Inasmuch as it was the FRENCH who helped Iraq build the Osirik nuclear reactor, which the Israelis correctly bombed into oblivion, I think the FRENCH CONNECTION here, bears some very close scrutiny.
Niger was a French colony. A French mining company runs the Uranium mines, and that company answers to the French Atomic Energy Commision.
The French Secret Service gave the Iraqi information to the British MI6. Thats why the Brits are standing behind the story.
The rules of cooperation between the French and British stipulate that, in this case, the French must give the MI6 permission to pass on the report. They have not/will not give MI6 permission to pass it to the CIA. So CIA has no official paper report to back up the claim of the Iraqi attempt to buy the uranium, only hearsay. So, CIA can't stand behind the story - officially. But everyone knows what really happened.
IMO, it's the French again. They are sitting back and laughing at the media giving it good to G.W.