Originally posted by: Alistar7
The British govermment said it had sources for the claim different from those used by President Bush in his speech.
The radioactive metal is produced at two mines and accounts for 70 percent of Niger's export earnings. Most of it is sold to France and Japan and the country's two mines are controlled by the French company Cogema.
No wonder Saddam went shopping there.....
Welcome back, Alistar7. It's been a while since you last posted an article. Of course, as is your habit, you completely misrepresent its focus.
First, the article you linked is about denying that Iraq tried to purchase uranium from Niger. Niger's president "flatly rejected" the claim. The IAEA also "cleared Niger of all suspicion".
Second, this is old news. This was reported a month or so ago. At that time, I posted an article here quoting a high-ranking Brit who had seen the "other' evidence. He said it all ultimately tracked back to the same Niger forgeries. For example, one piece of the Brit's evidence was a report from German intelligence. But when they went to examine the German evidence, they found it was based on a report from Spain, which in turn was based on the Niger forgery. In other words, according to this person, the "other" evidence was just more of the same B.S. (Note, the countries I named are just for the sake of example. I don't remember the specifics, if he gave them.)
Third, the article reports the complaint that the Bush administration is pressuring Niger to shut up about the matter. Seems they don't like Niger confirming that the Bush allegation is still B.S.
Finally, the one and only comment this article has about the "French uranium connection" is one sentence at the very end of the article -- the sentence quoted by Alistar7. That's it. That's the whole
French Uranium Connection" * GASP! *. A French company owns the mines that
didn't sell uranium to Iraq.
Stinkin' godless frogs -- ought to nuke 'em.