Same old BS, Tigerpaw. The yellow cake wasn't a lie; WASHINGTON: 'The British Government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa." - George W. Bush, State of the Union address, Jan. 28, 2003.
Those were "the 16 words" in a momentous message to a joint session of Congress that were pounced on by the wrong-war left to become the simple centerpiece of its angry accusation that "Bush lied to us" - or, as John Kerry more delicately puts it - "misled" us into thinking that Saddam's Iraq posed a danger to the United States.
The he-lied-to-us charge was led by Joseph Wilson, a former diplomat sent in early 2002 by the CIA to Niger to check out reports by several European intelligence services that Iraq had secretly tried to buy that African nation's only major export, "yellowcake" uranium ore.
Wilson testified to the Senate Intelligence Committee that he had assured U.S. officials back in 2002 that "there was nothing to the story." When columnist Robert Novak raised the question of nepotism by reporting that he got the assignment at the urging of his CIA wife, Wilson denied that and denounced her "outing," triggering an investigation. The skilled self-promoter was then embraced as an antiwar martyr, sold a book with "truth" in its title, appeared every TV talk show denouncing Bush.
Two exhaustive government reports came out last week showing that it is the president's lionized accuser, and not Bush, who has been having trouble with the truth.
Contrary to his indignant claim that "Valerie had nothing to do with the matter" of selecting him for the African trip, the Senate published testimony that his CIA wife had "offered up his name" and printed her memo to her boss that "my husband has good relations" with Niger officials and "lots of French contacts." Further destroying his credibility, Wilson now insists this strong pitch did not constitute a recommendation.
iht.com
The story goes on, Wilson Lied, Iraq did indeed seek to purchase yellow cake from Nigeria.
So, perhaps this will put to rest the screams that "BUSH LIED IN HIS STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS!" Those 16 words, were in fact, entirely truthful but Joe Wilson is a bona-fide liar. |
