WP: Bush* Faced Dwindling Data on Iraq Nuclear Bid

[kskiska]

Wednesday, July 16, 2003; Page A01

In recent days, as the Bush administration has defended its assertion in the president's State of the Union address that Iraq had tried to buy African uranium, officials have said it was only one bit of intelligence that indicated former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was reconstituting his nuclear weapons program.

But a review of speeches and reports, plus interviews with present and former administration officials and intelligence analysts, suggests that between Oct. 7, when President Bush made a speech laying out the case for military action against Hussein, and Jan. 28, when he gave his State of the Union address, almost all the other evidence had either been undercut or disproved by U.N. inspectors in Iraq.

By Jan. 28, in fact, the intelligence report concerning Iraqi attempts to buy uranium from Africa -- although now almost entirely disproved -- was the only publicly unchallenged element of the administration's case that Iraq had restarted its nuclear program. That may explain why the administration strived to keep the information in the speech and attribute it to the British, even though the CIA had challenged it earlier.

For example, in his Oct. 7 speech, Bush said that "satellite photographs reveal that Iraq is rebuilding facilities at sites." He also cited Hussein's "numerous meetings with Iraqi nuclear scientists" as further evidence that the program was being reconstituted, along with Iraq's attempts to buy high-strength aluminum tubes "needed" for centrifuges used to enrich uranium.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61622-2003Jul15.html?nav=hptop_tb

[diplomats]

1. This is not going away

there's a new, damaging story every day. What strikes me is the citing of present administration sources in the story. You mean they're contradicting their own boss? Wow.

[kstewart33]

2. Read this piece carefully

The central point: although the Bush team has said in recent days that the Niger story is only one piece of the intelligence about Iraq's nuclear capabilities, all other evidence has been discredited or challenged by multiple parties. Pincus explains that Bush likely sought to protect the Niger piece from any public challenge because that was the only publicly unrefuted "fact" he could use to build the case that Saddam was building nuclear weapons.

Overall, more lies and more coverup, in my view, especially by Condi Rice in the last few days.

[gulliver]

3. Good stuff. More ammo for the hearing with Tenet tomorrow.

I think it's going to be an interesting day for this topic tomorrow!

[noonwitch]

14. I hope Tenet doesn't roll over for Bush

I hope he tells the truth, and doesn't cover up for the administration.

[Rose Siding]

4. All Pincus forgot was a plea for forgiveness.

Virtually all the dope in this article comes from "... a review of speeches and reports, plus interviews with present and former administration officials"

So why could Mr. Pincus not have run this story before all the enormous damage? Is he lazy? Did he think there was no market? Or was it cowardice?

Sorry but I'm not feeling overly generous. I'm glad it's coming out but it is so tragic.

[UpInArms]

5. kick

:kick:

[webtrainer]

6. Front Page of WP !!!

:bounce:

[TahitiNut]

7. Above or below the fold, I wonder.

Below. (sigh)

[Star]

8. New Woodward and Bernstein?

Looks like Walter Pincus is going to be the one keeping this alive.

[copithorne]

9. Great comments, folks.

My thoughts exactly!

[sandnsea]

10. Hey, what's this?

"In July, the United States had intercepted one shipment and obtained a tube; it was coated with a protective chemical that would have had to be removed if it were to be put to a nuclear purpose."

I missed this. Anybody know how they conveniently managed to get a hold of a tube right when they needed it? No way. Anybody remember this, have links, etc.?

[kskiska]

11. Kick!

:kick:

[Justice]

12. Apparently Other Repub Didn't Get the Memo

On Hardball last night, Chris Matthews interviewed Rick Santorum. Santorum was blustering that they (the senate) didn't treat the Niger story as all that significant, they didn't focus on it very much, so it was not "the reason" the senate approved the war resolution - in trying to prove that point -- he said they considered the aluminum tubes - rods - to be much more significant (he stumbled quite a lot getting out this bit of information - actually not remembering what to call them). Chris pointed out (surprisingly) that the aluminum rod story was also now known to be bogus and so what was Santorum saying... Santorum literally was speechless and sort of nodded his head. He must have been surprised by Chris - why else would he be comfortable defending one piece of bogus info by saying in fact they had relied on another piece of bogus info?

Then Santorum tried to say - look, Bush (like you Chris, like me) relies on the people around him to give him accurate information. If the statement was in the SOTU - it was not Bush's fault. Then Matthews actually said (shocking for him) - hey look Bush is not Ted Baxter (newsman from Mary Tyler Moore show) he doesn't just walk into Congress and someone hands him the SOTU address. When someone makes a statement about something like nuclear capability Bush has a responsiblity to ask for the support and evaluate that support himself. Santorum had to agree Matthews was right - he choked out the words. I loved that statement about Ted Baxter.

So, I suppose because Chris had taken a few shots, he then proceeded to slobber over Santorum about how great Rick was to come on the show all the time blah blah blah....

[0007]

13. Welcome to DU Justic

...and thanks for the article, I found it quite interesting.

Since I don't care to watch any of the whore networks I was wondering how the spin was going these tough times for junior.

[joeunderdog]

18. I enjoyed watching him squirm.

Wouldn't have mattered what he said. He clearly looked the part of a politician who had no substantive response for the questions. This story's been out there for long enough for them to contrive their plausible deniablility and THEY STILL CAN'T DO IT. There's no way out.

[justicebuilder]

15. Context

What so many of these stories have been missing is context. This piece is brilliant - the last sentence says it all.

"The war began three days later."

Pincus is making a play for Cheney. If he has the balls, he could be the one to start the whole house tumbling down. Unca Dick went on national television and told a bunch of lies, and then we went to war.

As Ari said on his last day "The bottom line has been gotten to."

:party: :toast: :party:

jb

[justicebuilder]

16. My butt-kissing letter to the Post

Maybe this one will actually get in. It hurt to write the gushy crap, but these pups need praise when they do something right.

The Bottom Line Has Been Gotten To

I have written many letters over the past several months, virtually none of them complimentary of the Post's coverage. I wanted to take this opportunity to note that critical readers hold the Washington Post to a high standard because it is the premier newspaper in the country. I am proud to live in a city with such a distinguished daily publication.

The Post showed today why so many of us feel this way with a courageous, hard-hitting front-page article on Dick Cheney's disingenuous role in taking the nation to war in March. "Bush Faced Dwindling Data on Iraq" should be studied by aspiring journalists as an example of how to provide context and clarity to a complex story by reviewing the available record and simply reporting the facts.

As Ari Fleischer said on his last day as White House press secretary – "The Bottom Line Has Been Gotten To." Congratulations to Walter Pincus for getting to it – we all owe him and the Post a great debt.

jb

[newyawker99]

17. Hi Justice!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[skip fox]

19. Boy, I wish everyone would take it easy on our President!

He's really trying to do better. I have that on good authority (DU's
team of crack CAPTIONers):

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=25323&mesg_id=25323&page=2

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=25410&mesg_id=25410&page=

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=25287&mesg_id=25287&page=2

[umcwb]

20. Kick, n/t