Dick Cheney "tapped" this kook. He chose him on the reasonable grounds that he wanted an independent eye looking this situation over. (Cheney had doubts about the report.) So Cheney sent a skeptic.
Substantiate this, please. Tenet established that Cheney's office was interested in the Niger allegation. He did not specify if that meant Cheney was suspicious over it, or anything of the sort. Tenet said that people in his staff, on their own initiative, sought out someone outside of their realm (obviously, Wilson).
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?
"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?