America silences Niger leaders in Iraq nuclear row

[Judi Lynn]

America silences Niger leaders in Iraq nuclear row
By David Harrison in Niamey, Niger
(Filed: 03/08/2003)


America has warned the Niger government to keep out of the row over claims that Saddam Hussein sought to buy uranium for his nuclear weapons programme from the impoverished West African state.

Herman Cohen, a former assistant secretary of state for Africa and one of America's most experienced Africa hands, called on Mamadou Tandja, Niger's president, in the capital Niamey last week to relay the message from Washington, according to senior Niger government officials.

One said: "Let's say Mr Cohen put a friendly arm around the president to say sorry about the forged documents, but then squeezed his shoulder hard enough to convey the message, 'Let's hear no more about this affair from your government'. Basically he was telling Niger to shut up."

The dramatic American intervention reflects growing concern about the continuing row over claims that America and Britain distorted evidence to justify the war against Iraq. (snip/...)

http://www.portal.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/08/03/wwmd03.xml&sSheet=/news/2003/08/03/ixnewstop.html

(Not a Telegraph fan, but this story seems credible.)

[Karenina]

1. Y'all Nigers know what's GOOD for ya

Now y'all jes be real quiet and let US hannl it, ya heah?

[DrBB]

2. An' be outa town by soundown, hear? n/t

[madrchsod]

3. the guy who was in

charge of all the nuke stuff info in africa-kelly?-his statements on john stewart`s pretty much confirmed that everyone in europe that uses nuke power buys there stuff thru niger. every spy group in the world work out of there to track where the stuff is going. everyone knows what happened but the bushists think they can hide the fact it was bullshit. that`s why the french didn`t go along, that and blair screwed them...

[beanball]

4. Niger

is a former french colony.

[chenGOD]

6. And that pertains to this discussion how?

They might speak more French in Niger than in America?


Wow, the US administration really isn't worried about their international image anymore hey? Soon they'll have O'reilly telling other nations to "Shut up just shut up shut up shut up"

Just pretend it never happened, we'll make it worth your while.

[jamesinca]

5. I am sorry unless Niger needs us that bad I would talk

Niger should air it out to the world, if you keep running from these people they get more power. The best way to beat a bully is to stand up to them. Take them on, discredit their claims and let the world know they are trying to blackmail you into silence. After all silence is sedition ( free advertisement for a book I saw on here). Don't back down Niger. I pulled for the French Chineese and Russians in the U.N., now I am hoping you can stand up to the U.S. I don't care about the nations image in the worlds eyes now, it is tarnished. I care about making it right, making this the land of the free, home of the brave. Making it the place that ask for the tired, cold, hungry and poor huddled masses. I want this to be the place were we promote the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity. TAKE EM OUT NIGER!!! Expose them for the fraud they are.

[radfringe]

7. (Filed: 03/08/2003)

did anyone notice the file date on the story????

Bush KNEW before the White House released the story about the "error" in the State of the Union. IMHO - this implies that AWOL Inc. spent at least from March until July to cover things up

[chenGOD]

8. That's dd/mm/year.

Standard in Europe I think?

[Cush]

10. Yup

eom

[DoYouEverWonder]

9. I wonder if this was before or after

PM Hama Hamadou's interview with the Sunday Telegraph last week?


Niger hits back over uranium claim

The prime minister of the west African state of Niger has challenged Tony Blair to produce evidence for his controversial claim that Iraq tried to buy uranium there.

"If Britain has evidence to support its claim then it has only to produce it for everybody to see," said Prime Minister Hama Hamadou in an interview with the Sunday Telegraph.