Fox News Watch announcer teased NIE discussion by referring to “Iran's nukes”

Written by Brian Levy

Published

On Fox News Watch, an announcer teased a discussion about coverage of the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iran by stating: “Iran's nukes. The president claims a new intelligence report proves Iran still dangerous.” In fact, the NIE said: “We continue to assess with moderate-to-high confidence that Iran does not currently have a nuclear weapon.”


On the December 8 edition of Fox News Watch, an announcer teased an upcoming discussion about media response to and coverage of the December 3 release of the key judgments of a National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iran by stating: “Iran's nukes. The president claims a new intelligence report proves Iran still dangerous.” The announcer's statement was followed by a video clip of President Bush saying: “The Iranian government has more to explain about its nuclear intentions and past actions.” In fact, the key judgments said: “We judge with high confidence that in fall 2003, Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program. ... We assess with moderate confidence Tehran had not restarted its nuclear weapons program as of mid-2007, but we do not know whether it currently intends to develop nuclear weapons. We continue to assess with moderate-to-high confidence that Iran does not currently have a nuclear weapon.”

Returning from commercial break, host Eric Burns said that the NIE was a “report from 16 separate intelligence agencies that indicates that Iran put a halt to its nuclear weapons program in 2003, which is even earlier than we had thought they did.” Burns did not explain what he meant by the comment that Iran had halted its nuclear weapons program “even earlier than we thought they did.”

From the December 8 edition of Fox News Watch:

BURNS: This is a tough show, Rachel [Sklar, Huffington Post media editor]. This is a tough show. [Newsday columnist] Jim's [Pinkerton] dying to say something, and I --

SKLAR: I know you're --

BURNS: I'm not even going to look at him. We have to take a break now. We'll be back with this.

ANNOUNCER: Iran's nukes. The president claims a new intelligence report proves Iran still dangerous.

BUSH [video clip]: The Iranian government has more to explain about its nuclear intentions and past actions.

ANNOUNCER: He claims the report's a victory for him. What are the media claiming? Next on News Watch.

[...]

BUSH [video clip]: Iran was dangerous, Iran is dangerous, and Iran will be dangerous if they have the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon.

BURNS: That sounds clear enough, but what's confusing to some people -- especially some people in the press -- is that President Bush made that comment in response to a report from 16 separate intelligence agencies that indicates that Iran put a halt to its nuclear weapons program in 2003, which is even earlier than we had thought they did. Which means, Jim, that there's more controversy in the press because this comes at a time when the administration is trying to make us think, perhaps correctly -- you'll tell us -- that Iran is more of a threat than ever.