Posted on 07/10/2004 1:49:22 AM PDT by thoughtomator
Former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, dispatched by the CIA in February 2002 to investigate reports that Iraq sought to reconstitute its nuclear weapons program with uranium from Africa, was specifically recommended for the mission by his wife, a CIA employee, contrary to what he has said publicly.
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Wilson's assertions -- both about what he found in Niger and what the Bush administration did with the information -- were undermined yesterday in a bipartisan Senate intelligence committee report.
...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Good point about the continuation from the front page. Obviously, SS has caught the attention of some of us here.
The CIA also made only ''halfhearted'' attempts to investigate a West African businessman's claim that Nigerien uranium bound for Iraq was being stored in a warehouse in the nearby African nation of Benin, the report said. The CIA never contacted the businessman, even though the U.S. Navy gave the CIA his phone number, the report said.
Why Novak?
Believe me, I have my issues on his reports, but not on this matter.
Wilson was recommendedby his wife to be sent. Wilson is an extreme leftist who vehemently opposes the administration. His trip was suspect for that reason and all Novak did was include the (now documented and proven) fact way down in his column that the reason Wilson went to Niger was because his wife recommended him. Something Wilson then denied--lying about it. Just as he is lying about everyting else, like his charge that the "WH" was behind "outing" his idiot of a wife, when he knows damn well it was his friends (if not himself and his wife) who were telling reporters in an effort to justify his trip.
I had cleared my cookies and had to go through hoops to get my computer to reaccept the Wa Po cookie again, get a new password(forgot to put in my password file)..because the article seemed that important!....
The Iraqi official who visited the African state in 1999 was Wissam al-Zahawie, who at the time was Iraq's ambassador to the Vatican. It has since emerged that, during the same visit, al-Zahawie also visited three other African countries: Burkina Faso, Benin and Congo-Brazzaville. He has claimed that the sole purpose of these visits was to extend an invitation from Saddam Hussein for their heads of state to visit Baghdad. He said: 'My only mission was to meet the President of Niger and invite him to visit Iraq. The invitation, and the situation in Iraq resulting from the genocidal UN sanctions, were all we talked about. I had no other instructions, and certainly none concerning the purchase of uranium.'
Former US diplomat Joseph Wilson, who visited Niger in 2002 on behalf of the CIA to probe a possible uranium link with Iraq, said al-Zahawie's visit was common knowledge.
'It's perfectly reasonable to assume that the Iraqis weren't interested in Niger's millet or sorghum, but it's a real leap of faith to say that, through this visit, Iraq was seeking to purchase significant quantities of uranium from Niger,' Wilson said. 'It's not even circumstantial evidence.'
Al-Zahawie's name also appears as a signatory of documents addressed to Niger diplomats in Rome, confirming a deal whereby Iraq would purchase 500 tons of uranium 'yellow cake' ore. These documents have proved to be forgeries and accepted as fakes by Washington and the IAEA.-- Source: -- "Butler inquiry targets Niger uranium claim," Antony Barnett, public affairs editor, Sunday June 27, 2004 The Observer
Greg Kelly, Fox, just reported the story and said that Wilson has not returned calls they've placed to him. (He also pronounced Niger correctly.)
What a headline, when I first read it I thought there was another rash of church-burnings in the south.
B.S.
I was one posting on the live thread and my posts were mainly exact quotes from the event that I typed as they were said--straight transcription. (yes, I included approving comments as it WAS a spectacular event, whether you like it or not).
Here's a clue: When there's a live thread and we are transcribing what is said, that is the opposite of what you claim is not taking place.
SEPTEMBER 2000 : (SANCTIONS-BREAKERS : FATHER JEAN-MARIE BENJAMIN, FRENCH CITIZENS TRIP TO IRAQ) A diplomatic row has blown up at the United Nations over a direct flight between Paris and Baghdad. [The flight is to] to fight against an intolerable situation which condemns an innocent population to a slow agony. Flight organiser Father Jean-Marie Benjamin
About 80 French doctors, artists and sports personalities are planning to leave for Baghdad at 0800 (0600 GMT) on Friday to provide medical assistance and take part in a cultural festival.
Britain and the United States say that the French are violating UN sanctions against Iraq by not giving enough notice of the flight. However, France maintains that it is not trying to erode sanctions, but merely interpreting UN resolutions in a more liberal way than Washington and London.
The flight has been arranged by a private French group opposed to the international sanctions imposed after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990. A second French group has announced plans for another flight on 29 September. Its organiser, Father Jean-Marie Benjamin, said it was "to fight against an intolerable situation which condemns an innocent population to a slow agony".
Last week Russia flew a passenger flight to Iraq carrying humanitarian aid and a number of oil executives. But it gave the UN sanctions committee a few day's notice, enabling other countries to decide whether they wanted to raise any objections. Objections However, this time, France gave the committee only a few hours' notice, arguing that it did not need the UN's approval as the flight is not commercial. Britain has formally objected to the flight, saying that it breaks the sanctions. "We objected. We don't think it is humanitarian," a British diplomat said.
US officials said they were still reviewing the situation, although they had raised similar concerns earlier in the day.
The Netherlands, which chairs the committee on the Iraqi sanctions, has asked France to delay the flight's departure.
Both France and Russia, close trading partners of Iraq before the invasion of Kuwait, want the sanctions eased and lifted.
The BBC's United Nations correspondent says the row over flights raises questions about the future of the sanctions now that such prominent countries appear increasingly willing to test the embargo's limits.
Iraq re-opened its international airport last month to enable it to receive international flights against, despite the sanctions.
In a separate development, Russia, France and Tunisia have proposed a reduction of the amount of compensation Iraq pays to Gulf war victims from 30% to 20% in order to allow more funds for humanitarian goods. The proposal comes as the UN Security Council discusses the latest UN report on the oil-for-food programme that allows Iraq to buy humanitarian goods to counter the effect of sanctions. - " French defiant on flight to Iraq," BBC, Friday, 22 September, 2000, 02:12 GMT 03:12 UK
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Father Benjamin is also noted for his claim that he heard about 9/11 in advance, while attending a wedding in Italy. HE claims he told authorities about what he heard, claims he knew an attack on the UK was aborted at the last minute, etc. Weddings, Iraq, al Qaeda, Italy and 9/11 seem to go together...
I wonder just what or who was on those flights in the summer of 2000?
There goal is to bring down this administration by any means possible.
Remember this was a coordinated attack on Bush along with Blair being targeted by his enemies at the very same time. The "Sexed Up Dossier" that amounted to the same "Blair Lied" charge that Bush was facing. Both charges have been demonstrated false.
The democrats have no legitimate concerns except how to gain power, period. Forget "valid questions", it's all about how they can oust Bush (or next best,Cheney or Rice or Powell or Rumsfeld, etc) and regain the WH. Period.
Besides the "aftermath" of the Iraq War when it is explored, as history and events will do, will be a great story with positives that far outweigh negatives, thus no help at all to the hapless dems.
What's not to understand? It's in their nature
5.56mm
No, but as my link to Tenet's statement in post #129 shows, George Tenet immediately pointed it out (though in slightly vaguer fashion--but still).
Further, when the point was made that Bush had referenced "British Intelligence" in the infamous "Sixteen Words", then British Intelligence came under attack and Jack Straw (from Britain) also cited Wilson's earlier trip and "findings". The media, as you can see, simply decided to ignore this---but this has been out there from the beginning.
July 13, 2003
Excerpts:
In a letter to Donald Anderson, chairman of the House of Commons foreign affairs select committee dated Friday but made public by the UK Foreign Office and shown to CNN Saturday, Straw said: "I am writing to deal with two points relating to the statement in the government's September Iraq dossier that 'Iraq has sought the supply of significant quantities of uranium from Africa.'
"First, press reporting has claimed that this statement is contradicted by the report of a U.S. envoy, Ambassador Joseph Wilson, who visited Niger in early 2002 to investigate the subject on behalf of the CIA.
"I want to make clear that neither I nor, to the best of my knowledge, any UK officials were aware of Ambassador Wilson's visit until reference first appeared in the press, shortly before your hearings last month. In response to our questions, the U.S. authorities have confirmed that Ambassador Wilson's report was not shared with the UK.
"We have now seen a detailed account of Ambassador Wilson's report. It does indeed describe the denials of Niger government officials in early 2002 that a contract had been concluded for the sale of yellowcake (uranium oxide) to Iraq.
"But, as CNN have reported, Ambassador Wilson's report also noted that in 1999 an Iraqi delegation sought the expansion of trade links with Niger -- and that former Niger government officials believed that this was in connection with the procurement of yellowcake.
"Uranium is Niger's main export. In other words, this element of Ambassador Wilson's report supports the statement in the government's dossier.
"Second, the media have reported that the CIA expressed reservations to us about this element of the September dossier. This is correct.
"However, the U.S. comment was unsupported by explanation and UK officials were confident that the dossier's statement was based on reliable intelligence which we had not shared with the U.S. (for good reasons, which I have given your committee in private session). A judgment was therefore made to retain it.
~snip~
I have long been curious what their "good reasons" were. Obviously they didn't trust someone or something....hmmmmmmm
I say again, I hope to see both of these appalling people "frogmarched" (to coin Wilson's charming term) off to prison someday. I really do.
^^^^
We can dream, can't we!
I have listened to local radio all day today, and nary a mention of the words Wilson, Plame or Niger. I wonder if tomorrow's shows will address it?
Thanks!
That caught my eye, too. There was another story about interests Wilson had over in Niger---business interests...hmmmmmmm.
WOW. In the the ComPost no less.
Can we try him for treason now?
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