White House 'lied about Saddam threat'(Gregory Thielmann, ex-StateDept)

The Guardian ^ | 7/10/03 | Julian Borger

[Dave S]

This guy leaves the government in September of 2002 and knows that Bush lied in a speech given in January 2003. Guy must be clarvoyent or a liar himself.

[berserker]

The White House overrode the CIA's objections about a statement in President Bush's State of the Union address that Iraq was seeking uranium from Africa for its nuclear weapons program, CBS Evening News reported on July 10, 2003. White House officials argued that since a paper issued by the British government contained the assertion, if it was attributed to Britain it would be factually accurate, CBS reported. Bush is shown during the State of the Union address, with Vice President Dick Cheney, Jan. 28. REUTERS/Larry Downing-Files

[Maceman]

Then let's tell Saddam he can come out of hiding, let him have his country back, we'll apologize and leave, and Mr. Thielmann can move to Baghdad.

Operation Nevermind.

[mass55th]

"This guy leaves the government in September of 2002

You'll notice they didn't say what year that month of September was in. You've assumed it was last year, but with the media, who can tell?

[Dave S]

You'll notice they didn't say what year that month of September was in. You've assumed it was last year, but with the media, who can tell?

You're right. He may have left 9/12/01 after screwing up his intelligence appraisal of Al Qaeda.

[MEGoody]

"A former US intelligence official who served under the Bush administration in the build-up to the Iraq war accused the White House yesterday of lying about the threat posed by Saddam Hussein."

Uh, huh. Funny, then, that the CIA signed off on intelligence that Bush used to prepare his speech.

[MEGoody]

"The White House overrode the CIA's objections about a statement in President Bush's State of the Union address that Iraq was seeking uranium from Africa for its nuclear weapons program, CBS Evening News reported on July 10, 2003."

News is today (7/11/03), that the CIA signed off on the intelligence that Bush used in preparing his SOU address.

[berserker]

If so, then the State of the Union Speach oddly worded the claim. It appears that it was worded that way to avoid CIA difficulties. As noted previously, "White House officials argued that since a paper issued by the British government contained the assertion, if it was attributed to Britain it would be factually accurate" (though known to have problems).

I guess it depends on what the definition of "is" is.

[Howlin]

FYI.