Report: CIA Source on Niger Nuke Flap is a Bush-Hater (Wilson)

NewsMax.com ^ | 7/13/03 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[kattracks]

The man who helped set off a media firestorm over President Bush's State of the Union reference to Iraq seeking uranium in Niger is actually a confirmed Bush-hater who opposed the war in Iraq and complained in March that Bush had led America into a period of "historical madness."

In his New York Times op-ed piece last Sunday, so-called career diplomat Joseph Wilson said he was tapped by the CIA to investigate whether there was any truth to the Niger uranium story. After traveling to the country and interviewing government and industry officials, Wilson said he couldn't find anyone who would confirm that Niger sold uranium to Iraq.

In fact, President Bush never claimed that the transaction had been completed, telling Congress instead, "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa."

Still, Wilson's inability to confirm something Bush hadn't claimed prompted him to write:

"I have little choice but to conclude that some of the intelligence related to Iraq's nuclear weapons program was twisted to exaggerate the Iraqi threat."

Writing in the National Review Online, GOP consultant Cliff May reveals that media portrayals of Wilson as a disinterested career diplomat may be quite an exaggeration in and of themselves.

"He's a vehement opponent of the Bush administration," says May, noting that two weeks before the war Wilson was slamming Bush in the notoriously left-wing "Nation" magazine.

Arguing that the White House had "imperial ambitions," Wilson claimed that under Bush, "America has entered one of it periods of historical madness"

Adding to Wilson's partisan pedigree, May noted that the supposedly objective analyst "was an outspoken opponent of U.S. military intervention in Iraq" with a resume that includes a stint as an "adjunct scholar" at the pro-Saudi Middle East Institute.

Sounding like a disciple of Jane Fonda, Wilson complained in other writings that Bush's "new imperialists will not rest until governments that ape our world view are implanted throughout the region, a breathtakingly ambitious undertaking, smacking of hubris in the extreme."

According to Wilson, "neoconservatives" have "a stranglehold on the foreign policy of the Republican Party."

And there's more.

According to May, career diplomat Wilson was recently the keynote speaker for the Education for Peace in Iraq Center, a far-left group that opposed not only the U.S. military intervention in Iraq, but also the sanctions — and even the no-fly zones established after the first Gulf War.

"In other words," concluded May, "Wilson is no disinterested career diplomat — he's a pro-Saudi, leftist partisan with an ax to grind. And too many in the media are helping him and allies grind it."

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:

Bush Administration
Media Bias
Saddam Hussein/Iraq

[YoungKentuckyConservative]

If this is true, can't Bush fire this guy or at least send him somewhere he can't do much harm.

Probably. But I think Tenet is the real problem. And Michael Savage put it best when he said the "answer" as to why Bush can't get rid of Tenet is in the question: "What does the head of the CIA have access to and know that no one else in the country does?"

I think you can figure the rest out for yourself.

[unspun]

Fun? Fun?

[unspun]

Oops. You may never know.

[rintense]

I'm shocked, I tell you! Shocked! /sarcasm

My best friend told me that her mom went nuts with this WMDs/Africa info this week. She's allegedly a Republican, but fell for the media stories hook, line and sinker. If she's any indicator of how the rest of America feels, Bush may be in some trouble.

[stevejackson]

Notice how Howard Dean et. al. are jumping all over this stuff. Dean started using Watergate language over the last few days like, "What did the president know, and when did he know it?"

[Don Corleone]

If this is true, can't Bush fire this guy or at least send him somewhere he can't do much harm

Like MARS?

[TheEaglehasLanded]

From what I understand Wilson was a high level assistant for Senator Gore in mid 1980's. He also worked for Tom Foley Speaker of House.

[DPB101]

All you need to know about problems with the CIA you can learn from Kurt and Hana Koecher. A swinging couple they were. No dowdy housewife look for Hana

[DPB101]

Make that Karl (as in Marx), not Kurt . Thinking of Hana makes my mind wander.

[CyberAnt]

This whole thing about the uranium smell to high heaven - that can only mean one thing - x42 and his goons.

I was also wondering about the article which said there was a rift between Blair and Bush. After Blair denounced that today - I got to thinking ... who was visiting with Blair in the last few days - x42 - and who could call his media buddies in the USA and plant gossip about a rift ...??

[No Truce With Kings]

"So where is it that you are coming up with that Cheney had doubts, and where are you coming up with that Cheney suggested someone unqualified for the task?"

I don't think I stated that Cheney suggested someone unqualified for the job -- certainly Wilson had qualifications, if you look at his credentials.

My statement about Cheney having doubts and sending Wilson comes from Cifford May's article "Scandal!", which has been posted on FR several times and can be found at http://www.nationalreview.com/may/may071103.asp.

The relevant quote from the article:

"Actually, Wilson has plenty of choices — but no basis for his slanderous allegation. A little background: Mr. Wilson was sent to Niger by the CIA to verify a U.S. intelligence report about the sale of yellowcake — because Vice President Dick Cheney requested it, because Cheney had doubts about the validity of the intelligence report.

Wilson says he spent eight days in Niger "drinking sweet mint tea and meeting with dozens of people" — hardly what a competent spy, detective, or even reporter would call an in-depth investigation. Nevertheless, let's give Wilson the benefit of the doubt and stipulate that he was correct when he reported back to the CIA that he believed it was 'highly doubtful that any such transaction ever took place. '"

I'll admit I am assuming that Cheney decided that Wilson's report was not credible, but it seems reasonable. And since May is the source for all of the other statements about Wilson in this report (virtually point for point) I am going to assume that May *was* credible when he said that Wilson was sent by Cheney.

Good enough?

[William McKinley]

I'll look at the rest of your answer in a moment, but Wilson has qualifications for some things, but not for the job he was supposedly sent to do. None.

[DainBramage]

I have a feeling the reluctance to produce the proof of he attempt to buy Uranium (and no one ever asks but much more important) willingness to sell it, is due to the administration's desire to not expose the Europeans unless they have to. When the Dems push too hard they might be shown the hole cards and not like what they see.

Imagine what will happen between America and the EU if the evidence were to reflect that France, Germany, Canada, and a host of intermediaries from all over the world were selling Uranium for profit during a time they had agreed to a UN embargo. Niger is a French colony, and the number one source of income has been mining and sales of uranium, with the majority going to France and Japan, with holdings in mining stock by Germany and Canada. Chretian already sold Saddam 90%+ weapons grade uranium to start a electric plant that only needed 10% grade to get started, how far fetched is it to imagine France behind a sale for more? JMHO

George Jr. might be biting the bullet for the sake of the moneychangers.

[MonroeDNA]

Welcome, member of 10 days.

[William McKinley]

OK, so May said that Cheney was a skeptic. I will tend to believe him, since May seems to be writing in defense of the administration or of the truth and not on a witch hunt; however, it would be nice if he substantiated this claim as he does with all the other things he lists. All of them, one can verify. The one saying Cheney doubted the intelligence, cannot- at least with the information presented.

But you said "Dick Cheney "tapped" this kook. He chose him on the reasonable grounds that he wanted an independent eye looking this situation over... So Cheney sent a skeptic. There is nothing presented by May saying Cheney chose Wilson. You state that he did. Did you make that up, did you read some tea leaves, or did you have something to base it on?

As for Wilson being qualified, he was being sent to evaluate intelligence information regarding the attempted procurement of uranium yellowcake, including determining if documents were forged.

Was he a CIA operative? No.

Was he an expert in yellowcake or other forms of radioactive materials? No.

Was he an expert in detecting forged documents? No.

Was he a weapons expert? No.

Did he have any qualifications relevant to his task?

No.

(Admin- I forgot a tag. Could you delete the previous copy of this reply please?)

[No Truce With Kings]

"But you said "Dick Cheney "tapped" this kook. He chose him on the reasonable grounds that he wanted an independent eye looking this situation over... So Cheney sent a skeptic. There is nothing presented by May saying Cheney chose Wilson. You state that he did. Did you make that up, did you read some tea leaves, or did you have something to base it on?"

Re-read my response to your question. I think you might find the answer there. If you cannot figure it out, I might suggest that you are letting your rage about this situation anger you to the point where you cannot read clearly. Which -- incidently -- is a real good way to alienate those who are on your side.

[MonroeDNA]

Chill.

[MonroeDNA]

Just a suggestion. :)

[No Truce With Kings]

"Chill.

Just a suggestion. :)"

It's excellent advice. On more than one level.