Iraqi Agent Went To Niger In 1999

Rushlimbaugh.com ^

[Republican Red]

Iraqi Agent Went To Niger In 1999

July 31, 2003

Terry Jeffrey, the editor of Human Events, reports a great story, "Saddam Sent Trade Mission to Niger." Jeffrey went through the United Nations Atomic Energy Agency records and found that they say Saddam Hussein sent an ambassador named Al Zahawie on a trade mission to Niger in 1999. As Jeffrey asks, "If Iraq’s emissary to Niger sought trade, the implication is obvious: Did Saddam want Niger uranium, or did he want Niger cows or cowpeas?"

The Iraqi nuclear hawk did, indeed, go to Niger in 1999. It's backup that the British intelligence is right. What's that Iraqi nuclear hawk doing in Niger? Niger is a uranium-exporting country. It's the primary thing that Niger is known for.

So now, it has been discovered and even admitted to by Al Zahawie that he went there in 1999, ostensibly on a trade mission, but this was a move to arm Arab nations with nuclear capability because of the imbalance of power, from their point of view, based on the possession of such weapons by Israel. So this just gets even more frustrating.

There's no question that those 16 words in the president's State of the Union were correct and there was no reason to apologize for saying them. Saddam was trying to reconstitute his nuclear program - and he was snooping around Africa trying to do it.

[Athelas]

I guess I don't understand your post Ol' Dan.

In the first place, I don't agree that Bush made a big deal on the uranium charge. He mentioned it in his speech. Cheney mentioned concerns about the nuclear program in an interview. Period. I don't remember anyone making a big case about it at all, and it certainly wasn't something that was big on my list of concerns. It was only months afterwards that the Dems and their media water carriers made an issue of it.

Yes, Saddam had acquired uranium before. So what? I'm not sure what your point is. Iraq was known to have acquired hundreds of tons of yellowcake as early as the late 80's. They tried to enrich it and failed. Using 540,000 pounds of the stuff they were only able to obtain gram quantities of 20% U235 due to the primitive methods they were using. Not the 20-30 kilograms of 93% U235 needed for a bomb.

Exactly what does that have to do with their continued efforts to acquire uranium? Does their prior failure to successfully enrich uranium mitigate against it being of concern? Is that what you are saying?

[William McKinley]

Now, why would Iraq be trying to get uranium if they already had some (unless they were looking for more for enrichment purposes)?

Unless, of course, you think they wanted to buy cowpeas from Niger.

[okie01]

"That's the question that needs to be asked and answered."

If you've been following events, you should already know the answer: All of the uranium oxide (yellow cake) in Iraq was accounted for after the Gulf War. It was so labelled and sealed by the IAEA -- those are the drums that were involved in the post-invasion looting and have caused some radiation sickness.

What Iraq was after in Niger -- and what the President called to the world's attention -- was unaccountable yellow cake.

So here's a better question. Let's see if you can figure out the answer:

"Terry Jeffrey, the editor of Human Events, reports a great story..."

If the editor of an obscure journal can research and uncover this information, why couldn't the New York Times, the Wash Post or CNN?

This answer, too, is also readily apparent: They didn't want to know the truth.

[rockprof]

The administration just folded under the Dem attack. It was pathetic to watch. They should have come out swinging and squashed the Democrats. UK still stands by their intelligence and Bush's statement was 100% correct.

It always amazes me how the Republicans seem to cower like beaten dogs when the Democrats attack them. I don't understand it.

[Pubbie]

Matthews: With me is Howard Fineman the best Political reporter in America. Matthews: Howard does the killing of Saddam's sons mean that Americans will be more inclined to think we're in a Vietnam quagmire led by the NeoConservative Jew, Lewis "Scooter" Libby. Fineman: My sources in the White House say that they feel the President is on the ropes, on the defensive, and loosing support after the killing of Uday and Qusay. Matthews: Hah! Matthews: Howard can I tongue your balls? Fineman: Again? Matthews: Let's go to Senator Trent Lott - Senator Lott, isn't the phony claims about Nigerian Yellowcake just an cover for the NeoCon Jews to have oral sex with the Evangelical PaleoCons? Lott: Uh... Matthews: Cut the Bull-Shit Senator and answer the question! Lott: I - Matthews: Is it a cover for Lewis "Scooter" Libby's Diamond smuggling ring in the Sudan? Fineman: (To himself) Here comes "Scooter"...

[fieldmarshaldj]

Thank you for that lovely GARGANTUAN pic of Chrissie, I just lost my appetite for din-din. :-P

[fieldmarshaldj]

Here's a lovely pic of the gorgeous Jessica Alba to cleanse the palate of that horrid sight...

[Pubbie]

Ooops! I didn't know it was going to be THAT big!

My bad...

[First Amendment]

Yum, cowpeas - a traditional Iraqi delicacy served at wedding feasts.

[First Amendment]

Join the Democrats if Bush pisses you off so much. Who cares? Get a freeking life already!

Some people get their jollies solely by criticizing. It makes them feel like big men.

[Impy]

That "balls" line cracks me up everytime I read it. Did you think it up on your own?

[Pubbie]

"Did you think it up on your own?"

Yes I did.

Aren't I clever? :)

[piasa]

Do you mean this?

*******************************

"The Mastermind," CBSNews, March 5, 2003

Source

(snip)

Then, on Aug. 29, the phone rang in Binalshibh's Hamburg apartment at three in the morning.

It was Atta with an important, but cryptic message: ”He said to me, ‘One of my friends related a riddle to me and I cannot solve it, and I called you so that you can solve it for me.’” Binalshibh is heard saying.

Atta goes, “Two sticks, a dash and a cake with a stick down.”

Binalshibh said, “I said to him, ‘Is this the riddle? You wake me from a deep sleep to tell me this riddle? Two sticks and I do not know what?’”

Eventually, Fouda says, Binalshibh realized what Atta meant. So he says to him, “OK. Tell your friend, he has nothing to worry about. It's such a sweet riddle."

Binalshibh explained it: “The two sticks represent the number 11, then the dash, and then the cake from which a stick dangles represents number nine. Thus, the picture becomes complete: the 11th of September.”

(/snip)

[piasa]

Do you mean this?

*******************************

"The Mastermind," CBSNews, March 5, 2003

Source

(snip)

Then, on Aug. 29, the phone rang in Binalshibh's Hamburg apartment at three in the morning.

It was Atta with an important, but cryptic message: ”He said to me, ‘One of my friends related a riddle to me and I cannot solve it, and I called you so that you can solve it for me.’” Binalshibh is heard saying.

Atta goes, “Two sticks, a dash and a cake with a stick down.”

Binalshibh said, “I said to him, ‘Is this the riddle? You wake me from a deep sleep to tell me this riddle? Two sticks and I do not know what?’”

Eventually, Fouda says, Binalshibh realized what Atta meant. So he says to him, “OK. Tell your friend, he has nothing to worry about. It's such a sweet riddle."

Binalshibh explained it: “The two sticks represent the number 11, then the dash, and then the cake from which a stick dangles represents number nine. Thus, the picture becomes complete: the 11th of September.”

(/snip)

[piasa]

Do you mean this?

*******************************

"The Mastermind," CBSNews, March 5, 2003

Source

(snip)

Then, on Aug. 29, the phone rang in Binalshibh's Hamburg apartment at three in the morning.

It was Atta with an important, but cryptic message: ”He said to me, ‘One of my friends related a riddle to me and I cannot solve it, and I called you so that you can solve it for me.’” Binalshibh is heard saying.

Atta goes, “Two sticks, a dash and a cake with a stick down.”

Binalshibh said, “I said to him, ‘Is this the riddle? You wake me from a deep sleep to tell me this riddle? Two sticks and I do not know what?’”

Eventually, Fouda says, Binalshibh realized what Atta meant. So he says to him, “OK. Tell your friend, he has nothing to worry about. It's such a sweet riddle."

Binalshibh explained it: “The two sticks represent the number 11, then the dash, and then the cake from which a stick dangles represents number nine. Thus, the picture becomes complete: the 11th of September.”

(/snip)

[Sacajaweau]

That's the riddle: This interview was WAY after 9-11 and seemed frivilous. I rather looked at it as him giving out A NEW MESSAGE. The word "riddle" itself intrigued me as the name of one of the pilot schools where the terrorists trained was something-Riddle and the use of food items as code words has been referred to in at least one other terrorist case. Was the code a reference to 9-11 or was it a NEW MESSAGE? (Not that these people lie or anything like that).

[piasa]

interesting question.

[nopardons]

BTT