"I'm unclear on how the fake documents would have helped the French economy."
Here's two ways they would have helped. France had lucrative oil contracts with Saddam. And a French company may have been involved in selling yellowcake uranium. Publishing forged documents, and having them discovered to have been forgeries, would help shoot down both the yellowcake story and the rationale for going to war against Saddam. So France's oil leases might be protected, and the yellowcake sales would not be discovered.
Fall of 2002, sometime after October 9 - A report from the U.S. Navy suggests that uranium being transferred from Niger to Iraq was discovered in a warehouse in Cotonou, Benin. The report indicates that the broker for the deal is willing to talk about it, but, mysteriously he is never contacted by the CIA or military intelligence.
The above is from "Joe Wilson's Lies,A Timeline"
Since Benin is south of Niger and is on the coast,it would seem to be a logical shipping point.
I believe that I have recently read that the FBI investigation into the forged Niger documents is still open.
If the FBI located these naval personnel and this broker,found out who the Navy reported this to,and why no action was taken. Could this information have wound up at CIA-Valerie Division?
Were the French behind the sale?
It would be interesting to know what gave Fitz "pause".
An ongoing investigation perhaps?