Senate's report invalidates claims that the President 'Lied'

[He219]

"Time and again, Joe Wilson told anyone who would listen that the President had lied to the American people, that the vice president had lied and that he had 'debunked' the claim that Iraq was seeking uranium from Africa," committee Chairman Pat Roberts said in a statement.


The report contends that former ambassador Joseph Wilson, who traveled to Niger in 2002 at the CIA's request to inquire about the uranium allegation, "did not change any analysts' assessment of the Iraq-Niger uranium deal."

The committee concluded that the CIA's October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate overstated what the intelligence community knew about Iraq's efforts to obtain uranium. But it also said Wilson's information, instead of steering the CIA away, "lent more credibility to the original Central Intelligence Agency reports on the uranium deal."

The committee also reported that the British and the French informed U.S. officials that Iraq had attempted to buy uranium from Niger.

According to the committee report, Wilson told intelligence analysts at a 2002 debriefing session that Niger's former prime minister, Ibrahim Mayaki, told him he met with an Iraqi delegation in 1999. Wilson said Mayaki told him the Iraqis were interested in "expanding commercial relations," which Mayaki interpreted as a proposition to buy uranium.

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/nation/9127314.htm?1c[/quote]

:lol:

[budanski]

From the very beginning, the media intentionally tried to discredit Bush's SOTU speech by attributing the source of the Yellow Cake story to the fake Italian document which the UN later discredited. But all along...in Bush's SOTU, he directly referenced the British Intelligence report.

Even the Democrats got in on the action claiming had they known this before the vote, it would've made a difference. Problem was, the vote was months earlier than the SOTU address.

While several weeks of a "mediacrat" beating may have led to some in the administration backtracking on the validitiy of the "16 words" presence...they never conceded that the report wasn't a legitimate story; only that US intelligence wasn't privy to the Brit's sources.

The media continues on...

[scm77]

The senate report is obviously lying too. ;) :cantbeli:

[Secret Squirrel]

any reason why you didnt post the entire article? ;)


Panel disputes 'debunking' of uranium sale

By James Kuhnhenn

Knight Ridder News Service


WASHINGTON - The Senate's report on intelligence failures involving weapons of mass destruction in Iraq disputes a key war critic's assertion that he had "debunked" suspicions that Iraq attempted to buy uranium from the African country of Niger.

The report contends that former ambassador Joseph Wilson, who traveled to Niger in 2002 at the CIA's request to inquire about the uranium allegation, "did not change any analysts' assessment of the Iraq-Niger uranium deal."

The committee concluded that the CIA's October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate overstated what the intelligence community knew about Iraq's efforts to obtain uranium. But it also said Wilson's information, instead of steering the CIA away, "lent more credibility to the original Central Intelligence Agency reports on the uranium deal."

The committee also reported that the British and the French informed U.S. officials that Iraq had attempted to buy uranium from Niger.

By challenging Wilson, the Senate Intelligence Committee report opened the door for renewed Republican attacks on his credibility in one of the most contentious side issues of the debate over the Iraq war.

A federal grand jury is conducting a criminal investigation into who leaked the name of Wilson's wife, CIA officer Valerie Plame, to journalist Robert Novak after Wilson publicly criticized the Iraq war. Wilson accused the Bush administration of leaking the name to punish him.

The probe has reached into the White House, with investigators questioning President Bush and Vice President Cheney.

"Time and again, Joe Wilson told anyone who would listen that the President had lied to the American people, that the vice president had lied and that he had 'debunked' the claim that Iraq was seeking uranium from Africa," committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R., Kan.) said in a statement of "additional views" signed by two other GOP senators.

Bush alluded to the Iraq-Niger link in his 2003 State of the Union address. The White House later said the allegation shouldn't have been included in the address to Congress because it was questionable.

In an opinion piece in the New York Times last July, Wilson reported that during his visit to Niger, "it did not take long to conclude that it was highly doubtful that any such transaction had ever taken place."

According to the committee report, Wilson told intelligence analysts at a 2002 debriefing session that Niger's former prime minister, Ibrahim Mayaki, told him he met with an Iraqi delegation in 1999.

Wilson said Mayaki told him the Iraqis were interested in "expanding commercial relations," which Mayaki interpreted as a proposition to buy uranium. Nevertheless, Mayaki told Wilson that uranium was never discussed in the meeting.

Wilson also told intelligence analysts that the ownership structure of uranium mines in Niger would have made it nearly impossible for Niger to sell the ore to Iraq because the mines are run by consortiums.

The Intelligence Committee report said CIA analysts didn't believe that the information was significant or that it clarified the Iraq-Niger connection. The report acknowledged, however, that State Department analysts concluded Wilson's information supported their view that there wasn't much substance to the Iraq-Niger link.

[SpazzMunky]

This doesnt make me feel better. Too bad it seems the CIA is hopelessly inept/corrupt.