MovieChat Forums > Fair Game (2010) Discussion > Here are the facts backed up by sources....

Here are the facts backed up by sources...

posted 13 years ago by wbartyount
4 replies | jump to latest

For anyone interested in the truth, here are the facts backed up by sources:

In his 2003 state of the union address, Bush made the following statement:
"The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa." (George W. Bush, Presidential State of the Union Address, January 2003).

Wilson then wrote in the New York Times, July 6, 2003, that this statement in the state of the union address was a misrepresentation of the intelligence and that in his trip to Niger he concluded that it was highly doubtful that any transaction of uranium from Niger to Iraq took place. (Joseph C. Wilson 4th, July 6, 2003, "What I Didn't Find in Africa", The New York Times).

However, note that Bush's statement says that Iraq had "sought", not "aquired", nuclear material. Wilson's claim that Bush's statement is a misrepresentation, is false. The British intelligence mentioned was actually *supported* by Wilson's trip to Nigeria where he found that Nigerian officials were approached by Iraqi officials who were interested in "expanding commercial relations" between Niger and Iraq, which the Nigerian officials interpreted as meaning the delegation wanted to discuss yellowcake uranium sales. (Report of the Select Committee on Intelligence, July 9, 2004, pp. 39–46, 208–222).

And as we all now know, there was no conspiracy in the White House to out Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame. Plame's identity was revealed in a Robert Novak article where he was given the information in an off-hand comment by Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage.

Robert Novak stated that he was not told, and that he did not know, that Plame was — or had ever been — an agent with Non-Official Cover. He has emphatically said that had he understood that she was any sort of secret agent, he would never have named her. (Clifford D. May, July 15, 2005, "Who Exposed Secret Agent Plame?". National Review Online).

[–] Mr Blue-4 13 years ago

Try again.

The Bush Adminstration was looking for evidence to back up their CLAIM that Iraq had PURCHASED or OBTAINED the 98 tons of yellowcake. Not that they merely SOUGHT it. When Wilson's actual research did not match the story they were building, they went ahead and said it (re the clip of Condie Rice on TV in 2002/03 in the film).

You have to be a dolt of the first order if you expect anyone to swallow the notion that an entire war and occupation was built around the threat of Iraq "seeking" out the materials for WMD. The Bush Adminstration, AT ALL TIMES, were insisting they were PRODUCING and HAD WMDS in 2003.

As we all now know, no WMDs were found. Because, as certain people knew in 2002 and 2003, they did not exist.

That Richard Armitage was "revealed" as the leak does not dis-prove a conspiracy in the Bush White House. The reporter was a long time right wing hack, now deceased. As if Novak's word, and the National Review, can be used to dismiss the charge.

It is entirely clear that the Bush Adminstration intended to "punish" Wilson for his Op-Ed. It is quite clear that it came from some White House operative, who was protected as Scooter Libby was left to take the fall. It is also quite clear that you're trying to push the usual Bush apologist BS, and failing miserably at it.

[–] ThatsWayHarsh-Tai 13 years ago

ZA-ZA-ZA ZING!

[–] superhet 11 years ago

Nice rebuttal, MrBlue-4, of a neocon lie worthy of the Ministry of Truth. I just had to say thank you.

[–] leobourne 12 years ago

wbartyount - Thanks for the information. From what I gather from the film and from my point of view, The White House CANNOT make a mistake, especially when it concerns National Security, that too with a key overseas agent working for the country just to provide The White House itself with Intelligence on whether they should go to war or not. Being Deputy Sc of State, the office should have cross checked facts before blowing such an important cover.
Oh well, politicians really think they can twist arms.