Cliff May boils down the problem with the reaction to the NIE report:

Many commentators are fudging the distinction between Iran “suspending” and “abandoning” its nuclear weapons program. According to the new NIE, Iran not only continues to enrich uranium, it also is “continuing to develop a range of technical capabilities that could be applied to producing nuclear weapons, if a decision is made to do so.” If your teenage son tells you he doesn’t smoke, but you nonetheless find tobacco, rolling papers and matches in his knapsack, what would be your guess regarding his intentions and capabilities?

The NIE was summary explained that Iran has stopped weaponizing nuclear material. This has been extrapolated and distilled to “Iran isn’t a threat anymore.” The truth is that the writers of the document had a political goal themselves and this has led to various attempts to spin the report. Gives you all sorts of confidence in the ability of the “intelligence” agencies to offer objective analysis, doesn’t it? So we have a choice: we continue to be wary of a country that openly proclaims it wants to destroy us or we believe them when the say that “Death to America” really means “I Love You.”