UPI - There are "major gaps" in U.S. intelligence about Iran's development of weapons of mass destruction, according to a congressional panel.

"The United States lacks critical information needed for (intelligence) analysts to make many of their judgments with confidence about Iran and there are many significant information gaps," reads a report issued Wednesday by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Gaps in intelligence reporting, and in particular the paucity of effective human sources, were contributing factors to the "dead wrong" conclusions U.S. intelligence agencies reached about Iraq's weapons programs, according to the presidential commission that probed the failure last year.

Wednesday's House committee report acknowledges that the evidence is "neither voluminous nor conclusive. Nevertheless, U.S. intelligence agencies have determined based on the evidence available that Iran likely is pursuing (chemical weapons) and (biological warfare) weapons."

"A special concern is major gaps in our knowledge of Iranian nuclear, biological, and chemical programs," the report states, adding, "It would be irresponsible to list the specific intelligence gaps in an unclassified paper, as identifying our specific shortcomings would provide critical insights to the Iranian government."

The report recommends stepped up efforts to spy on Iran, including enhancing human intelligence and Farsi-language capabilities and improving intelligence coordination and analysis to eliminate duplication of effort.

CIA lacks ability on Iran nukes
Washington, Aug. 23 - A congressional committee has issued a report charging that the CIA lacks "the ability to acquire essential information" on Iran's nuclear program.

The report also criticizes other U.S intelligence agencies, saying they cannot collect "essential information necessary to make judgments" on Tehran's nuclear program, its intentions or even its ties to terrorism, the Washington Post reported.

The report was principally written by a Republican staff member on the House intelligence committee, described by the newspaper as holding a hard-line view on Iran. The report endorses the White House position that Iran is developing nuclear weapons and that the Islamic nation poses a significant danger to the United States.
"American intelligence agencies do not know nearly enough about Iran's nuclear weapons program," the report says. It also says information "regarding potential Iranian chemical weapons and biological weapons programs is neither voluminous nor conclusive," and finds that the intelligence agencies have gathered little evidence linking Iran to al-Qaida or to the recent fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

Intelligence experts said:
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Pat Roberts warned that “we have not made the progress on our oversight of Iran intelligence, which is critical.”

Roberts’ Intel Committee staff director Bill Duhnke said, “There is no organized committee staff effort to look at Iran right now.”

“I continue to believe that our sources are stale and our case is thin,” said Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA), the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee

“U.S. intelligence on the ground is quite poor, especially as it relates to understanding how decisions are made and who controls the power centers in Iran,” said CSIS expert Jon Wolfsthal.