Straw defends UK dossier uranium claims

Press Association ^ | July 12, 2003 | Press Association

[ejdrapes]

Straw defends dossier uranium claims

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has defended the Government's decision to include in its first Iraqi dossier claims that Saddam Hussein tried to get uranium from Africa.

CIA director George Tenet has apologised for allowing President George Bush to refer to the alleged trade between Iraq and Niger in his most recent state of the union address, after it emerged that evidence for the claim was based on forged documentation.

Mr Straw acknowledged that the CIA did express reservations about the use of the claim in the British Government's September dossier. But he insisted that it was based on what British officials regarded as reliable intelligence that had not been shared with the US.

In a letter to Donald Anderson, chairman of the Commons foreign affairs select committee, Mr Straw said: "I am writing to deal with two points relating to the statement in the Government's September Iraq dossier that 'Iraq has sought the supply of significant quantities of uranium from Africa'.

"First, press reporting has claimed that this statement is contradicted by the report of a US envoy, Ambassador Joseph Wilson, who visited Niger in early 2002 to investigate the subject on behalf of the CIA. I want to make clear that neither I nor, to the best of my knowledge, any UK officials were aware of Ambassador Wilson's visit until reference first appeared in the press, shortly before your hearings last month. In response to our questions, the US authorities have confirmed that Ambassador Wilson's report was not shared with the UK.

"We have now seen a detailed account of Ambassador Wilson's report. It does indeed describe the denials of Niger government officials in early 2002 that a contract had been concluded for the sale of yellowcake to Iraq. But, as CNN have reported, Ambassador Wilson's report also noted that in 1999 an Iraqi delegation sought the expansion of trade links with Niger - and that former Niger government officials believed that this was in connection with the procurement of yellowcake.

"Uranium is Niger's main export. In other words, this element of Ambassador Wilson's report supports the statement in the Government's dossier.

"Second, the media have reported that the CIA expressed reservations to us about this element of the September dossier. This is correct.

"However, the US comment was unsupported by explanation and UK officials were confident that the dossier's statement was based on reliable intelligence, which we had not shared with the US (for good reasons, which I have given your committee in private session). A judgment was therefore made to retain it.

"Finally, may I underline that the JIC's (Joint Intelligence Committee) assessment of Iraq's efforts to reconstitute its nuclear programme did not rest on the attempted acquisition of yellowcake alone. The Government's dossier catalogued a range of other procurement activities, and referred to intelligence that scientists had been recalled to the programme in 1998. You will be aware of the recent discovery of technical documentation and centrifuge parts - necessary for the enrichment of uranium - buried at the home of an Iraqi nuclear scientist in Baghdad."

[hoosiermama]

BUMP! To read and share

[Support Free Republic]

Chrysler Corporation was to add a new car to it's line to honor Bill Clinton. The Dodge Drafter was to begin production in Canada this year, but the car had to be pulled out of production when initial tests showed that the little white lines on the road kept disappearing all the time.

Free Republic

Your donations keep us laughing at liberals

[hoosiermama]

BUMP: To read and share

[Miss Marple]

How very interesting! I don't know exactly why, but I smell a big news event happening shortly.

Heheheh.

[Miss Marple]

I wonder why some of the information was withheld from the US? There's another piece of the puzzle to be discussed.

[hoosiermama]

I'd rather catch (and hang) the instigators then the perpetrators. That may take more time.

[Peach]

Another ping for truth.

[Miss Marple]

I have just realized why the information was withheld: the Senate Intelligence Committee and the House Intelligence Committee, both of which have suspect Rats on them and which would leak information like a sieve.

Perhaps someone FAMOUS was a conduit for the Niger-Iraq uranium sale. Or perhaps a COUNTRY facilitated the sale, perhaps one that was opposed to our intervention in Iraq.

More and MORE interesting!

[Peach]

I thought the information that was withheld from the US was regarding intelligence sources?

[Peach]

Oops - we posted at the same time. I doubt anyone shares intelligence sources and for good reason.

[hoosiermama]

It might be explained,if it was during the last adminstration. Too many leaks! The only thing kept "under cover during that administration was.....(oH nevermind!)

Remember according to AC in TREASON some sensitive information was withheld even from Roosevelt and Trumen for fear it would be leaked. WIthholding may be good.

Besides we really don't know all the private conversation held between Blair and Bush. (Thinking about their little walks around the ranch.)

[ejdrapes]

That is interesting why it wasn't shared, but I still think the American media should be reporting this. Because the British stand by their claims, one could argue that what Bush said in the State of the Union was not a lie.

[hoosiermama]

Looks like we're thinking on the same line.....at the same time....

[Miss Marple]

However, the US comment was unsupported by explanation and UK officials were confident that the dossier's statement was based on reliable intelligence, which we had not shared with the US (for good reasons, which I have given your committee in private session). A judgment was therefore made to retain it.

I suppose this could be sources, but I read it as information. Either one would be dynamite if released by the democrats to the public.

[hoosiermama]

was not a lie.

It may have been inaccurate, but it was never a lie. There is a difference between lying and not having complete exact facts. The Rats don't seem to know the difference. (of course they don't even know what "IS" is or what constitutes sex, so what would you expect.

(Just FII I do not believe in was inaccurate either)

[Cosmo]

one SHOULD argue that what Bush said in the SOTU was not a lie. He refferenced his source --- end of story

[William McKinley]

Best guess?

House Permanent Select Committee On Intelligence
108^th Congress

 

Porter J. Goss, R - Florida, Chairman

 

Republicans	Democrats
Doug Bereuter, Nebraska	Jane Harman, California, Ranking Democrat
Sherwood L. Boehlert, New York	Alcee Hastings, Florida
Jim Gibbons, Nevada	Silvestre Reyes, Texas
Ray LaHood, Illinois	Leonard L. Boswell, Iowa
Randy "Duke" Cunningham, California	Collin C. Peterson, Minnesota
Peter Hoekstra, Michigan	Bud Cramer, Alabama
Richard Burr, North Carolina	Anna Eshoo, California
Terry Everett, Alabama	Rush Holt, New Jersey
Elton Gallegly, California	Dutch Ruppersberger, Maryland
Mac Collins, Georgia
J. Dennis Hastert, Illinois, Ex Officio	Nancy Pelosi, California Ex Officio

Best guess within the best guess? What are some of Pelosi's ties to the radical community? Would you share information that goes to her?

Then there is the Senate committee

MEMBERSHIP

	REPUBLICANS		DEMOCRATS
	Pat Roberts, Kansas Chairman		John D. Rockefeller IV West Virginia, Vice Chairman
	Orrin G. Hatch, Utah		Carl Levin, Michigan
	Mike Dewine, Ohio		Dianne Feinstein, California
	Christopher S. Bond, Missouri		Ron Wyden, Oregon
	Trent Lott, Mississippi		Richard J. Durbin, Illinois
	Olympia J. Snowe, Maine		Evan Bayh, Indiana
	Chuck Hagel, Nebraska		John Edwards, North Carolina
	Saxby Chambliss, Georgia		Barbara A. Mikulski, Maryland
	John W. Warner, Virginia

[maestro]

Perhaps someone FAMOUS was a conduit for the Niger-Iraq uranium sale. Or perhaps a COUNTRY facilitated the sale, perhaps one that was opposed to our intervention in Iraq.

Wee,.....we can be certain that it was NOT Canada!

/sarcasm

[OPS4]

If the dems keep beating the dead horse, another non-issue aimed at he White House looks like more political B.S. and guys like Kerry and Edwards will dissolve even further into the night!

Ops4 God Bless America!