Saddam's Shadow-The Clinton Adminitration knew about Iraq Uranium

Africa Energy & Mining | June 18, 1997 | Indigo Publications

[SBD1]

"The Americans are concerned over a visit to Katanga by the head of the Iraqi Baath party's international relations section, Shabi Al Maliki, around a year ago. He, too, showed an interest in Katanga's uranium, and last February another high-ranking Iraqi official reportedly held talks in Kinshasa with the mines minister in the last government of the Mobutu era, Banza Mukalay. The uranium is thought to have also figured in Libya's proposals in 1995 to supply oil to Zaire in exchange for ore."

So the Democrats claim that Iraq qasn't interested in Uranium and have Wilson running around spreading their lies. In the meantime, the Clinton administration knew very well that Iraq had been trying to buy Uranium all the back in 1997. Maybe that is what Sandy "the Burglar" was stuffing in his pants.

SBD

[bnelson44]

Link?

[EagleUSA]

The entire existence of the Clintons and everything they have touched IS A LIVING LIE. This POS should have been put in Federal prison for the rest of his life for what he did to this country. The Impeachment was totally inadequate -- just another indicator of a failed Washington government.

[SBD1]

Sorry, it's from the Lexis database. I have not found an online link yet.

[Polybius]

...a visit to Katanga by the head of the Iraqi Baath party's international relations section, Shabi Al Maliki, around a year ago. He, too, showed an interest in Katanga's uranium, and last February another high-ranking Iraqi official reportedly held talks in Kinshasa with the mines minister in the last government of the Mobutu era, ...

Could somebody please explain to me how, exactly, a political hack such as Wilson "investigated" Iraqi activities in Africa?

"Did the Iraqis ever come here?"

"Of course not!"

"Well, that's good enough for me. Let's have another round of drinks brought to the pool."

[doug from upland]

This is great stuff. Thanks for fiding it.

[Danae]

Ping a ling a ding dong for later.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Bingo. The Red Chinese kickback deal, not to mention the Marc Rich pardon, should've tied the noose.

[river rat]

The fact that Clinton is still vertical - and outside of prison, is an infuriating miscarriage of justice...

Clinton's criminal corruption and the inept performance of his administration is one of the blackest periods of the Republic.....

My only hope, is I live long enough to see the sonuvabitch "rewarded" as he should be......for his "service" to the country.

Semper Fi

[Admin Moderator]

We need a working link for this story, please.

[oolatec]

Uh yeah, how about a link?

[popdonnelly]

If we know Iraq was trying to obtain uranium in 1997, what's the point of arguing about whether they were seeking uranium now?

[silverleaf]

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=29276

If you go back into reports from the 90's, at one point the North Koreans had troops guarding a Congo uranium mine!

I believe Bush's original quote in the SOU was that British intelligence indicated that Iraq had sought uranium ore from AFRICA. The country of Niger was only one of several possible "AFRICAN" sources and the spin on focusing on Niger is quite inexplicable to me.

[SBD1]

I got the story from Lexis database. I have not been able to find an online link.

[Homer1]

There's this from Drudge circa 1998

Most embarrassing, the papers appear to corroborate, according to sources who have read them, allegations by a former U.N. arms inspector that the Clinton administration concealed from Congress and the public details regarding Saddam Hussein's ambitious program to develop nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons.

[SBD1]

From pages 122-123 of the Butler Review

493. In early 1999, Iraqi officials visited a number of African countries, including Niger. The visit2 was detected by intelligence, and some details were subsequently confirmed by Iraq. The purpose of the visit was not immediately known. But uranium ore accounts for almost three-quarters of Niger’s exports. Putting this together with past Iraqi purchases of uranium ore from Niger, the limitations faced by the Iraq regime on access to indigenous uranium ore and other evidence of Iraq seeking to restart its nuclear programme, the JIC judged that Iraqi purchase of uranium ore could have been the subject of discussions and noted in an assessment in December 2000 that:

. . . unconfirmed intelligence indicates Iraqi interest in acquiring uranium. [JIC, 1 December 2000]

494. There was further and separate intelligence that in 1999 the Iraqi regime had also made inquiries about the purchase of uranium ore in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In this case, there was some evidence that by 2002 an agreement for a sale had been reached.

495. During 2002, the UK received further intelligence from additional sources which identified the purpose of the visit to Niger as having been to negotiate the purchase of uranium ore, though there was disagreement as to whether a sale had been agreed and uranium shipped.

496. This evidence underlay the statement in the Executive Summary of the Government’s dossier of September 2002 that: As a result of the intelligence we judge that Iraq has:

. . . - tried covertly to acquire technology and materials which could be used in the production of nuclear weapons;

- sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa,despite having no active civil nuclear power programme that could require it . . . and in Chapter 3 of Part 1 of the Government’s dossier that: The main conclusions are that:

. . . - Saddam continues to attach great importance to the possession of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles which he regards as being the basis for Iraq’s regional power. He is determined to retain these capabilities; . . .

- Iraq continues to work on developing nuclear weapons,in breach of its obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty and in breach of UNSCR 687. Uranium has been sought from Africa that has no civil nuclear application in Iraq.

and:

Iraq’s known holdings of processed uranium are under IAEA supervision. But there is intelligence that Iraq has sought the supply of significant quantities of uranium from Africa. Iraq has no active civil nuclear power programme or nuclear power plants and therefore has no legitimate reason to acquire uranium.

497. In preparing the dossier, the UK consulted the US. The CIA advised caution about any suggestion that Iraq had succeeded in acquiring uranium from Africa, but agreed that there was evidence that it had been sought.

498. The range of evidence described above underlay the relevant passage in the Prime Minister’s statement in the House of Commons on 24 September 2002 that:

In addition,we know that Saddam has been trying to buy significant quantities of uranium from Africa,although we do not know whether he has been successful.

499. 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.

500. We also note that, because the intelligence evidence was inconclusive, neither the Government’s dossier nor the Prime Minister went on to say that a deal between the Governments of Iraq and Niger for the supply of uranium had been signed, or uranium shipped.

501. We have been told that it was not until early 2003 that the British Government became aware that the US (and other states) had received from a journalistic source a number of documents alleged to cover the Iraqi procurement of uranium from Niger. Those documents were passed to the IAEA, which in its update report to the United Nations Security Council in March 2003 determined that the papers were forgeries:

SBD

[AmeriBrit]

Bookmarked for later. Thanks!

[piasa]

al Maliki ping

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!