John Baron MP presses Foreign Secretary on Iran intelligence

MP contrasts SIS’ Chief’s comments with US intelligence

Yesterday during Foreign and Commonwealth questions in the House of Commons, John Baron MP questioned the Foreign Secretary, Rt Hon William Hague MP, on Iran. Specifically, he highlighted discrepancies between reported comments from Sir John Sawers, Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service, and the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, General David Petraeus.

Whilst Sir John Sawers said that covert work had prevented the Iranians from creating a nuclear weapon in 2008, General Petraeus testified earlier this year to the US Senate Committee on Intelligence that there was no evidence Iran had decided to do so, maintaining the US position since its 2007 National Intelligence Estimate.

In the House of Commons, John asked,

“Can the Secretary of State explain the stark discrepancy between the comments made by Sir John Sawers on 4^th July and the Senate testimony early this year of the CIA, in which he stated that there was no evidence of a decision by Iran to build a nuclear weapon?”

The Foreign Secretary replied that he would not comment on the discrepancies on the grounds that governments do not comment on intelligence matters.

Afterwards, John said,

“The difference of opinion between the British and American intelligence agencies is deeply troubling. It suggests they do not agree on basic facts. Any military action by Israel or anyone else should therefore be out of the question.”