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The New York Times' 'fit to print' version of the IAEA in Iran
The New York Times is putting out its standard fare on Iran's nuclear program as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) releases its latest report. Under the headline "Atomic Agency is Pressed on Iran Records", the Times reported last week that the U.S. is "pressing" the IAEA "to make public evidence that they believe points toward an Iranian drive to gain the ability to build a nuclear weapon, part of a broad effort to build a case for far more punishing sanctions against the country."
This is a truly remarkable version of events, given the actual facts, which are uncontroversial and acknowledged by the Times either here or elsewhere. The "evidence" in question is information purported to have come from a laptop computer that was purportedly smuggled out of Iran and obtained by U.S. intelligence. The U.S. insists the laptop documents show strong evidence of an Iranian nuclear weapons program. The IAEA refers to them in their reports as "the alleged studies", appropriately (if we disbelieve the new official version, that is).
There are alternative versions out there.