Monday, July 18, 2005
Josh Marshall - Ignorance or Wilfull Ignorance?
Josh Marshall in TPM: Here he [Christopher Hitchins] claims among other things that Iraq really was interested in getting its hands on Nigerien uranium. That's based on?
Well, Josh, you obviously need to read the Senate Select Committee Report signed by such well know Democrat apologists for Republicans as Carl Levin, Dianne Feinstein, Richard Durbin and John Edwards. If you do you will find that the report of Joe Wilson of his trip to Niger confirmed the findings of the CIA that Iraq attempted to purchase uranium in Niger.
According to the portion of the Report agreed to by all members of the Committee:
"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..." (Report, p. 73)
"The intelligence report [based on Mr. Wilson's debriefing following his trip to Niger] indicated that former Nigerien Prime Minister Ibrahim Mayaki was unaware of any contracts that had been signed between Niger and any rogue states ... however, that in June 1999 [redacted] businessman, approached him and insisted that Mayaki meet with an Iraqi delegation to discuss 'expanding commercial relations' between Niger and Iraq. The intelligence report said that Mayaki interpreted 'expanding commercial relations' to mean that the delegation wanted to discuss uranium yellowcake sales." (Report, p. 43)
"[The CIA reports officer] said he judged that the most important fact in the [Wilson] report was that the Nigerien officials admitted that the Iraqi delegation had traveled there in 1999, and that the Nigerien Prime Minister believed the Iraqis were interested in purchasing uranium, because this provided some confirmation of foreign government service reporting." (Report, p. 46)
Mr. Wilson confirmed that a high level Iraqi delegation met with former Prime Minister Mayaki of Niger to discuss "expanding commercial relations." Mr. Mayaki took that to mean the Iraqis wanted to discuss the purchase of uranium. The State Department Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) analysts believed that Mr. Wilson’s report “supported their assessment that Niger was unlikely to be willing or able to sell uranium to Iraq.” (Report p. 73)
This arose from a belief in the State Department that France adequately controlled the sale of all uranium from Niger and would not allow sales to rogue states such as Iraq. State also believed that Niger would not trade with a country under UN sanctions. (Report, p. 44)
"Ambassador Owens-Kirkpatrick told Committee staff she recalled the former ambassador (Mr. Wilson) saying 'he had reached the same conclusions that the embassy had reached, that it was highly unlikely that anything was going on." (Report, p. 42) Thus, INR and Mr. Wilson had such faith in France and Niger that they would prevent any sales of uranium to Iraq.
Of course, this does not speak to or contradict the CIA conclusion that Iraq attempted to purchase uranium from Niger. INR and State believed that regardless of Iraqi attempts to purchase uranium, Niger would not sell it to Iraq. Mr. Wilson’s report of his conversations with the Prime Minister confirmed the CIA's analysis that Iraq had, in fact, attempted to purchase uranium from Niger regardless of whether an actual sale occurred or whether Niger could deliver uranium if a contract were entered into.
The importance of Iraqi attempts to purchase Nigerien uranium far exceeds the issue of whether they were successful in doing so or whether France would have allowed such sales. Niger is not the only country in the world selling uranium. Furtherjmore, a known attempt to purchase uranium in Niger indicates a desire to acquire nuclear arms that might have led to purchases of weapons from other sources.
Well, Josh, you obviously need to read the Senate Select Committee Report signed by such well know Democrat apologists for Republicans as Carl Levin, Dianne Feinstein, Richard Durbin and John Edwards. If you do you will find that the report of Joe Wilson of his trip to Niger confirmed the findings of the CIA that Iraq attempted to purchase uranium in Niger.
According to the portion of the Report agreed to by all members of the Committee:
"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..." (Report, p. 73)
"The intelligence report [based on Mr. Wilson's debriefing following his trip to Niger] indicated that former Nigerien Prime Minister Ibrahim Mayaki was unaware of any contracts that had been signed between Niger and any rogue states ... however, that in June 1999 [redacted] businessman, approached him and insisted that Mayaki meet with an Iraqi delegation to discuss 'expanding commercial relations' between Niger and Iraq. The intelligence report said that Mayaki interpreted 'expanding commercial relations' to mean that the delegation wanted to discuss uranium yellowcake sales." (Report, p. 43)
"[The CIA reports officer] said he judged that the most important fact in the [Wilson] report was that the Nigerien officials admitted that the Iraqi delegation had traveled there in 1999, and that the Nigerien Prime Minister believed the Iraqis were interested in purchasing uranium, because this provided some confirmation of foreign government service reporting." (Report, p. 46)
Mr. Wilson confirmed that a high level Iraqi delegation met with former Prime Minister Mayaki of Niger to discuss "expanding commercial relations." Mr. Mayaki took that to mean the Iraqis wanted to discuss the purchase of uranium. The State Department Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) analysts believed that Mr. Wilson’s report “supported their assessment that Niger was unlikely to be willing or able to sell uranium to Iraq.” (Report p. 73)
This arose from a belief in the State Department that France adequately controlled the sale of all uranium from Niger and would not allow sales to rogue states such as Iraq. State also believed that Niger would not trade with a country under UN sanctions. (Report, p. 44)
"Ambassador Owens-Kirkpatrick told Committee staff she recalled the former ambassador (Mr. Wilson) saying 'he had reached the same conclusions that the embassy had reached, that it was highly unlikely that anything was going on." (Report, p. 42) Thus, INR and Mr. Wilson had such faith in France and Niger that they would prevent any sales of uranium to Iraq.
Of course, this does not speak to or contradict the CIA conclusion that Iraq attempted to purchase uranium from Niger. INR and State believed that regardless of Iraqi attempts to purchase uranium, Niger would not sell it to Iraq. Mr. Wilson’s report of his conversations with the Prime Minister confirmed the CIA's analysis that Iraq had, in fact, attempted to purchase uranium from Niger regardless of whether an actual sale occurred or whether Niger could deliver uranium if a contract were entered into.
The importance of Iraqi attempts to purchase Nigerien uranium far exceeds the issue of whether they were successful in doing so or whether France would have allowed such sales. Niger is not the only country in the world selling uranium. Furtherjmore, a known attempt to purchase uranium in Niger indicates a desire to acquire nuclear arms that might have led to purchases of weapons from other sources.
# posted by Thomas A. Becket : 9:29 PM
