Bob Calco wrote:

>No, the claims about Iraq seeking yellowcake from Niger, mentioned by the

>President in his SOTU, were independently verified by the very British

>intelligence services the President cited even after some of the documents

>that were obtained by the media were discredited. The discredited documents

>to which you indirectly refer were not in this case the sole source used for

>the conclusion, unlike in the case of CBS's bogus national guard story.

>

>

Now you're slandering.

The British intelligence didn't verify *anything*. Nothing was verified.

Tony Blair also released a report stating that Iraq could launch a

chemical attack on British tourists and servicemen in Cyprus in 45

minutes. These same officials, which didn't verify anything about the

yellowcake reports, told Tony Blair on three separate occasions that

such a claim was completely inaccurate.

Back to the "evidence".

February 1, 1999 -- letter from Wissam al-Zahawiah, Iraqu ambassador to

the Holy See, to the Niger Empassy in Rome. In Italian, it confirms

al-Zahawiah's upcoming visit to Niger.

February 1, 1999 -- letter from Niger Embassy in Rome to the Minister of

Foreign Affairs in Niger announcing Ambasador al-Zahawiah's proposed

visit to Niger.

February 1, 1999 -- telex containing text identical to the preceding

letter. Likely false documents.

July 27, 2000 -- letter from the president of Niger to Saddam Hussein

confirming the agreement ot furnish 500 tons of uranium. The document

contains a comment by the Niger president that the agreement is in

accord with Niger's constitution but it is a constitution long out of date.

June 28, 2000 -- "accord" between Niger and Iraq to furnish uranium to Iraq.

June 30, 2000 -- Letter from the Niger Ministry of foreign Affairs to

Niger ambassador in Rome requesting him to contact Iraq's Rome

ambassador, al-Zahawiah -- who by then retired -- regarding the June 28

agreement. Date and contents appear altered.

July 6, 2000 -- three page "accord" between Niger and Iraq for 500 tons

of uranium oxide. It is supposedly signed by Niger President Tandja

Mamadou and "minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Ailele Elhandj

Habibou" who actually left that job in 1989.

October 10, 2000 -- letter from Niger Minister of Foreign Affairs to

Niger Embassy in Rome referring to an attached agreement to supply Iraq

with uranium. The letter is stamped received September 28, 2000, two

weeks before it was supposedly created and signed by "Minister of

Foreign Affairs" Ailele Elhadj Habibou who left that job in 1989.

February 7, 2001 -- letter in code from the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

June 14, 2002 -- meeting, referred to in an undated report, between the

ambassadors of Sudan, Niger, Pakistan, Iraq and Libya, and Iran to

establsih a highly secret military force to assist nations facing

western diplomatic aggression, such as sanctions, embargo, or accusations.

July 2001 -- Confidential deciphered letter from the Secretary of State

of Niger to the Ambasador in Rome outline shipping details for the

uranium bound for Iraq.

August 28, 2001 -- letter from Niger Minister of Foreign Affairs to the

Ambassador of Rome confirming a shipment of uranium but no destination

is listed.

September 3, 2001 -- letter from "Ambassador al-Zahawiah" (he had

actually retired to Lebanon a year earlier) to Niger Embassy confirming

a September 2001 visit to Niger. Except for the date -- likely altered

-- it is identical to the February 1, 1999 letter listed above.

So let's see. All the US had to do was to independently study the

documents or perhaps interview Mr. al-Zahawiah or Mr. Mamaou or Mr.

Habibou. British intelligence independently verified that none of these

people are worth interviewing before rendering a decision. Not only is

the "evidence" clearly flimsy, our president summarized this evidence

and placed it in the State of the Union speech as if it were rock solid

evidence. It's called "rush to judgement".

Bill Anderson