Dude, Where's My Country_ - Michael Moore [93]
Further accounts of the Wilson investigation, and the Bush Administration’s persistent repetition of the Iraq-nuke stories, in the face of contradictory evidence, are reported by Nicholas D. Kristof, “White House in Denial,” New York Times, June 13, 2003; Richard Leiby, “Retired Envoy: Nuclear Report Ignored; Bush cited alleged Iraqi purchases, even though CIA raised doubts in 2002,” Washington Post, July 6, 2003; ABC World News Tonight, “White House knew Iraq-Africa claim was false; Bush administration forced into contrition by discovery of paper trail,” July 22, 2003; Dana Priest & Karen DeYoung, “CIA questioned documents linking Iraq, uranium ore,” Washington Post, March 22, 2003; Michael Isikoff, et al., “Follow the yellowcake road,” Newsweek, July 28, 2003; Walter Pincus, “Bush faced dwindling data on Iraq nuclear bid,” Washington Post, July 16, 2003; and Evan Thomas, et al., “(Over)selling the World on War,” Newsweek, June 9, 2003.
Sixty-two million people watched Bush make his ultimate pitch for war in his 2003 State of the Union address, according to Washington Times reporter Jennifer Harper, “Bush’s speech resonates with public, polls show,” January 30, 2003. The speech is online at the White House Web site: “State of the Union Address,” January 28, 2003.
CIA Director George Tenet’s statement taking “responsibility” for Bush’s use of the disproved intelligence that Iraq was seeking uranium in Africa in his 2003 State of the Union address can be read at www.cia.gov
The disclosure about the October memos showing the CIA had warned the White House the Iraq-Niger uranium story was based on faulty intelligence was reported on July 23, 2003 by David E. Sanger and Judith Miller of the New York Times, “After the War: Intelligence; National Security Aide Says He’s to Blame for Speech Error,” and Tom Raum, “White House official apologizes for role in State of Union speech flap,” Associated Press; and on August 8, 2003 by Walter Pincus, “Bush team kept airing Iraq allegataion; officials made uranium assertions before and after President’s speech,” Washington Post.
Secretary of State Powell’s address to the UN referenced here was made on February 5, 2003. The official transcript is posted by the U.S. mission to the UN: www.un.int/usa.
The report that two trailers found in northern Iraq were for the production of hydrogen to be used to inflate balloons—not chemical weapons as asserted by the president—was made in the British newspaper The Observer, by Peter Beaumont, et al. “Iraqi mobile labs nothing to do with germ warfare, report finds,” June 15, 2003. This was further confirmed when the Defense Intelligence Agency, part of the Department of Defense, came to same conclusion, as reported by Doughlas Jehl, “Iraqi trailers said to make hydrogen, not biological arms,” New York Times, August 9, 2003.
The remarks by Lt. Gen. James Conway about the failure of U.S. troops to find chemical weapons in Iraq were reported by the Associated Press, Robert Burns, “Commander of U.S. marines in Iraq cites surprise at not finding weapons of mass destruction,” May 30, 2003.
Information about the U.S. cooperation with Iraq in its war against Iran, and Iraq’s use of chemical or biological weapons in that conflict, comes from a multitude of sources, including: Patrick E. Tyler, “Officers say U.S. aided Iraq in war despite use of gas,” New York Times, August 18, 2002; “Chemical weapons in Iran: confirmation by specialists, condemnation by Security Council,” UN Chronicle, March 1984; Henry Kamm, “New Gulf War issue: Chemical Arms,” New York Times, March 5, 1984; Reginald Dale, “U.S. and Iraq to resume diplomatic relations,” Financial Times, November 27, 1984.
The list of chemical agents sold by U.S. corporations to Saddam Hussein from 1985-1990 is included in the Senate report: “U.S. Chemical and Biological Warfare-Related Dual Use Exports to Iraq and their possible impact on health consequences of the Gulf War,” Report by Chairman