Iraq Uranium Claim Gets Some Support

[CatWoman]

WASHINGTON - It was one of the first signs that the intelligence used to go to war in Iraq (news - web sites) was wrong: White House repudiation of 16 words in last year's State of the Union speech that had suggested Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) tried to buy uranium in Africa. Yet even as two recent reports sharply criticized prewar intelligence, they also suggested President Bush (news - web sites)'s claim may not have been totally off-base.

A British report concluded that Bush's statement and a similar one by Prime Minister Tony Blair (news - web sites) were "well-founded." In his speech, Bush had attributed the uranium claim to the British government.

The committee chairman, Sen. Pat Roberts, said he believed last year that the White House was correct in repudiating the uranium claim. "Now I don't know whether it's accurate or not. That's the whole question," Roberts, R-Kan., said in an interview.

The White House's repudiation came after The New York Times published an op-ed column by former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, who was sent by the CIA (news - web sites) to Niger to determine if Iraq had been acquiring uranium. Wilson said it was unlikely any uranium transaction had taken place and the administration appeared to have been manipulating the intelligence.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040718/ap_on_re_mi_ea/us_iraq_uranium_2

[JDPriestly]

1. Where's the proof?

Bush said, "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa,"

The only purported "evidence" that supports this statement is that, after all this time, there might have been evidence from non-British sources that Iraq sent a trade mission to Niger in 1999 to discuss trade possible future trade between Niger and Iraq. But, there is no link to any documentation or hard "evidence" about the alleged "trade mission." The "trade mission" may have been sent to curry Niger support for ending Iraq's UN trade sanctions. Who knows? You can't tell from the reports I have read.

Republicans have been arguing that setting the record straight was important enough to justify "outing" Plame. Assuming that to be true, then setting the record straight is important enough to "out" all the intelligence and intelligence sources regarding the President's Niger statement.

This "news item" comes at an awfully convenient time and raises more questions than it answers. With all due respect for intelligence and secrecy, after all the lying of this administration, Americans have a right to a full accounting.

[struggle4progress]

2. Essentially duplicates story from 15 July:

Merit seen in claims that Iraq sought uranium from Niger
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=687529


This talking point has been making the wingnut rounds but it already seems to have been debunked:

NYT New Reports Again Question Whether Iraq Sought Uranium in Niger
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=692735

Ex-Niger premier denies Iraq link
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=684373

UN nuclear watchdog challenges Britain to reveal Niger intelligence
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=690784

How Niger Uranium Story Defied Wide Skepticism - NYT
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=684141

[harpo]

3. Reports bolster Bush Iraq-uranium claim

You wonder why they title them this way...

"Reports bolster Bush Iraq-uranium claim"
British report says assertion was ‘well-founded’
The Associated Press
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5458642

[Algomas]

4. That Tony Blair is some kind of friend indeed...

This is an interesting attempt to cloud the waters of their unjust invasion and smear Wilson at the same time.
Commander AWOL needs to look like an action hero if he wants to steal another election.
If they launch a war based on such a thin tissue of "intelligence", who will be next? Canada?

Propaganda warp drive...engage!

[Name removed]

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