Does Negroponte read Juan Cole?

I don't know what to make of this.
Iran still years away from having nukes: US intelligence chief

US intelligence chief John Negroponte said Iran's resumption of uranium enrichment is "troublesome" but the country is still years away from having enough fissile material to make a nuclear weapon.

This would seem to be contradicting the White House line. And is Negroponte trying to muffle the war drums?

"The developments in Iran -- clearly they're troublesome," he said in response to questions after a speech to the National Press Club.

"By the same token, our assessment at the moment is that even though we believe that Iran is determined to acquire or obtain a nuclear weapon, that we believe that it is still a number of years off before they are likely to have enough fissile material to assemble into, or to put into a nuclear weapon; perhaps into the next decade," he said.

"So I think it's important that this issue be kept in perspective," he said.

Could it be that Death Squad John isn't ready to follow Bush over the Iran cliff? Strange!