Key Iraqi said to counter U.S. claims on tubes, bomb project

Associated Press ^ | 07-17-03

[Brian S]

A key Iraqi scientist recently told the CIA that high-strength aluminum tubes bought by Baghdad weren't meant for nuclear bomb production, as President Bush suggested in his State of the Union address, two experts on Iraq's nuclear program say.

Mahdi Shukur Obeidi, who headed a uranium-enrichment unit vital to Iraq's pre-1991 bomb plans, "also said that since '91 they hadn't resurrected a nuclear weapon program," according to ex-Iraq inspector David Albright, an American physicist who acted as go-between for Obeidi to talk to U.S. authorities a few weeks ago.

[Dog]

Spread the word another attack is underway.......amazing.

[Support Free Republic]

We Replaced Patrick Leahy's Brains With Folger's Crystals. Let's See If Anyone Notices!
	Donate Here By Secure Server Or mail checks to FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794 or you can use PayPal at Jimrob@psnw.com
STOP BY AND BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD- It is in the breaking news sidebar!

[Angelus Errare]

Yep, the Niger scandal is already getting old, gotta find a new one to demagogue.

[MJY1288]

Saddam can always count on the democrats to come to his defense

[Dog]

The uranium story is over.

Round II has begun...

[Dog]

You want to look at this..

[mystery-ak]

God,...this is going to be a long year.....Dubya better stay on top of these stories and handle them a little better than the *16 wordsgate*......Where is Karen Hughes, btw?

[William McKinley]

Spinning cylinders made of aluminum can be used for inferior models of enrichment centrifuges, which separate out bomb uranium. But the Iraqis by 1990 had advanced to a much more productive design using carbon fiber tubes.

I love it. They say "the tubes weren't used for that- because we have a much better design we are using" and the AP reporter doesn't realize that he just reported that the Iraqis were reconstituting their nuclear program.

And as for the centerfuges, I guess that one the guy had buried under his rose bush can be ignored, because this guy says they weren't trying to get parts for it.

Because they were using a more advanced design.

LOL Priceless. Purely priceless.

[William McKinley]

Round II is dead before it begins.

[EllaMinnow]

The uranium story AIN'T over - the dems have just found their scapegoat.
I heard Jim Miklashevski give the name "Robert Joseph" as the official responsible for the infamous "16 words," the one who Durbin refused to name.

I did a google and found this:

Before the speech, the crucial conversations between the C.I.A. and White House over whether to include the African reference in the State of the Union address were held between Robert G. Joseph, a nuclear proliferation expert at the National Security Council, and Alan Foley, a proliferation expert at the C.I.A., according to government officials.

There is still a dispute over what exactly was said in their conversations. Mr. Foley was said to recall that before the speech, Mr. Joseph called him to ask about putting into the speech a reference to reports that Iraq was trying to buy hundreds of tons of yellowcake from Niger. Mr. Foley replied that the C.I.A. was not sure that the information was right.

Mr. Joseph then came back to Mr. Foley and pointed out that the British had already included the information in a report. Mr. Foley said yes, but noted that the C.I.A. had told the British that they were not sure that the information was correct. Mr. Joseph then asked whether it was accurate that the British reported the information. Mr. Foley said yes.

Other government officials said, however, that Mr. Joseph did not recall Mr. Foley's raising any concerns about the reliability of the information. If he had, they said, Mr. Joseph would have made sure that the reference was not included in the speech.

http://slate.msn.com/id/2085803/

I have to go feed my starving family, I just wanted to post this before I left.

[Dog]

Home with her family in Texas. Someone at the WH better get there act together it is almost like they have taken the summer off.

[William McKinley]

BTW- check out the name. Jacques Baute. He's the same guy who determined that the Niger documents were false. He's the French representative to the IAEA.

[Angelus Errare]

I look forward to hearing that survey team's report once it returns from Iraq. While the media will never actually hold Dean, Kennedy, Graham, et al. to what they're saying now, but it should be comforting to remember this when we hear it.

[Pikamax]

"Mr. Joseph then came back to Mr. Foley and pointed out that the British had already included the information in a report. Mr. Foley said yes, but noted that the C.I.A. had told the British that they were not sure that the information was correct. Mr. Joseph then asked whether it was accurate that the British reported the information. Mr. Foley said yes.

Other government officials said, however, that Mr. Joseph did not recall Mr. Foley's raising any concerns about the reliability of the information. If he had, they said, Mr. Joseph would have made sure that the reference was not included in the speech."



>>you basic he said he said.

[Peach]

Attack number "endless". Anyone who believes these Iraqi scientists is a moron. It's sort of like Dan Rather saying "journalists are impartial".

[mystery-ak]

I hear ya...the administration always seem shocked when the rats attack.

[Peach]

The text of Blair's superb speech is on FR.