could be used to support his aggressive policy toward Iran was apparently a major factor in the replacement of John Negroponte as director of national intelligence in early 2007.

Early 2007! That's, let's see, about 10.8 months ago, give or take a centrifuge, which as anybody knows can be planned to be acquired to make some material for a nuclear weapon, if we can get 164 of them and the basic stuff. You know, that cakey stuff. What's Arabic for "Oh, the hell with it"?