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[Jorge]

This entire story is such a non-issue.
Intelligence agencies often get things wrong..it's nothing new.
The fact that the Dems and the liberal media are flailing at Bush over this weak accusation is just pathetic.

[South40]

And Tenet's a dimocRAT!

That just goes to show...

Be careful what you wish for.

[Wild Irish Rogue]

" A former diplomat was sent by the CIA to the region to check on the allegations and reported back that one of the Nigerian officials he met "stated that he was unaware of any contract being signed between Niger and rogue states for the sale of uranium during his tenure in office," Tenet said."

The "former diplomat" is Joseph Wilson,variously referred to as Ambassador to Iraq ( false),but, he should be more appropriately referred to as a Clinton confidante.
Maybe someone can explain to me, how a "diplomat", not a CIA operative,not a forgery expert,not a yellowcake expert,not a weapons expert-can be the sole word on whether a country tried to sell uranium to Iraq.Especially since the diplomat is a Clinton crony and was against the war from the get go.

This is the title of the speech,he was delivering around the US,for a fee, before the war- Former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson speaks on "Iraq: Disarmament or Conquest? The Case against Regime Change "

From the bio at the speakers bureau,it appears that the man described in the media, as a " former Ambassador to Iraq", was no such thing.He was acting ambassador for 5 months. As recently as July 6-CNN was referring to Wilson as the former Ambassador to Iraq.

1988-91-Deputy Chief of Mission at US Embassy,Baghdad
1992-1995 Ambassador to Gabonese Republic and Sao Tome
1995-97 Political Advisor CinC US Armed Forces ,Europe
1997-98 Sr Director for African American Affairs at NSC

"One of his major achievements was organizing President Clinton's historic trip to Africa in 1998." Which part-the bongos, the dashiki or the cigar smoking?

As far as I can tell, the whole brouhaha is being based on the word of a diplomat " who quickly" found out that the charges were false. Has one single reporter asked how Wilson was able to determine this ? Who were his sources ? What does Joseph Wilson know,that the British intelligence doesn't ? Did Wilson just take the word of people denying involvement or did he do an in depth investigation? How does Wilson know the people denying that Iraq tried to buy uranium are telling the truth ? What is Joseph Wilson's proof ? Verbal denials from his cronies in Africa, is not sufficient evidence.Can Joseph Wilson guarantee that Iraq did not attempt to buy uranium from Niger at any other time?

From the Seattle Times:

" Wilson never saw the disputed documents but talked with officials whose signatures would have been required and concluded the accusations were almost certainly false. In Washington, he briefed CIA officers but did not draft a report." According to the paper,he spent 8 days in Niger talking to people.
The real investigation should be why the CIA thought such a clearly political, partisan and unqualified person should be sent to Africa to resolve this sensitive issue.

[larryjohnson]

DCI slaps NSC "COLLEAGUES" which are appointees with no charter and little intell yet take up CIA desk space.

[Ken H]

From what we know now, agency officials in the end concurred that the text in the speech was factually correct that the British government report said that Iraq sought uranium from Africa."

Did the text of the SOTU say that the British government report said that Iraq sought Uranium...?

If the text did not say that, then Tenet is making a misstatement.

What are the "16 words" in the SOTU text that Tenet mentions?

[fish hawk]

TeneT is a palindrome.

[cyncooper]

A former diplomat was sent by the CIA to the region to check on the allegations and reported back that one of the Nigerian officials he met "stated that he was unaware of any contract being signed between Niger and rogue states for the sale of uranium during his tenure in office," Tenet said.

"The same former official also said that in June 1999 a businessman approached him and insisted that the former official meet with an Iraqi delegation to discuss 'expanding commercial relations' between Iraq and Niger. The former official interpreted the overture as an attempt to discuss uranium sales," Tenet said.

The diplomat sent to the region has alleged he believed Vice President Dick Cheney's office was apprised of the findings of his trip. But Tenet stated that the CIA "did not brief it to the president, vice president or other senior administration officials."

This would be Joseph Wilson, I presume. WHY does the AP not name him? The man just kicked off this whole uproar and now wishes anonymity after the fact? I don't find this appropriate in the least.

And what is the part I bolded about? I don't remember Wilson including that part in his NY Times piece.

[cyncooper]

And again the headline implies that the whole of the story about Iraq trying to buy uranium is false, when nowhere does Tenet say that. He says their evidence does not rise to the level (a very high one, indeed) of absolute certainty. It was not based in its entirety upon the forged documents.

[Sabertooth]

FYI...

[mystery-ak]

Has it been confirmed one way or another if Wilson was sent to Niger by the V-President's office?

[snopercod]

Is this like Janet Reno "taking responsibility" for Waco?