Plame's Input Is Cited on Niger Mission (Joe Wilson lied about EVERYTHING)

Washington Compost ^ | 7/10/04 | Susan Schmidt

[thoughtomator]

Former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, dispatched by the CIA in February 2002 to investigate reports that Iraq sought to reconstitute its nuclear weapons program with uranium from Africa, was specifically recommended for the mission by his wife, a CIA employee, contrary to what he has said publicly.

-------- snip! ----------

Wilson's assertions -- both about what he found in Niger and what the Bush administration did with the information -- were undermined yesterday in a bipartisan Senate intelligence committee report.

...

[Mo1]

Did you see the thread earlier where Kerry says he has his own intelligence briefings from his own sources? The WH is too partisan, donchaknow

Yep and I emailed it out :0)

[piasa]

Benin, Niger, France, China and Venezuela of all things...

In reference to how uranium is typically exported from Niger to France:

The raw uranium is exported to France for processing via Cotonou, Benin's capital. -- "Niger upset by uranium slur," BBC, Mon July 14, 2003

From an earlier post by a freeper:

The panel found that the CIA has not fully investigated possible efforts by Iraq to buy uranium in Niger to this day, citing reports from a foreign service and the U.S. Navy about uranium from Niger destined for Iraq and stored in a warehouse in Benin.

And, from another source :

The CIA also made only ''halfhearted'' attempts to investigate a West African businessman's claim that Nigerien uranium bound for Iraq was being stored in a warehouse in the nearby African nation of Benin, the report said. The CIA never contacted the businessman, even though the U.S. Navy gave the CIA his phone number, the report said. -- "Senate report offers backing for claim Iraq sought uranium in Africa ," By Matt Kelley, Associated Press, 7/9/2004 17:05 via http://www.boston.com/dailynews/191/wash/Senate_report_offers_backing_f:.shtml

Also, see this previously mentioned link with info on Benin, Niger, France & uranium exporting: Niger's low security for uranium, radioactive materials under scrutiny AP via The Canadian Press, Canada.com ^ | Friday, September 19, 2003 | BRUCE STANLEY

And now for further very interesting things concerning smuggling and the African country of Benin seeing as how we heard news elsewhere on FR about Venezuela's Chavez has been aiding middle eastern terrorists as well as being tight with some of the nations that are giving the world so much trouble over there :

-- "$50m cocaine haul on Togo tugboat," by Rory Carroll, The Guardian [UK], Saturday July 10, 2004

A French warship has intercepted a tugboat off the coast of Ghana which was allegedly bound for Europe with more than two tonnes of cocaine worth $50m (£26m). Officials boarded the Togolese vessel, the Pitea, earlier this week.

They arrested eight people in the latest sign that South American drug smugglers are using west Africa as a transit point.

The joint French-Togolese operation was based on Spanish intelligence, according to BBC reports, and followed the seizure in January of $140m of cocaine in Ghana.

The Pitea was allegedly carrying a consignment which originated in Venezuela.

A crackdown in the US is thought to have redirected some cocaine traffic away from North America and across the Atlantic to Africa and then north to Europe.

The Pitea was towed to Lome, Togo's capital, where the eight suspects were expected to be charged. Togolese officials said six were from Venezuela, one from North America and another from Ukraine.... (excerpted)

More benin trivia:

There was also this plane crash which killed some bangladeshi peacekeepers, a large number of Lebanese, some Americans, people from other parts of Africa, etc :

--Excerpted from "Uneven load doomed plane in Benin crash By Daily Star Staff , the Daily Star [Lebanon],Monday, July 05, 2004

... A Boeing 727 bound for Lebanon crashed on take-off at Cotonou [Niger]on Dec. 25, 2003, due to uneven distribution of weight, French aviation experts said Friday, confirming an earlier finding.
"The direct cause of the accident was not the large amount of excess weight on board, but the distribution of the load," said France's Accident Investigations Bureau (BEA). The agency is drafting its report on the crash, which killed 139 people. Friday's statement confirmed the BEA's preliminary findings released by the Benin government in March....(snip)

I believe there were some news posts that speculated the plane was the same one which had earlier been reported missing and stolen in Africa.

And it looks like China has taken an interest in benin as well:

Benin, Togo recognize China's full market economy status
Xinhua, China - Jun 26, 2004
COTONOU, June 26 (Xinhuanet) -- Benin has recognized the full market economy status of China in an official exchange of notes between the two sides ...
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-06/26/content_1548657.htm

China, Benin sign economic, technological cooperation accords
Xinhua, China - Jun 25, 2004
COTONOU, June 25 (Xinhuanet) -- China and Benin signed five accords on economic and technological cooperation Friday in the Beninese capital Cotonou. ...
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-06/26/content_1547825.htm

China, Benin sign economic, technological cooperation accords
People's Daily, China - Jun 25, 2004
China and Benin signed five accords on economic and technological cooperation Friday in the Beninese capital Cotonou. ...
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200406/26/eng20040626_147599.html

[PGalt]

bump!

[Howlin]

What? He gets his own? From who? Those foreign leaders?

[Howlin]

He's too good to get briefed like the rest of the senators?

[Mo1]

You didn't see it

Seems Kerry can find time to ride his bike ... but can't find time to be briefed on our national security



Kerry's Intelligence Deficiency (kerry and intelligence briefings; outrage alert)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1169945/posts

[cyncooper]

I think this was his insane attempt to dig himself out of the hole he dug on LKL when he made his "I've been too busy" comment:

Kerry's Intelligence Deficiency (kerry and intelligence briefings; outrage alert)"

Excerpt:

"If we're talking about the same intelligence that got us into this war in Iraq, why would we listen to them?" asks a Kerry campaign source. "The Senator has his own intelligence and security advisers who brief him regularly. This is just more political gamesmanship, and we aren't going to play."

~snip~

Can you BELIEVE that?!

[cyncooper]

From who? Those foreign leaders?

I and others also guessed the foreign leaders, too!

I predict President Bush and Dick Cheney will work in references to Kerry's "special briefing" in their campaign speeches just like they did to Kerry's foreign leaders comment.

[Mo1]

I was think it's Maddie Halfbright and crowd

And the French of course

[Howlin]

Can they be that dumb? He may have his own advisors but THEY don't have access to top secret information.

Let's see what we can find:

Consider Kerry's foreign policy advisers. Ask the candidate's supporters, and the advisor they mention first is Joe Wilson, the Clinton-era National Security Council member who investigated claims that Saddam Hussein was trying to buy weapons-grade uranium from Niger. Wilson won battle stars from progressives for going public with his findings, which contradicted the Bush administration's claims. Wilson's wife, CIA agent Valerie Plame, was outed by a White House source or sources as a consequence.

And

Wilson may be a white hat, but it's hard to say the same about Richard Morningstar, Rand Beers and William Perry, three other members of Kerry's foreign policy team.

And I am positive I have read Warren Christopher, Jamie Rubin, and Madeleine.

[Howlin]

“I PLEDGE to you, on your behalf and on behalf of the other 96% of humanity, that within weeks of being elected I will return to the United Nations, and not only rejoin the community of nations but also turn over a proud new chapter in America's relationship with the world.” That typically tortuous peroration from John Kerry's stump speech concerns one of his most important themes: foreign policy. If Mr Kerry carries it out, this “new chapter” would mark a fundamental break with the Bush administration.

Mr Kerry promises to restart negotiations on the Kyoto anti-global-warming treaty, open bilateral talks with North Korea and Iran, appoint envoys to the Middle East and for nuclear proliferation, aid failed states, stop bunker-buster bombs—and even give all Americans a chance to learn a foreign language. And that does not include profound differences with Mr Bush over Iraq. Europeans may think this orgy of multilateralism almost too good to be true. They could be right.

---

In trying to strike a balance between multilateralism on the one hand and continued assertiveness on the other, Mr Kerry is returning to the hard-headed “progressive internationalism” of Roosevelt and Truman, which dominated American foreign policy throughout the cold war. This is not the peacenik wing of the Democratic Party. His advisers include Richard Holbrooke, the man who ran President Clinton's Bosnia policy, and Sandy Berger, a former national security adviser. His chief foreign-policy adviser, Rand Beers, was once in the Bush team.

[windchime]

You've posted a stunning quantity and quality of information! Thank you!

[Don Joe]

[Not in posted order]

I wish I had kept a file of all the media mouths who gave airtime to, and believed, Joe Wilson. But one person for certain knew he was lying his ass off...and she still works for the CIA!

Scary, huh?
...
WOWWWWWWWWWW!!!!! They NAILED him!!!!! Did his Wife show him CONFIDENTIAL documents????
...
Wilson never worked for the CIA

Are you sure of that?

This is pure speculation, so take it FWIW. (I have had no contact with any CIA folks for... several years.)

In my opinion, what we are watching here is the mother of all limited hang-outs.

I think that Wilson and Plame are the classic "CIA couple", and, I think this whole incident is a world class effort in misdirection. I think the real "blown cover" worry is over Wilson's cover.

It would not be considered "good" in certain quarters for it to be confirmed that one of our Ambassadors wore two hats, if you get my drift.

I don't doubt that some/most/all of the dirt uncovered on him may be real, but I think the main thing they've been trying to misdirect the world's eyes from seeing is his position in the CIA.

Like I said, take it FWIW.

[piasa]

What? He gets his own? From who? Those foreign leaders?

Let me guess:

* His general intel oversight committee: Intelligence Professionals for Sanity...
* Top Advisor of Terrorism: The head of Sein Fein...
* Top Advisor on Smuggling , Central America: Daniel Ortega...
* Top Advisor Money Laudering : Al Amoudi and the AMC...
* Extraterrestrial Threat Advisor : T J Wilkinson...
* Director of Misinformation: Joseph Wilson and a cadre of mint tea interrogators...
* WMD specialist : A deep cover operative with a spread in Vanity Faire....
* Foreign Affairs : Jaques Chirac...
* National Security Advisor : We don't need no steenking national security advisor......
* Y3K & Loose Wire specialist : Richard Clarke...
* Guy who will hold nuclear football for Old Butterfingers: Wesley Clarke...
* Flying Monkeys Division : The NPR, CBS, CNN, SKY NEWS, BBC, AL Jazeerah, NY TIMES, VF, Walter Pincus and unlimited anonymous sources....
* Wannabe Joint Chiefs : the remnants of the VVAW and a bag of weed. ...
* Wannabe Homeland Security Spokesman : Greg Packer.
* Babysitter : Kofi Anan....

[MeekOneGOP]

Well. My, my, my ! Truth, NY Times style !!

[nopardons]

bttt

[Ann Archy]

hmmmmmmmm.

[cyncooper]

So how does that explain Wilson himself being an anonymous source to the press for several weeks, then writing an op-ed for the New York Times revealing his trip?

All in order to purvey lies about the president, no less.

No, I don't think that's the story, that he had some cover. He is the one who outed himself--he is the one who was spreading lies.

[Grampa Dave]

Isn't amazing that a Freeper like you can find all of this data and the libs on the 9/11 commission miss it or bury it.

Of course the NY Slimes LA Slimes, Washington Compost and ABCNNBC BS have buried this data.

[MamaLucci]

Wilson was promised a book deal in return for his treachery.......and the DNC got his book out in record time.