Josh Marshall's story *was* the Niger forgeries

[muriel_volestrangler]

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2004_08_01.php#003235

I can vouch for the accuracy of this account since I have been working on this story for six months. In fact, I interviewed the Italian middle-man in question two months ago at a restaurant in mid-town Manhattan -- the details of that interview I describe below.
...
In late 2001, the SISMI officer brought the Niger Embassy employee a packet of documents --- those later identified as forgeries --- and instructed her to slip them in with the other documents she was providing to the ‘security consultant’ on an on-going basis.
...
Contrary to arguments that there was lots of independent evidence of uranium sales between Iraq and Niger, US government sources have told us that almost all of the important evidence derived from the phony documents. Specifically, it came from summaries of the documents Italian intelligence was distributing to other western intelligence agencies -- including those of the US, Britain and France -- in late 2001 and 2002.

The US has long known that the Italians had the forged documents in their possession at least as early as the beginning of 2002. And what we've uncovered is that at the same time Italian intelligence operatives were surreptiously funnelling copies of the documents to this document peddler with the knowledge that he would sell them to other intelligence services and likely to members of the Italian press.

He's a bit miffed he got scooped on part of the story - his full article will come out this month in Washington Monthly, and on 'an American TV network'.

[Auntie Bush]

1. Who originally made the forgeries?

Isn't that important to know? I never hear anything about WHO or WHAT country forged the documents in the first place. Whoever did it was someone trying to get us to attack Iraq...maybe Cheney's office?

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Marshall and the Sunday Times' article both blame SISMI

the Italian intelligence service. Marshall says the conduit they set up in the Nigerien embaassy dates back to early 2000.

[Rose Siding]

3. I hope Josh has traced the story further than SISMI

The Italians weren't disseminating disinfo about Iraq all on their own or for their own purposes. Surely they had encouragement or 'guidance' from others. Chalabi? Cheney?

[in_cog_ni_to]

4. "I" think Plame knows who or what person/country forged

the documents. Too much of a coincidence that SHE was outed and THESE particular "Niger" documents were forgeries. She knows, is MY guess. (someone from the U.S.) Her outing was a warning for her to keep her mouth shut. JMCPO