White House Shows Declassified Iraq Info

[Mountainman]

The report asserts that Baghdad "if left unchecked...probably will have a nuclear weapon during this decade."


It also cites unsubstantiated reports that Iraq was trying to buy uranium from three African countries: Niger, Somalia and "possibly" Congo.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=716&e=1&u=/ap/20030718/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_uranium



If they would have nuclear weapon this decade, why the rush to war?

[BOSSHOG]

1. bush, if left unchecked

probably will get thousands of american troops killed for his own personal gain. Anything the white house shows on anything has to be suspect. Credibility is gone bush and its no one's fault but your own, even though your lemmings think you are honorable.

[underpants]

2. Hey look what we found here why it's our assessment that agrees with....

our assessment. How convenient that they found a vague and genralized document to support (with apparently no support IN IT) what they couldn't prove before.

Is is signed by the Niger Foreign Minister from the late 80's?

[killbotfactory]

3. "If left unchecked"

So if we lifted sanctions and left them alone for few years they might have developed nukes. What a revelation.

[cspiguy]

4. So I guess when El Baradei said they were clean nukewise...

We are all to believe that the UN was in on the joke (on US and Israel). Pretty flimsy for a friday data dump.

[lefty_mcduff]

5. But Blair told us that Saddam could launch in 45 minutes?!!!!!

I am so fucking sick and tired of these phycopaths and their lies, subterfuge and spin. I'm also sick and tired of the puppy press giving them cover. Impeach, then jail the lot of 'em!

[sandnsea]

6. Here's the public 0ct 2002 report

http://www.odci.gov/cia/reports/iraq_wmd/Iraq_Oct_2002.htm

Been online forever. It does not mention African uranium, I don't think I've read that in a CIA report yet. Not sure what they're doing here. It's heavy on coulds and mights, "All intelligence experts agree that Iraq is seeking nuclear weapons and that these tubes could be used in a centrifuge enrichment program."

[F.Gordon]

7. The "story" changes yet again........

-snip-
The White House sought to bolster its case as U.S. officials said that documents alleging Iraq sought uranium from Africa were obtained months before Bush cited them in making his case for war. But intelligence analysts did not look at them closely enough to know they were forgeries until after Bush had made the claim, U.S. officials say. (I added the bold......)

Which "intelligence analysts" would this be? Now, apparently, the "error" wasn't discovered until after the SOTU??? WTF!!!

On edit...added:

AND this is NOTHING new!!! This is from the same CIA report that has been on the web until recently. You can probably still get it from the google cache. From my "offline" save....

Although Saddam probably does not yet have nuclear weapons or sufficient material to make any, he remains intent on acquiring them.

THIS quote is from the same report the White House is using. Again, in October of last year the CIA said; "Although Saddam probably does not yet have nuclear weapons or sufficient material to make any, he remains intent on acquiring them."

I remain "intent" on making love to my wife this weekend, but it's no guarantee that I will.

[jackstraw45]

8. IAEA: N. Korea greatest threat

THe agency the White House loves to ignore said today about N. Korea:

http://www.msnbc.com/news/939145.asp?0cv=CA01

"the situation in the DPRK is currently the most immediate and most serious threat to the nuclear nonproliferation regime.”

Hmm...but I thought Iraq was the greatest threat? 45 Minutes, right? I mean, they could have a BOMB in 10 years, right?

What? N. Korea may already have a bomb? Do they have oil?

[sham]

9. the key word here

"It also cites unsubstantiated reports that Iraq was trying to buy uranium from three African countries: Niger, Somalia and "possibly" Congo."

So that is their big counter-offensive? More bogus claims about uranium from Africa. Do they really think we're that stupid. They're going to have to do better than that.

The level of hubris in this administration is incomprehensible.

EDIT:typo

[TahitiNut]

15. Even "unsubstantiated" is hyperbole.

The reports themselves were fraudulent on their face. If I were to "report" the moon was made of green cheese, that wouldn't merely require "substantiation" -- that'd be disregarded, not being worthy of consideration at all.

IMHO, the only reason even the Niger report was allowed to become public is because it was the best they had. I'm willing to bet whatever else they pretend to have is even more specious.

[Rose Siding]

10. The intel on the Congo was shakier than on Niger?

So...basically someone showed them where Congo is on a map and swore that it is a "real live place"?

[underpants]

12. Hmm wonder where they got that info.......Frank Carlucci???

Or "BEEP" as he is referred to in the movie "Congo". If you don't know The former CIA man and now head of the Carlyle group was mentioned by name the movie (he was the head CIA guy in Congo in the time the movie is set) so he sued Miramax (I think) and won. In a FU move the movie studio didn't dub someone's name over his in susequent copies but just "BEEP"'ed it.

[gratuitous]

11. Declassified Info Shows Caricature of Saddam as Big Bad Wolf

"What further evidence do we need?" asked the Chimp in Chief.

So, this corrupt administration is trying to sell the idea that the United States is justified in launching a pre-emptive invasion of another country based on unsubstantiated reports? Wow, I'm so old, I can remember a time when war was a serious and sober (no pun intended) business, not something a country indulged at the whim of a dictator based on phonied-up information.

[Maeve]

13. Let's hit the high points, shall we?

WASHINGTON - An intelligence assessment last October cites "compelling evidence" that Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) was attempting to reconstitute a nuclear-weapons program, according to documents released Friday by the White House.
~~~~~~~~~~~
ATTEMPTING to start a PROGRAM DOES NOT EQUAL "He's got nukes"

Sit and spin, Georgie.

[nixonwasbetterthanW]

14. reminds me of Ari's oldie but goodie: piled-up bindersgate

same MO: "hey, look at this PROOF. it's a slamdunk!"

<http://www.mediawhoresonline.com/arigate.htm>

[snippy]

16. If this is the same report discussed on CNBC it won't help Bush.

Several media people said that it raised more questions about other statements by Bush and others in the administration.

The best thing about the current attention being paid to the uranium lies is that some in the media apparently have decided to verify other statements made to justify the invasion. This should lead to the "discovery" of other lies and may eventually snowball.

Politically, the most serious crime may have been the decision to enter into the conspiracy to issue a littany of lies to "market" the invasion. At some point the question should become "who decided that a series of lies was the best way to market the invasion?"

[gulliver]

17. Salon article: Ex-CIA guy says WH cooked NIE too!

If true, the WH made it worse for themselves today. Not only would they have cooked the data for the SOTU, but they would have pressured the compilers of the very NIE document they are now citing.

Here's the quote from Salon.

"McGovern believes that only the White House and the vice president's office could exert the kind of intense pressure necessary to cement bogus intelligence information into the ultimately authoritative NIE report -- and keep it there through the string of drafts leading up to a prime-time presidential speech."

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2003/07/18/vips/index.html

(Don't blame me if you haven't ponied up for Salon. It's well worth it. :-))