The New York Times reports:

A leading British research institute said today that Iran was at least five years away from producing sufficient material for “a single nuclear weapon” – but only if it chose to ignore international reaction and “throw caution to the wind.” The International Institute for Strategic Studies…

Memories, like the corner of my something, something, mumble mind:

In June this year [2002] we determined that the evolving debate over Iraq was crying out for objective information on Iraq’s current likely capabilities, and that the IISS had an obligation to put before a wider public the best available information. […]

In conclusion, war, sanctions and inspections have reversed and retarded, but not eliminated Iraq?s nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and long range missile capacities[.] […]

A reasonable net assessment is that Iraq has no nuclear weapons but could build one quickly if it acquired sufficient fissile material. It has extensive biological weapons capabilities and a smaller chemical weapons stockpile. It has a small force of ballistic missiles with a range of 650km, that are capable of delivering CBW warheads, and has prepared other delivery methods for CBW, including manned aircraft and UAVs.

Ah yes, attack of the drones.

Somehow we can’t help but think that the Institute is to this type of research what the Human Fund is to philanthropy.