Uranium documents forged from nigeria???

[Epidemic]

I am hearing that GB still stands by their report. That only one source has been discredited.

Hmmmmm,

Regarding this President George W Bush did not lie even if all the sources turn out false. In his state of the union he clearly mentioned that it was the UK's postion that Saddam was trying to acquire Yellow Cake Uranium.

[Theophylact]

That's right, Epidemic, the British say they have other sources that we can't see.

So Bush doesn't believe our CIA when they tell him the story's false; but he believes the Brits when they say that even though some of their data was bogus, they do have proof that he's not allowed to see.

Oh, yeah, that sounds good to me...

Duke, like to see ya talk your way outa this one.

[Epidemic]

"So Bush doesn't believe our CIA when they tell him the story's false; "

Did the CIA say the story was false or that the one document in question was forged?

Bush's national security adviser specifically said the CIA (news - web sites) had vetted the speech. If CIA Director George Tenet had any misgivings about that sentence in the president's speech, "he did not make them known" to Bush or his staff, said Condoleezza Rice

Bush is going to put this mess on George Tenet's head.

Full story here

Evidently, Bush doesn't want to take responsibility for anything.

Buh Bye, Mr Tenet.

(Bold letters are mine to underscore the process of blame transfer or in Washington-speak: CYA, which Bush has already started doing.)

[Theophylact]

Check Ambassador Wilson's Op-Ed piece. He went on his own, but the CIA paid his way:

In February 2002, I was informed by officials at the Central Intelligence Agency that Vice President Dick Cheney's office had questions about a particular intelligence report. While I never saw the report, I was told that it referred to a memorandum of agreement that documented the sale of uranium yellowcake — a form of lightly processed ore — by Niger to Iraq in the late 1990's. The agency officials asked if I would travel to Niger to check out the story so they could provide a response to the vice president's office.

After consulting with the State Department's African Affairs Bureau (and through it with Barbro Owens-Kirkpatrick, the United States ambassador to Niger), I agreed to make the trip. The mission I undertook was discreet but by no means secret. While the C.I.A. paid my expenses (my time was offered pro bono), I made it abundantly clear to everyone I met that I was acting on behalf of the United States government.

It wasn't just the forged documents; it was based on Wilson's knowledge of the situation in Niger:

I spent the next eight days drinking sweet mint tea and meeting with dozens of people: current government officials, former government officials, people associated with the country's uranium business. It did not take long to conclude that it was highly doubtful that any such transaction had ever taken place.

Given the structure of the consortiums that operated the mines, it would be exceedingly difficult for Niger to transfer uranium to Iraq. Niger's uranium business consists of two mines, Somair and Cominak, which are run by French, Spanish, Japanese, German and Nigerian interests. If the government wanted to remove uranium from a mine, it would have to notify the consortium, which in turn is strictly monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Moreover, because the two mines are closely regulated, quasi-governmental entities, selling uranium would require the approval of the minister of mines, the prime minister and probably the president. In short, there's simply too much oversight over too small an industry for a sale to have transpired.

I suggest you read the whole piece.

[Epidemic]

I read the whole piece when you first posted it.

I found it to be speculative, using as its main piece of evidence the supposed difficulty of making it through the bureaucracy in Niger. I would like to know how that government obstacle would crumble with 50 or 100 million in greenbacks for people to look the other way.

In addition, I do not think the UK story said they acquired the yellow cake merely that they tried to acquire it. Their success is immaterial merely the attempt need be noted.

[Theophylact]

Okay. The CIA sends the guy it thinks best qualified to check it out; he comes back and says there's nothing there; and you say it's "speculative". But you are prepared to believe anyway, on the basis of -- what? Saddam could have tried? Sure, he could have. The question is, did he? And the answer is, "there's no evidence that he did."

[ClubMed]

Why do you even bother to put so much effort into this Theo? Don't get me wrong, I enjoy your posts, but sometimes no matter what you present people with, the Earth is still flat to them.

[Epidemic]

sometimes but other times people just cant accept that a scum bag is a scum bag and that describes saddam.

Whoops we blew him up sorry bout your luck.

good luck to the iraqis. Rather than trying to find out if our destruction of this scumbags regime was destroyed for stated purpose or not the fact remains the world is better off with out him.

If even one thing stated about the man was correct it was our duty to blow him up.

yes yes same goes for other evil dictators.

Try spending your efforts to making sure the govenment of the US does not get cold feet before allowing the Iraqis to form their government of the people for the people and by the people.


83% of iraqis want the US to stay and help put them on their feet and a higher percentage I would guess are happy saddam is gone.