Clinton reopens book on Iraqi bid to buy uranium in Africa

[TeeYiYi]

Clinton reopens book on Iraqi bid to buy uranium in Africa

Michael White, political editor
Monday July 19, 2004
The Guardian

Tony Blair's ally and former US president Bill Clinton yesterday reopened the sensitive issue of Saddam Hussein's attempts to buy uranium in Africa.

Speaking on BBC1's Breakfast with Frost, Mr Clinton, who is promoting his memoirs, said there was "no evidence" the CIA had ever told George Bush about the claim.

<snip>

Mr Clinton told Sir David Frost: "Let me just say one other thing. Now this doesn't apply to the UK, it applies to America. There is no evidence that the CIA told the president or the White House that Saddam Hussein had gotten uranium yellow cake from Niger, or was close to having a nuclear weapon, a representation that was made.

"Now the intelligence in the UK may have told Prime Minister Blair but the evidence is to the contrary in America. And there is no evidence that the CIA ever said that Saddam Hussein was tied to al-Qaida and could have had anything to do with September 11 directly or indirectly," he said.

More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1264085,...

TYY

[truthisfreedom]

1. i was wondering why the Big Dog was keeping his opinions rather mild

up until recently. he's a great strategist. the rethugs are thoroughly unprepared for this. what can they do, claim he was never a real elected President of These United States and call him a liar? he's privvy to all CIA briefings... he's one person who would both bother to read everything the CIA briefs bush on and is in a position to know exactly what they're reporting.

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. Also former presidents can continue

to get CIA briefings if they wish to. I believe that Clinton and Bu$h Sr, both take advantage of that privilege and get briefed on a regular basis.

[saracat]

3. Go, Bill!

Someone has to set the record straight. But I did think that Poppy was the only ExPresident still receiving briefings.But of course that was what was reported in our press, so it's questionable intel at best!

[IndianaGreen]

6. Why is Big Dog throwing a lifeline to the puke Blair?

When is this guy going to shut up and leave the stage? His time is passed, especially when he is excusing Blair's own role in selling the Iraq war to the sheep.

[Gore1FL]

7. Did he?

Seems to me he had specific criticism for Bush. Blair didn't get the information from the CIA, either, but at least he was not supposed to.

That is not to excuse Blair, but only to make the target of the criticism clear.

[IndianaGreen]

9. Bush and Blair knew, or should have known, Iraq had no WMDs

Clinton is also mentioned in this article, but I didn't post the relevant paragraph.

Blair: the attacks mount up
By Kim Sengupta and Nigel Morris
19 July 2004

Tony Blair is facing fierce and sustained attacks over Iraq from opposition parties, weapons inspectors and a former intelligence chief as he prepares for a crucial Commons debate on the Butler report.

The Prime Minister was condemned yesterday by the former chief of US weapons inspections in Iraq for going to war on flawed evidence. David Kay, handpicked by the CIA to find Saddam Hussein's arsenal, said Mr Blair and President George Bush should have known that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction.

<snip>

Mr Kay insisted there was no basis for Mr Blair to claim that Iraq had WMD or presented an imminent threat which required an invasion. The weapons inspector maintained that Mr Blair and Mr Bush had an agenda for war and were thus prepared to ignore the flaws in the WMD argument.

"I think the Prime Minister ... should have been able to tell before the war that the evidence did not exist for drawing the conclusion that Iraq presented a clear, present and imminent threat on the basis of existing weapons of mass destruction," he said. Mr Bush and Mr Blair had a "multitude" of other reasons for going to war, he added.

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?sto...

[hang a left]

18. Actually that line is in F911, that is where I heard it anyway.

The question that pops up now is why? Why wouldn't BC want to receive them? Or is that statement not factual.

[Swamp Rat]

4. Geaux Clinton!!! We are waiting for you to spill the beans, Big Dog.

I hope this is a sign of what's to come - that he, Wilson, and some other powerful dudes are waiting for the best time to attack Bush&Co. "The Big Dog Smack-down"

[AFSCME girl]

11. The Big Dog Smackdown

is right!!! I love it! The Big Dog rocks

[IndianaGreen]

12. Why was Big Dog silent during the debate about the war?

Bill Clinton, the former US president, also intervened in the debate saying that intelligence reports he had seen from 1992 to 2000, during his period in office, did not suggest Saddam posed an imminent threat.

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?sto...

Why didn't Big Dog speak up during the IWR debate? Why did he remain silent on the eve of the war? Why did he fail to join the millions of people that marched against the war?

Why speak now, after blood has been spilled, and not before when his voice could have made a difference?

Why didn't Big Dog join Al Gore when Gore was attacking Bush for his rush to war?

[AFSCME girl]

14. These are all good points.........

one drop of anyone's blood was too much to spill over this ridiculous war. I just wonder if Clinton's speaking out beforehand would have made a difference to B*shco? I believe in my heart, as I'm sure many people do, that this war was planned long before 9/11.

Also, what was in it for Tony Blair? Why is he such a lackey for BushCo?

[wabeewoman]

20. There is another thread about Iraq and

London's International Petroleum Exchange http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph... (see post 30). Seems like Iraq is changing from dollars. I have read that Saddam was changing from dollars to Euros and this was a factor (along with oil and location) for what we invaded Iraq. Don't they always say: Follow the money??

[AFSCME girl]

24. Very interesting...

thank you for this And yes, the mantra always is
"follow the money..........."

[Spangle]

17. Read Shockingelf's post on this DU thread

The first post on this thread.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

And it explains why. Bush said that vote wasn't for going to War in Iraq. This vote at the time was being protrayed as being a "metntal warfare" vote. It was a vote to give Bush more "play" in that sort of game to force inspections. The expections that after the vote, Iraq would feel the heat to allow the inspections.

Another words, Bush was playing like he really wasn't going to war. Telling this "back door" and getting the approval. After he got it, HOW he got it was no longer important. What he said or promised, was no longer imporant.

This is rather a "no no" in the world of politics. Each is relying on the word of the other. All who believed Bush in the begining feel the sting of what he actualy did. Something that they didn't sign on for. THEY are the ones that will have to explain it to their voters. That is why it's a "no no", Kinda a "honor among theifs" sort of thing.

[They_LIHOP]

19. I assume every DU'er already knows that piece of the story...

Now the question is, WHY does the media CONSTANTLY get away with refering to "Kerry Voting FOR the Iraq War", when all he did was what all of Congress did - try to give Bush the upper hand in forcing inspections. EVERYONE knew what that vote was really about, yet it's like the media (well, the wingnuts are saying it, and the media will NEVER call them on it) has already forgotten. How convenient for bush and his claims of Kerry's 'flip-flopping'...

TOTAL BULLSHIT. Repeat after me: NOBODY VOTED 'FOR WAR'. PERIOD. THEY VOTED FOR US UNITY, IN ORDER TO SCARE SADDAM INTO ALLOWING INSPECTIONS.

Them's the facts. Kerry needs to be VERY outspoken about clearing this up. He gave a great speech that day on the Senate floor, qualifying his vote and why he gave it. He SPECIFICALLY said he was NOT VOTING FOR WAR. Why he doesn't bring it up on a daily basis until it's drilled into the media's consciousness (so they'll stop LYING about it) is beyond me. One of many things w/Kerry I'm not understanding, but hopefully one day all will become clear...

[RC]

5. Yeah, but..., but..., but...

If Clinton would lie about a blue dress, he would lie about anything.

[0007]

13. The big differnce is that there was edivence with the blue dress

and there is no edivence that the CIA told the president or the White House that Saddam Hussein had gotten uranium yellow cake from Niger, or was close to having a nuclear weapon, a representation that was made.

Big Big diffence!

[bpilgrim]

8. OSP - a clear and present DANGER to the american people - did

Faith-Based Intelligence...

Office of Special Plans

Iraq's WMD: Not Failed Intelligence, but Deception

In fact, it was the neocons insisting Saddam had gobs of WMD, not the CIA or the DIA. It wasn't an intelligence failure, as Kay alludes, it was outright and crafted deception, most of it delivered by the Office of Special Plans (OSP).

The OSP is a Pentagon outfit created by Douglas J. Feith and Paul Wolfowitz to "cherry-pick" intelligence. It hired "like-minded lawyers, congressional staffers, and policy wonks from the numerous rightwing think-tanks" to fabricate Iraq's WMD program, according to the Guardian.

more...
http://www.progressivetrail.org/articles/040126Nimmo.sh...

see also...

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Special investigation: The ...
... The agency, called the Office of Special Plans (OSP), was set up by the defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, to second-guess CIA information and operated under ...
www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,999737,00.html

Office of Special Plans
Complete timeline of the 2003 Invasion of Iraq: Douglas Feith's Pentagon offices - OSP
www.cooperativeresearch.org/wot/iraq/office_of_special_...

more...
google

peace

[FreakinDJ]

10. The Big Dog = Dem Big Guns

Many Many countries World wide Love and Listen to the Big dog

He represents to them GOOD Economic times and a stable America. His speaking out on these issues is going to have a enormous effect. Good to see him finally coming to the table swinging some serious wood

[bobthedrummer]

15. This is REALLY GOOD!

George W. Bush's latest vacation plans ARE RUINED!

NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.

[goclark]

16. Why does Poppy Want The Briefings?

I find it interesting the Poppy wants to see all the briefings.
Why should he want them? Why should he feel the need to know?
His son is the unPresident!

Doesn't he trust his son and the son's administration to handle things.Or, is Poppy really running the show and not the current administration.

I think Poppy is the silent partner and lead Soprano.

[wabeewoman]

21. My guess is that it gives

him lots of inside info to use with the Saudi's and make more bucks for GHW Bush.

[burrowowl]

23. Carlyle et al eom

[The_Casual_Observer]

22. Chimp was careful to point out that the source of this

info came from the British in the SOTU. chimp's writers have always been careful to provide escape hatches in every speech as he has made these claims.