The Last Word--Efraim Halevy: Matters of Intelligence; One big mistake is to believe that once the Iranians have [nuclear] capability, they'll think like people think when they're in Washington.(Interview)

Byline: Kevin Peraino

Few know more about the behind-the- scenes machinations in the Middle East than Israel's notorious Mossad intelligence agency. Of course, the Mossad has inspired its fair share of conspiracy theories as well. As the agency's director from 1998 to 2002, Efraim Halevy was at the center of many of them--from the fallout after an actual botched plot to smear poison on the

neck of Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, to the apocryphal stories of what the agency knew before September 11. NEWSWEEK's Kevin Peraino asked Halevy--currently promoting his new memoir, "Man in the Shadows"--for his thoughts on Iran's nuclear ambitions and the ongoing unrest in the region. Excerpts:

PERAINO: How far away do you think Iran is from getting the bomb?

HALEVY: I think there is a necessity to define exactly what you are talking about. If the problem is how far are they from getting the potential where they can produce a nuclear device, that's one question. The [real] question is whether they are capable of putting together a credible strategic capability, which is something different. I would say that within the next decade they would have the chance of getting the capability if they were left alone.

Why do U.S. and Israeli intelligence estimates seem to differ on this?

I don't think the Americans and the Israelis are talking about the same thing. I think the Israelis are talking about what I was saying before, and I think the Americans are talking about something more comprehensive. I think the difference between the American and Israeli estimates is not that far apart.