People won't be fooled every time

What to believe? Is Iran building nuclear weapons or not? Iran says not, and so does the CIA National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), which claims the pursuit of nuclear arms was abandoned four years ago.

But President George W. Bush believes the report is spurious, as does former US ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, who calls the report a "quasi-putsch", alleging it attempts to influence political policy.

Now, apparently, British spy chiefs have aligned themselves with Bush, and also have serious doubts on the report, and especially its timing, being prior to further discussions of tougher new sanctions against Iran.

It seems to be a conspiracy within a conspiracy, leaving the layperson more mystified than ever.

One thing is sure, though, and that is the credibility of the intelligence services in the US and the UK has reached an all-time low, which started soon after September 11, 2001. Since then there has been one intelligence failure after another, including the fiasco of claims of weapons of mass destruction stockpiled in Iraq, which "justified" the invasion of that country and the capture and execution of its leader, Saddam Hussain.

Many believe the claims of a nuclear arsenal existing in Iran are to serve one purpose only: an opportunity to bring down Iran and its leadership and install a pro-West puppet leadership instead, as in Iraq. But equally, there are many Americans and Britons who can see through this transparent ploy and regard the claims as parallel example of the boy who cried "Wolf!"

With both the US and the UK being fully committed to fighting battles in foreign arenas, the possibility of targeting Iran and its mighty military forces may seem slim. But desperate times call for desperate measures and both Bush and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown are desperate because of failed domestic policies, so they may seek diversionary tactics.