Joe Wilson's Top Ten Worst Inaccuracies And Misstatements

GOP.COM ^ | 7/14/05 | GOP.COM

[paltz]

Thursday, July 14, 2005
Joe Wilson's Top Ten Worst Inaccuracies And Misstatements

1.)  Wilson Insisted That The Vice President’s Office Sent Him To Niger:

Wilson Said He Traveled To Niger At CIA Request To Help Provide Response To Vice President’s Office. “In February 2002, I was informed by officials at the Central Intelligence Agency that Vice President Dick Cheney’s office had questions about a particular intelligence report. … The agency officials asked if I would travel to Niger to check out the story so they could provide a response to the vice president’s office.” (Joseph C. Wilson, Op-Ed, “What I Didn’t Find In Africa,” The New York Times, 7/6/03)

• Joe Wilson: “[W]hat They Did, What The Office Of The Vice President Did, And, In Fact, I Believe Now From Mr. Libby’s Statement, It Was Probably The Vice President Himself ...” (CNN’s “Late Edition,” 8/3/03)

Vice President Cheney: “I Don’t Know Joe Wilson. I’ve Never Met Joe Wilson. … And Joe Wilson - I Don’t [Know] Who Sent Joe Wilson. He Never Submitted A Report That I Ever Saw When He Came Back.” (NBC’s “Meet The Press,” 9/14/03)

CIA Director George Tenet: “In An Effort To Inquire About Certain Reports Involving Niger, CIA’s Counter-Proliferation Experts, On Their Own Initiative, Asked An Individual With Ties To The Region To Make A Visit To See What He Could Learn.” (Central Intelligence Agency, “Statement By George J. Tenet, Director Of Central Intelligence,” Press Release, 7/11/03)

2.)  Wilson Claimed The Vice President And Other Senior White House Officials Were Briefed On His Niger Report:

“[Wilson] Believed That [His Report] Would Have Been Distributed To The White House And That The Vice President Received A Direct Response To His Question About The Possible Uranium Deal.” (Senate Select Committee On Intelligence, “Report On The U.S. Intelligence Community’s Prewar Assessments On Iraq,” 7/7/04)

The Senate Select Committee On Intelligence Reported That The Vice President Was Not Briefed On Wilson’s Report. “Conclusion 14. The Central Intelligence Agency should have told the Vice President and other senior policymakers that it had sent someone to Niger to look into the alleged Iraq-Niger uranium deal and it should have briefed the Vice President on the former ambassador’s findings.” (Senate Select Committee On Intelligence, “Report On The U.S. Intelligence Community’s Prewar Assessments On Iraq,” 7/7/04)

CIA Director George Tenet:  “Because This Report, In Our View, Did Not Resolve Whether Iraq Was Or Was Not Seeking Uranium From Abroad, It Was Given A Normal And Wide Distribution, But We Did Not Brief It To The President, Vice-President Or Other Senior Administration Officials.” (Central Intelligence Agency, “Statement By George J. Tenet, Director Of Central Intelligence,” Press Release, 7/11/03)

3.)  Wilson Has Claimed His Niger Report Was Conclusive And Significant

Wilson Claims His Trip Proved There Was Nothing To The Uranium “Allegations.” “I knew that [Dr. Rice] had fundamentally misstated the facts. In fact, she had lied about it. I had gone out and I had undertaken this study. I had come back and said that this was not feasible. … This government knew that there was nothing to these allegations.” (NBC’s, “Meet The Press,” 5/2/04)

Officials Said Evidence In Wilson’s Niger Report Was “Thin” And His “Homework Was Shoddy.”  (Michael Duffy, “Leaking With A Vengeance,” Time, 10/13/03)

Senate Select Committee On Intelligence Unanimous Report: “Conclusion 13. The Report On The Former Ambassador’s Trip To Niger, Disseminated In March 2002, Did Not Change Any Analysts’ Assessments Of The Iraq-Niger Uranium Deal.” (Senate Select Committee On Intelligence, “Report On The U.S. Intelligence Community’s Prewar Assessments On Iraq,” 7/7/04)

• “For Most Analysts, The Information In The Report Lent More Credibility To The Original Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Report On The Uranium Deal, But State Department Bureau Of Intelligence And Research (INR) Analysts Believed That The Report Supported Their Assessments That Niger Was Unlikely To Be Willing Or Able To Sell Uranium.”  (Senate Select Committee On Intelligence, “Report On The U.S. Intelligence Community’s Prewar Assessments On Iraq,” 7/7/04)

CIA Said Wilson’s Findings Did Not Resolve The Issue. “Because [Wilson’s] report, in our view, did not resolve whether Iraq was or was not seeking uranium from abroad, it was given a normal and wide distribution, but we did not brief it to the president, vice president or other senior administration officials. We also had to consider that the former Nigerien officials knew that what they were saying would reach the U.S. government and that this might have influenced what they said.” (Central Intelligence Agency, “Statement By George J. Tenet, Director Of Central Intelligence,” Press Release 7/11/03) 

The Butler Report Claimed That The President’s State Of the Union Statement On Uranium From Africa, “Was Well-Founded.” “We conclude that, on the basis of the intelligence assessments at the time, covering both Niger and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the statements on Iraqi attempts to buy uranium from Africa in the Government’s dossier, and by the Prime Minister in the House of Commons, were well-founded. By extension, we conclude also that the statement in President Bush’s State of the Union Address of 28 January 2003 that:  ‘The British Government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.’ was well-founded.” (The Rt. Hon. The Lord Butler Of Brockwell, “Review Of Intelligence, On Weapons Of Mass Destruction,” 7/14/04)

4.)  Wilson Denied His Wife Suggested He Travel To Niger In 2002:

Wilson Claimed His Wife Did Not Suggest He Travel To Niger To Investigate Reports Of Uranium Deal; Instead, Wilson Claims It Came Out Of Meeting With CIA.  CNN’s Wolf Blitzer: “Among other things, you had always said, always maintained, still maintain your wife, Valerie Plame, a CIA officer, had nothing to do with the decision to send to you Niger to inspect reports that uranium might be sold from Niger to Iraq. … Did Valerie Plame, your wife, come up with the idea to send you to Niger?”  Joe Wilson:  “No. My wife served as a conduit, as I put in my book. When her supervisors asked her to contact me for the purposes of coming into the CIA to discuss all the issues surrounding this allegation of Niger selling uranium to Iraq.”  (CNN’s “Late Edition,” 7/18/04)

• But Senate Select Committee On Intelligence Received Not Only Testimony But Actual Documentation Indicating Wilson’s Wife Proposed Him For Trip.  “Some CPD, [CIA Counterproliferation Division] officials could not recall how the office decided to contact the former ambassador, however, interviews and documents provided to the Committee indicate that his wife, a CPD employee, suggested his name for the trip.  The CPD reports officer told Committee staff that the former ambassador’s wife ‘offered up his name’ and a memorandum to the Deputy Chief of the CPD on February 12, 2002, from the former ambassador’s wife says, ‘my husband has good relations with both the PM [prime minister] and the former Minister of Mines (not to mention lots of French contacts), both of whom could possibly shed light on this sort of activity.’”  (Select Committee On Intelligence, “Report On The U.S. Intelligence Community’s Prewar Intelligence Assessments On Iraq,” U.S. Senate, 7/7/04)

5.)  Wilson Has Claimed His 1999 Trip To Niger Was Not Suggested By His Wife:

Wilson Claims CIA Thought To Ask Him To Make Trip Because He Had Previously Made Trip For Them In 1999, Not Because Of His Wife’s Suggestion.  CNN’s Wolf Blitzer:  “Who first raised your name, then, based on what you know? Who came up with the idea to send you there?”  Joe Wilson:  “The CIA knew my name from a trip, and it’s in the report, that I had taken in 1999 related to uranium activities but not related to Iraq. I had served for 23 years in government including as Bill Clinton’s Senior Director for African Affairs at the National Security Council. I had done a lot of work with the Niger government during a period punctuated by a military coup and a subsequent assassination of a president. So I knew all the people there.”  (CNN’s “Late Edition,” 7/18/04)

In Fact, His Wife Suggested Him For 1999 Trip, As Well.  “The former ambassador had traveled previously to Niger on the CIA’s behalf … The former ambassador was selected for the 1999 trip after his wife mentioned to her supervisors that her husband was planning a business trip to Niger in the near future and might be willing to use his contacts in the region …”  (Select Committee On Intelligence, “Report On The U.S. Intelligence Community’s Prewar Intelligence Assessments On Iraq,” U.S. Senate, 7/7/04)

6.) Wilson Claimed He Was A Victim Of A Partisan Smear Campaign

Joe Wilson: “Well, I Don’t Know. Obviously, There’s Been This Orchestrated Campaign, This Smear Campaign. I Happen To Think That It’s Because The RNC, The Republican National Committee’s Been Involved In This In A Big Way …”  CNN’s Wolf Blitzer: “But They Weren’t Involved In The Senate Intelligence Committee Report.”  Wilson: “No, They Weren’t.”  (CNN’s “Late Edition,” 7/18/04)

Senate Intelligence Committee Unanimously Concluded That Wilson’s Report “Lent More Credibility” For Most Analysts “To The Original Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Reports.”  “Conclusion 13. The report on the former ambassador’s trip to Niger, disseminated in March 2002, did not change any analysts’ assessments of the Iraq-Niger uranium deal. For most analysts, the information in the report lent more credibility to the original Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) reports on the uranium deal, but the State Department Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) analysts believed that the report supported their assessment that Niger was unlikely to be willing or able to sell uranium to Iraq.”  (Select Committee On Intelligence, “Report On The U.S. Intelligence Community’s Prewar Intelligence Assessments On Iraq,” U.S. Senate, 7/7/04)

Members Of The Senate Select Committee On Intelligence That Wrote The Unanimous “Report On The U.S. Intelligence Community’s Prewar Intelligence Assessments On Iraq”:

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)

Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI)

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)

Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL)

Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN)

Sen. John Edwards (D-NC)

Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)

Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS)

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)

Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH)

Sen. Christopher Bond (R-MO)

Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS)

Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME)

Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE)

Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)

Sen. John Warner (R-VA)

(Select Committee On Intelligence, “Report On The U.S. Intelligence Community’s Prewar Intelligence Assessments On Iraq,” U.S. Senate, 7/7/04)

7.) A Month Before The Bob Novak And Matthew Cooper Articles Ever Came Out, Wilson Told The Washington Post That Previous Intelligence Reports About Niger Were Based On Forged Documents:

In June Of 2003, Wilson Told The Washington Post “The Niger Intelligence Was Based On Documents That Had Clearly Been Forged Because ‘The Dates Were Wrong And The Names Were Wrong.’” (Susan Schmidt, “Plame’s Input Is Cited On Niger Mission,” The Washington Post, 7/10/04)

However, “The [Senate Select Committee On Intelligence] Report …  Said Wilson Provided Misleading Information To The Washington Post Last June [12^th, 2003].” (Susan Schmidt, “Plame’s Input Is Cited On Niger Mission,” The Washington Post, 7/10/04)

• Senate Select Committee On Intelligence Unanimous Report: “The Former Ambassador Said That He May Have ‘Misspoken’ To The Reporter When He Said He Concluded The Documents Were ‘Forged.’”   (Senate Select Committee On Intelligence, “Report On The U.S. Intelligence Community’s Prewar Assessments On Iraq,” 7/7/04)

8.) Wilson Claimed His Book Would Enrich Debate:

NBC’s Katie Couric: “What Do You Hope The Whole Point Of This Book Will Be? Joe Wilson: “Well, I - I Hope, One, It Will Tell - It Tries To Tell An Interesting Story. Two, I Hope That It Enriches The Debate In A Year In Which We Are All Called Upon As Americans To Elect Our Leaders. And Three, … That [It] Says That This Is A Great Democracy That Is Worthy Of Our Taking Our Responsibilities As Stewards Seriously.” (NBC’s “Today Show,” 5/3/04)

Wilson Admits In His Book That He Had Been Involved In “A Little Literary Flair” When Talking To Reporters.  “[Wilson] wrote in his book, he told Committee staff that his assertion may have involved ‘a little literary flair.’” (Matthew Continetti, “‘A Little Literary Flair’” The Weekly Standard, 7/26/04)

Wilson’s Book The Politics Of Truth:  Inside The Lies That Put The White House On Trial And Betrayed My Wife’s CIA Identity Has Been Panned In Numerous Reviews For Its Inaccuracies:

• “On Page One Of Chapter One, He Quotes NBC Talk Show Host Chris Matthews, Who Told Him That, After Mr. Wilson Chose To Go Public: ‘Wilson’s Wife Is Fair Game.’ Later, He Bases His List Of Suspect Leakers On Conversations With Members Of The News Media And A ‘Source Close To The House Judiciary Committee.’” (Eli Lake, Op-Ed, “Don’t Quit Your Day Job, Mr. Wilson,” New York Post, 5/4/04)
  
• “For Example, When Asked How He ‘Knew’ That The Intelligence Community Had Rejected The Possibility Of A Niger-Iraq Uranium Deal, As He Wrote In His Book, He Told [Senate Intelligence] Committee Staff That His Assertion May Have Involved ‘A Little Literary Flair.’” (Matthew Continetti, “‘A Little Literary Flair,’” The Weekly Standard, 7/26/04)
  
• The Boston Globe: “In Essence, Much Of Wilson’s Book Is An Attempt To Portray The Bush Administration As A Ministry Of Fear Whose Mission In Pursuing War In Iraq Required It To Proclaim A Lie As Truth.” (Michael D. Langan, Op-Ed, “‘Truth’ Makes Much Of Bush Controversy,” The Boston Globe, 5/4/04)
  
• Newsweek’s Evan Thomas Wrote In The Washington Post: “[W]ilson’s Claims And Conclusions Are Either Long Hashed Over Or Based On What The Intelligence Business Describes As ‘Rumint,’ Or Rumor Intelligence.” (Evan Thomas, Op-Ed, “Indecent Exposure,” The Washington Post, 5/16/04)

9.) Wilson Claimed The CIA Provided Him With Information Related To The Iraq-Niger Uranium Transaction:

“The Former Ambassador Noted That His CIA Contacts Told Him There Were Documents Pertaining To The Alleged Iraq-Niger Uranium Transaction And That The Source Of The Information Was The [Redacted] Intelligence Service.” (Senate Select Committee On Intelligence, “Report On The U.S. Intelligence Community’s Prewar Assessments On Iraq,” 7/7/04)

• However, “The DO [Director Of Operations At The CIA] Reports Officer Told Committee Staff That He Did Not Provide The Former Ambassador With Any Information About The Source Or Details …” (Senate Select Committee On Intelligence, “Report On The U.S. Intelligence Community’s Prewar Assessments On Iraq,” 7/7/04)

10.) Wilson Claimed He Is A Non-Partisan “Centrist”:

Recently, Joe Wilson Refused To Admit He Is A Registered Democrat. NBC’s Jamie Gangel: “You are a Democrat?” Joe Wilson: “I exercise my rights as a citizen of this country to participate in the selection of my leaders and I am proud to do so. I did so in the election in 2000 by contributing not just to Al Gore's campaign, but also to the Bush-Cheney campaign.” (NBC’s “Today Show,” 7/14/05)

“[Wilson] Insist[s] He Remained A Centrist At Heart.” (Scott Shane, “Private Spy And Public Spouse Live At Center Of Leak Case,” The New York Times, 7/5/05)

• Joe Wilson Is A Registered Democrat. (District Of Columbia Voter Registrations, Accessed 7/14/05)
  
• Joseph Wilson Has Donated Over $8,000 To Democrats Including $2,000 To John Kerry For President In 2003, $1,000 To Hillary Clinton’s (D-NY) HILLPAC In 2002 And $3,000 To Al Gore In 1999.  (The Center For Responsive Politics Website, www.opensecrets.org, Accessed 7/12/05)
  
• Wilson Endorsed John Kerry For President In October 2003 And Advised The Kerry Campaign.  (David Tirrell-Wysocki, “Former Ambassador Wilson Endorses Kerry In Presidential Race,” The Associated Press, 10/23/03)
  
• “[Wilson] Admits ‘It Will Be A Cold Day In Hell Before I Vote For A Republican, Even For Dog Catcher.’” (Scott Shane, “Private Spy And Public Spouse Live At Center Of Leak Case,” The New York Times, 7/5/05)

[lugsoul]

For the selective edit, read item #1 in these talking points. Then read post #10.

It is pretty shameless.

[Darkwolf377]

Specifically, what is someone at the RNC "lying through their teeth" about? What blatant selective edit?

I'm wondering that myself. Both seem to be saying the same thing. If you can figure out the difference, pass it on!

[King Prout]

good find.
ping.

[bitt]

refresh your arguments - information ping

[kabar]

For the selective edit, read item #1 in these talking points. Then read post #10. It is pretty shameless.

First, talking point #1 Wilson Insisted That The Vice President’s Office Sent Him To Niger refers to all the subequent information and quotes under that heading, not just the CNN interview. In his July 6th Op-Ed with the NYT, Wilson said, " The agency officials asked if I would travel to Niger to check out the story so they could provide a response to the vice president’s office.” As it turns out, the VP did not ask the CIA to conduct this inquiry. It was done at the Agency's initiative and not at the behest of the VP or his office.

CIA Director George Tenet: “In An Effort To Inquire About Certain Reports Involving Niger, CIA’s Counter-Proliferation Experts, On Their Own Initiative, Asked An Individual With Ties To The Region To Make A Visit To See What He Could Learn.” (Central Intelligence Agency, “Statement By George J. Tenet, Director Of Central Intelligence,” Press Release, 7/11/03) I am sure that Tenet's statement was in response to Wilson's July 6th NYT OP-Ed, which created the impression that the VP's office initiated the Wilson visit.

CIA Director George Tenet: “Because This Report, In Our View, Did Not Resolve Whether Iraq Was Or Was Not Seeking Uranium From Abroad, It Was Given A Normal And Wide Distribution, But We Did Not Brief It To The President, Vice-President Or Other Senior Administration Officials.” (Central Intelligence Agency, “Statement By George J. Tenet, Director Of Central Intelligence,” Press Release, 7/11/03)

Joe Wilson: “[W]hat They Did, What The Office Of The Vice President Did, And, In Fact, I Believe Now From Mr. Libby’s Statement, It Was Probably The Vice President Himself ...” (CNN’s “Late Edition,” 8/3/03)

This is an exact quote from Wilson. The implication is that the VP'office and more than likely the VP asked that the CIA to initiate a trip to Niger. Wilson goes on to say, "They asked essentially that we follow up on this report -- that the agency follow up on the report. So it was a question that went to the CIA briefer from the Office of the Vice President. The CIA, at the operational level, made a determination that the best way to answer this serious question was to send somebody out there who knew something about both the uranium business and those Niger officials that were in office at the time these reported documents were executed." This was a CYA statement made after the CIA's July 11 press releases. You can call it selective editing by the GOP, but why quote Wilson's cover-up statement?

Wilson made these statements to CNN after the CIA press releases on July 11 essentially shot down Wilson's assertions in his July 6, Op-Ed piece in the NYT. What I Didn't Find in Africa

If you read Wilson's pompous, self-promting Op-Ed, you can see what his partisan, political objective was.

"Though I did not file a written report, there should be at least four documents in United States government archives confirming my mission. The documents should include the ambassador's report of my debriefing in Niamey, a separate report written by the embassy staff, a C.I.A. report summing up my trip, and a specific answer from the agency to the office of the vice president (this may have been delivered orally). While I have not seen any of these reports, I have spent enough time in government to know that this is standard operating procedure. "

"Those are the facts surrounding my efforts. The vice president's office asked a serious question. I was asked to help formulate the answer. I did so, and I have every confidence that the answer I provided was circulated to the appropriate officials within our government." The implication is that the VP received this report or was briefed on them.

"The question now is how that answer was or was not used by our political leadership."

[lugsoul]

The 'exact quote' you reference specifically says that the Agency, at an operational level, decided to send him. How in the world does this translate, in your mind, into Cheney sent him?

The mendacity being displayed on this is amazing.

Wilson says Cheney asked the CIA to look into the Yellowcake reports. Wilson says the CIA decided to send him to Niger. This is absolutely, 100% true. And you can't point to a single statement where Wilson says anything different than that.

[lugsoul]

"They [the VP's office] asked essentially that we follow up on this report -- that the agency follow up on the report. So it was a question that went to the CIA briefer from the Office of the Vice President. The CIA, at the operational level, made a determination that the best way to answer this serious question was to send somebody out there who knew something about both the uranium business and those Niger officials that were in office at the time these reported documents were executed."

Of course, like the RNC, you completely excised THIS part of the quote. Obviously, because it completely refutes the 'implication' you want to take from the preceding part. Honesty and Integrity.

[neverdem]

Thanks for the ping.

[kcvl]

bttt

[Darkwolf377]

What are you talking about?

Here is the RNC claim (CAPS mine):

Wilson Insisted That The Vice President’s OFFICE SENT HIM To Niger

Here is Wilson's claim (CAPS mine):

What they did, what THE OFFICE of the vice president did, and, in fact, I believe now from Mr. Libby's statement, it was probably the vice president himself... BLITZER: Scooter Libby is the chief of staff for the vice president. WILSON: Scooter Libby. THEY asked essentially that we follow up on this report

The RNC claims Wilson said the trip was as a result of Cheney's office wanting confirmation of the report.

Wilson claimsCheney's office wanted confirmation of the report and led to him being sent to Niger.

[lugsoul]

"led to him" being sent to Niger. Those are key words.

Cheney's request that the CIA look into the Niger / yellowcake issue DID 'lead to' the CIA, at a operational level, sending Wilson to Niger. That is not disputed.

What is disputed is whether Wilson said Cheney sent him. The RNC says yes. But no one can point to such a statement. And anyone who reads the ENTIRE exchange you excerpted can see that Wilson specifically says that CIA officials, not Cheney, made the decision to send him. And that Cheney didn't even know he was going.

[Darkwolf377]

"led to him" being sent to Niger. Those are key words. Cheney's request that the CIA look into the Niger / yellowcake issue DID 'lead to' the CIA, at a operational level, sending Wilson to Niger. That is not disputed. What is disputed is whether Wilson said Cheney sent him. The RNC says yes.

No they don't. Where in this article do they say that? Here's the quote:

1.) Wilson Insisted That The Vice President’s OFFICE Sent Him To Niger: Wilson Said He Traveled To Niger At CIA Request To Help PROVIDE RESPONSE To Vice President’s OFFICE. “In February 2002, I was informed by officials at the Central Intelligence Agency that Vice President Dick Cheney’s office had questions about a particular intelligence report. … The agency officials asked if I would travel to Niger to check out the story so they could provide A RESPONSE TO to the vice president’s OFFICE.” (Joseph C. Wilson, Op-Ed, “What I Didn’t Find In Africa,” The New York Times, 7/6/03)

You're attacking the RNC for supposedly being dishonest; where have they been dishonest? Show the specific quotes, please.

[Dems_R_Losers]

Anybody else here wonder WTH kind of "business" Joe Wilson had in Niger, which is what ostensibly qualifed him to make the first trip to Niger in 1999? This is not Egypt or South Africa we are taking about. This is one of the most dangerous and corrupt regimes in Africa. There are State Department warnings against Americans traveling there. It's one of those banana republics where nobody "does business" without the government being involved. So what was Joe Wilson doing there? Why should we believe him when he reports something that conveniently lets the Niger government off the hook for dealing with Saddam Hussein? Isn't is just the tiniest bit possible that Wilson set all this up, using his wife's position of course, to protect his friends in Niger in order to support his "business" while at the same time screwing the Bush Administration? What a sweet deal! Too bad George Tenet and Bob Novak called bullshit on the whole thing.

[FreedomCalls]

Excellent summary. And I'm still stunned that such an incompetant would be selected to be sent on such a mission. He didn't even understand what it was he was supposed to be looking for.

Joe Wilson:  “No. My wife served as a conduit, as I put in my book. When her supervisors asked her to contact me for the purposes of coming into the CIA to discuss all the issues surrounding this allegation of Niger selling uranium to Iraq.”   (CNN’s “Late Edition,” 7/18/04)

The allegation is that Iraq attempted to purchase uranium from Niger, not that Niger sold uranium to Iraq. Just documenting the attempt to purchase would satisfy his mission. Which he did inadvertantly. It's just as if a know felon walked into a gun store and tried to purchase an AK-47. The gun store would turn him down. But that doesn't mean he didn't try. Just as here when Niger turned down Iraq's offers. Iraq still nevertheless "sought" to purchase the uranium. The President and British Intelligence were correct, Joe Wilson continues to lie about it.

"The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa." (President Bush, in the State of the Union Address, January 28th, 2003)

[lugsoul]

Oh - now I see your hypertechnical point. You are correct. They claim Wilson said Cheney's OFFICE sent him.

The problem with your point is that Wilson didn't say that, either. He consistently said that the CIA, at an operational level, sent him.

So, the quote you posted is still the lie.

[kabar]

Here is the RNC claim (CAPS mine): Wilson Insisted That The Vice President’s OFFICE SENT HIM To Niger

That caption covers everything under paragraph #1 ,not just the excerpted portion of the CNN interview. Wilson, implicitly and explicitly, makes the point that the VP's office was the genesis of his trip and that the VP ignored or intentionally misled the public about Wilson's report. We now know that it was strictly a CIA initiated trip and that the VP was never briefed on the contents of Wilson's report. Wilson started all of this with his highly partisan NYT Op-Ed piece.

You need to read Wilson's comments to CNN in the context and timeline of the incident. Wilson made a bunch of bogus claims and allegations in his July 6th Op-Ed. The CIA issued two press releases on July 11 setting the record straight. On August 3, Wilson still implied the VP office linkage, but he could no longer make the claim that the VPs office was the genesis of his trip or that they saw his report. Read Wilson's Op-Ed piece as the starting point.

Could the GOP have done a better job of wording its "Top Ten" list. Yes, but it certainly does not rise to the level of Wilson's unfounded accusations against Bush, Cheney and Rove. Wilson was all over the talk show circuit spreading lies and disinformation. Wilson used the Plame disclosure flap to attack the WH and get Kerry elected. The whole Plame story is bogus and Wilson knows it. He is enjoying his 15 minutes of fame and a book deal.

[Darkwolf377]

It sure sounds possible, though I have no idea. But what I find funny is how no one can answer, off the cuff, what country he was an ambassador to, even though they call him "Ambassador Wilson" to give him street cred.

The facts out there indicate that Rove was ASKED about Plame and gave an off-the-record comment that was THE TRUTH. Now the MSM are attacking THE TRUTH--which is that two Gore supporters connived to send one of them--who's said his goal is to ruin this administration--to Niger, where he sat around and chatted with a few people and didn't even write a report on a potential source of nuclear fuel!

Wilson then said Bush lied with those 16 words; in fact, he did not--British intel DID find that Iraq had attempted to get yellowcake from Niger.

Two political enemies of the President run an operation in the CIA to hurt the president...and the "scandal" is that someone blew the cover off it!

[lugsoul]

"Wilson Insisted That The Vice President’s Office Sent Him To Niger"

There's the quote you wanted. I'd love to see your quote where Wilson says this. But I won't. Because he didn't.

[FreedomCalls]

If they have to twist like this to support their #1 charge, doesn't anyone wonder why?

The #1 charge is not that Cheney personally sent him. The charge is underlined: "Wilson Insisted That The Vice President’s Office Sent Him To Niger." Wilson's quote do not support the charge that Cheney sent him but the DO support the charge that Wilson claimed that the Office of the Vice President sent him.

You are being more selective and are twisting more than what you claim they are doing.

[Darkwolf377]

The problem with your point is that Wilson didn't say that, either. He consistently said that the CIA, at an operational level, sent him. So, the quote you posted is still the lie. (clip) There's the quote you wanted. I'd love to see your quote where Wilson says this. But I won't. Because he didn't. “In February 2002, I was informed by officials at the Central Intelligence Agency that Vice President Dick Cheney’s office had questions about a particular intelligence report. … The agency officials asked if I would travel to Niger to check out the story so they could provide a response to the vice president’s office.”

What they did, what the office of the vice president did, and, in fact, I believe now from Mr. Libby's statement, it was probably the vice president himself... BLITZER: Scooter Libby is the chief of staff for the vice president. WILSON: Scooter Libby. They asked essentially that we follow up on this report -- that the agency follow up on the report.

So Wilson explicitly saying Cheney's office asked that the agency follow up on the report and that agency officials asked if he would travel to Niger to check out the story so they could provide a response to the vice president’s office, ISN"T the same as saying Cheney's office in the person of Scooter Libby ordered confirmation of the report, which resulted in Wilson being sent?

Talk about hypertechnical points.

Wilson said:“In February 2002, I was informed by officials at the Central Intelligence Agency that Vice President Dick Cheney’s office had questions about a particular intelligence report. … The agency officials asked if I would travel to Niger to check out the story so they could provide a response to the vice president’s office.”

That's what the RNC said. You can dance all you want, dude, but he said it.