Even Joe Wilson's article states that Iraqis made contact with Niger officials. We know that already!
The Prime Minister of Niger at the time reported confidentially to the US State Department that the topic of the meeting was uranium yellowcake (ore), which Iraq wanted to buy. He was in the meeting and he says it was about uranium.
Iraq already had uranium yellowcake... being watched by Inspector Clousseau of the UN. So they could not have needed uranium yellowcake for peaceful purposes.
The only reason left for Iraq wanting to buy uranium was to build a nuclear bomb.... without the UN knowing about it.
The Prime Minister of Niger at the time reported confidentially to the US State Department that the topic of the meeting was uranium yellowcake (ore), which Iraq wanted to buy. He was in the meeting and he says it was about uranium.
Iraq already had uranium yellowcake... being watched by Inspector Clousseau of the UN. So they could not have needed uranium yellowcake for peaceful purposes.
The only reason left for Iraq wanting to buy uranium was to build a nuclear bomb.... without the UN knowing about it.
Agreed. But how convoluted is a prosecution where they end up convicting Scooter Libby? None of this makes any sense ... unless you’ve got enemy sympathiser moles trying to bring down the President during a time of war.
Actually, Wilson's article doesn't mention that fact. In later articles, as information bled out that he had lied in his first article, he would add detail attempting to cover himself. It was Tenet that first revealed that Wilson told him, verbally, what he didn't mention in his op-ed.
What Wilson's article does do, however, is play a sleight of hand. He ignores the charge that Saddam tried to obtain uranium, instead attempting to prove that such a sale didn't transpire.
His proof that it didn't happen is to say that IAEA monitored uranium mining too closely for such a thing to occur. The truth was otherwise; IAEA wasn't monitoring these mines at all. The reasons were as follows: Niger hadn't yet passed laws allowing the inspectors into the country; IAEA claimed it didn't have the personnel anyway, and thirdly, that yellowcake is considered by them to be low-grade ore not worthy of monitoring directly. Yellowcake sales are supposed to be self-monitored, the countries involved are requested to notify IAEA themselves.
Apropos probably of nothing, has anyone ever bothered to ask where Libya's yellowcake came from? Since, according to Wilson, contraband of uranium is impossible, where did theirs come from?
The answer is, Niger. Half their supply was smuggled in from Niger, and then later self-reported. The other half was smuggled in from Niger and never self-reported. Perhaps "smuggle" is too strong a word, since it was probably simply purchased and delivered. But Wilson's claim that uranium sales to rogue states are impossible, is just silly on the face of it.