IAEA Says Iraq Likely Source of Material!!!

Yahooooooooo via AP ^ | 1/16/04

[John H K]

This is basically irrelevant to the Niger Wilson story, most likely.

There's Yellowcake in Iraq right now. Iraq used to mine uranium. Iraq used to, decades ago, buy Yellowcake from West Africa.

This isn't the slightest confirmation that Iraq was buying Yellowcake from Niger RECENTLY.

[John H K]

If there was anything interesting or previously unknown at Tuwaitha I suspect we would have heard about it by now.

Unless it's part of the vast Bush administration coverup of evidence of WMD in Iraq or something.

[LayoutGuru2]

And of course we know unequivocally that it is absolutely impossible for the cake to have made its journey having been originally sourced from Niger. < /sarc >

Don't you dare click on this link

[doug from upland]

Let him eat (yellow) cake!

[oceanview]

british intel had plenty of sources for the Niger claim, the forged papers were planted as a poison pill to discredit the whole story.

[John H K]

I wasn't commenting on the truth of the Niger claim, just saying it was overwhelmingly likely this discovery has no particular relevance to whether the Niger claim was true or not.

[ordinaryguy]

I wonder if anyone actually bothered to read the article.

Not judging from the posts. It reminds me of Slashdot.

[mewzilla]

If there was anything interesting or previously unknown at Tuwaitha I suspect we would have heard about it by now.

Patience is a virtue :)

[ordinaryguy]

this is how iraq disposed of the yellowcake they had,

It isn't clear to me that Iraq disposed of any yellowcake. They have tons of the stuff sitting in Location C of Tuwaitha.

What makes you think they were compelled to dispose of any yellowcake?

[ex 98C MI Dude]

The Admin's claim wasn't that Iraq HAD bought uranium from Nigeria (not Niger... that is a city, not a country!), but that they had attempted to buy said substance. In violation of the UN sanctions, making it cassus belli. ANY violation was a cause for war.

Wilson went to Nigeria with the idea of discrediting the Admin. What he found was the story was TRUE. But the way it has been portrayed in the media is that President Bush said Iraq recieved uranium from West Africa. A complete and utter lie.

And you, sir, seem to have bought into it!

[princess leah]

How NOW brown (or yellow) cow?

[Hon]

Niger is the country in question. It is in west Africa.

[ravingnutter]

Wissam al Zahawie, the Iraqi official whom the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says went on a "trade mission" to uranium-exporting Niger in 1999, had a record of promoting resentment against America and Israel and of making Iraq's case for building a nuclear bomb.

Iraqi Nuke Hawk Went to Niger

On March 7, ElBaradei appeared at the U.N. Security Council to report on the IAEA's investigation of Iraq's nuclear-related activities. It was here he revealed that the Iraq-Niger documents were "not authentic." But at the same time he also revealed -- in vague terms -- that Iraq had sent an official to Niger in 1999.

Iraq's trade mission to Iraq

“Niger has two main exports - chickens and uranium."

So I guess he was looking to buy some chickens...

[new cruelty]

The Admin's claim wasn't that Iraq HAD bought uranium from Nigeria (not Niger... that is a city, not a country!), but that they had attempted to buy said substance. In violation of the UN sanctions, making it cassus belli. ANY violation was a cause for war.

Google search: Niger Yellow Cake

A map of Niger

[ex 98C MI Dude]

I stand corrected on that matter. When I went to school, that entire area was Nigeria. The African continent seems to change on a weekly basis.

[new cruelty]

Niger (in red)

[ex 98C MI Dude]

My point still remains. Iraq tried to buy uranium from West Africa. That was a violation of a MULTITUDE of UN sanctions.

[BJClinton]

...production of nuclear grade uranium

I do think this is significant but yelloecake can be used for more than just weapons. It is the most common natural ore used for nuclear energy and depleted uranium munitions, both of which Saddam tried to develop over the decades. We'd need to see where the scrap metal came from before saying this was for WMD.

[new cruelty]

When I went to school, that entire area was Nigeria. The African continent seems to change on a weekly basis.

Key events in Niger's history:

• 1960 independence from France
• 1993 Niger holds its first free and open elections.
• 1995 peace accord ended a five-year Tuareg insurgency in the north.
• 1996 coup
• 1999 coup, followed by the creation of a National Reconciliation Council that effected a transition to civilian rule in December 1999.

[ex 98C MI Dude]

Okay, so you know how to Google a country. I am very happy for you. Now, get to the meat of the matter.

Did Iraq try to buy uranium from NIGER?