A BuzzFlash Reader Contribution

CONTRIBUTOR ARCHIVES  

Press Gaggle Re Niger Yellowcake

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
by Leslie Smith

I was reading your interview with James Moore and saw his statement that the transcripts of the press gaggles with Ari Fleischer on July 9th and 10th, 2003 had been removed from WhiteHouse.gov. Through a google search, I found many transcripts of statements made just around that time, including portions of the transcript of the press gaggle of July 9th, 2003, on the website of the Federation of American Scientists:

http://www.fas.org/irp/news/2003/07/

You have to scroll down on the actual page to see the links I have included below. At the last link is a partial transcript of the Press Gaggle on July 9th, 2003, specifically the content relating to the yellowcake claims in the SOTU.

I haven't been able to find a transcript of a press gaggle with Fleischer on July 10, 2003. However, it looks like there was a press conference with Colin Powell on July 10, 2003 and I believe all July 10th documentation of statements to the press have been removed from the WhiteHouse.gov website. I don't know yet exactly why this information was pulled off of WhiteHouse.gov--obviously it may assist in catching them lying about WHEN they new the yellowcake documents were forgeries or about some other aspect of the story.

In any case, here is the information in reverse chronological order:

White House Press Briefing: Excerpts on Disputed Iraqi Uranium Purchase Allegations, briefing by Ari Fleischer, July 14. "We don't know if it's true -- but nobody, but nobody, can say it is wrong."

President Bush Remarks on Disputed Iraqi Uranium Purchase Allegations, July 14. "When I gave the speech, the line was relevant."

Roberts defends Senate committee's private review by Scott Rothschild, Lawrence Journal-World, July 12. "But as the Bush administration blamed the CIA, others said mounting questions about intelligence gathering that led to the invasion of Iraq showed the need for a public congressional investigation."

White House Press Gaggle on DCI Tenet, Iraqi Nuclear Program with Ari Fleischer, July 12. "President Bush has confidence in Director Tenet and President Bush has confidence in the CIA."

Senator Pat Roberts' Statement on the Disputed Niger Documents, SSCI news release, July 11. "What now concerns me most, however, is what appears to be a campaign of press leaks by the CIA in an effort to discredit the President."

Statement of DCI George J. Tenet on Alleged Iraqi Uranium Purchase, July 11. "These 16 words should never have been included in the text written for the President."

Condoleezza Rice Remarks on Forged Iraqi Uranium Purchase Allegation, July 11. "I can tell you, if the CIA, the Director of Central Intelligence, had said, take this out of the speech, it would have been gone, without question."

President Bush Remarks on Forged Iraqi Uranium Purchase Allegation, July 11. "But, sir, how did it get into your speech if it was erroneous?"

Secretary Powell Remarks on Forged Iraqi Uranium Purchase Allegations, press briefing, July 10. "I think this is very overwrought and overblown and overdrawn. Intelligence reports flow in from all over ... Sometimes it holds up, sometimes it does not hold up."

White House Press Gaggle: Excerpts on Forged Iraqi Uranium Purchase Allegation, press gaggle with Ari Fleischer, July 9. "After the speech, information was learned about the forged documents. With the advantage of hindsight, it's known now what was not known by the White House prior to the speech."

I am not sure whether this stash of official statements is at all useful, but I decided to send them to both you and Raw Story.

Leslie Smith

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION