I’ve long ago accepted the fact that we’re all living in a bad sequel to the Bourne Identity. But what about the original Niger documents — the ones the CIA and the DIA found so credible? Who created them? And what was their exact relationship to the SISMI, or MI6, or the CIA, or the Cheney White House?
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July 3, 2005
WB: Paper Chase
Comments
I always suspected that the intelligence service behind the yellow cake caper was not Italian but rather Israeli. Or maybe New Zealand. One of those two countries wanted to lure us deeper.Which ever had more to gain, I suppose. Beyond Italy’s obvious motives, I mean.
Posted by: aloyisius | Jul 3 2005 20:39 utc | 1
Billmon’s post is a great example of the kind of investigative journalism that can emerge from a straightforward, probing read of publicly available documents.
Posted by: ralphbon | Jul 3 2005 22:48 utc | 2
It’s just a hypothesis but I’ve suspected for a long time that in August 2002, the Bush Administration and the Blair government may have exchanged documents and divvied up who was going to say what. Bush certainly quoted the British on the Niger/Iraq connection.
The Downing Street memos strengthen my feeling about the hypothesis. Of course, given what happened in Macedonia, where officials arrested innocent people as terrorists to prove its fealty to Bush, it’s certainly possible some government out there besides the British was putting together a phony intelligence dossier. I can count on one hand the most likely suspects (if certain Pentagon insiders were in any way involved, make that one finger).
Posted by: Craig | Jul 3 2005 22:52 utc | 3
Who killed David Kelly?
sexed up. his words for fixed. somebody killed him, as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow.
Posted by: annie | Jul 4 2005 3:34 utc | 5
And, oh boy, that Andrew Gilligan……
He sure was full of it, huh.
____
My take, if anybody is interested is here.
RossK,
I don’t understand why you are having a go at Gilligan. IMHO he did us all a service.
He did say that the “45minute” claim had been inserted by Alastair Campbell, and he got beaten up for it. But he was telling the truth.
An excerpt from something I wrote to Janice Kelly on 20 August 2003
Between 26 August and 10 September a lot of things happened in 16 days.
30 August the “45 minute” claim “just popped up”
03 September Mr Blair promised us a “Dossier within weeks”
05 September “Structure as per TB’s discussion”
09 September the “45 minute” claim “was seized on”
10 September “First draft” of the “Dossier” produced
“just popped up” and “was seized on” were expressions used by David Kelly himself
I ended thus:
On 28/29 August the British needed evidence.
On 30 August the British created that evidence.
On 9 September the British authenticated that evidence.
So when your late husband reported that Alastair Campbell had inserted the 45-minute claim he was being 100 percent truthful. For Campbell had indeed chaired the very meeting which “inserted” the claim. Yes it was the JIC. But it was the JIC as chaired by a domineering Alastair Campbell waving around his bloody enormous Royal Prerogative.
It is now clear that your late husband reported what happened on 9 September 2002. If they cheat and bury that very real event they bury their guilt. And in so doing make a fantasist of your late husband.
Posted by: John | Jul 4 2005 9:46 utc | 7
If the first document had a cisAtlantic origin, it’s not totally unthinkable that its first draft (so to speak) was written before 9/11.
Posted by: Brian Boru | Jul 4 2005 14:53 utc | 8
E. Burba (who officially brought the partly old Yellow Submarine docs to the American Embassy in Rome) is known for her role in supporting -or more- the Pal / Arab celebration post 9/11 story.
“Soon came reports of Palestinians celebrating. The BBC reporter in Jerusalem said it was only a tiny minority. Astonished, we asked some moderate Arabs if that was the case. ‘Nonsense,’ said one, speaking for many. “Ninety percent of the Arab world believes that Americans got what they deserved.” … Once at the mosque I donned a black chador, but our Lonely Planet guide attracted the attention of a hard-looking bearded guy all the same. “Are you Americans?” he asked in a menacing tone. Our quick denial made him relax. … “My people have been crushed under the heel of American imperialism, which took away our land, massacred our beloved and denied our right to life. But have you seen what happened in New York City? God Almighty has drawn his sword against our enemies. God is great – Allah u Akbar,” he said.”
“I was in Beirut, at the National Museum, enjoying the wonders of the ancient Phoenicians… Walking downtown, I realized that the offspring of this great civilization were celebrating a terrorist outrage. And I am not talking about destitute people. Those who were cheering belonged to the elite of the Paris of the Middle East: professionals wearing double-breasted suits, charming blonde ladies, pretty teenagers in tailored jeans.”
And so on. *Wall Street Journal*, 22 sept. 01
Link
It is possible that a careful analysis of the language of the docs themselves would provide clues. There are many strange mistakes in the French, despite the fact that they show great familiarity with French – African bureaucrat style. I’m pretty sure they weren’t all written by the same person, but probably by a several people together, with one or the other taking on the scribe role. (?)
Where did Iraq actually buy its natural, depleted or enriched uranium from?
Italy, Portugal, Russia, France, Niger and Brazil. (1991-1998.)
Link
Posted by: Noisette | Jul 4 2005 18:24 utc | 9
john–
Quite the opposite actually re: Gilligan (see my own timeline/comments).
Sheesh.
Maybe I should start using those stupid little yellow winkie/smiley-faced things…..
On second thought…..
No.
Because ‘d rather have my snarkolepsy misunderstood occasionally rather than be thought of somebody who has been afflicted with permanent jaundice.