Did Dick Finger Valerie? - Counterpunch 7/20

[Starfury]

Interesting theory on the genesis of the original forged Iraq/Niger/Uranium document, speculating on a couple folks under Cheney (Ledeen, Abrams). Also links Ledeen with the Italian intelligence community. Definitely worth reading.

The Hand of Cheney
Did Dick Finger Valerie?

By RAY McGOVERN
Former CIA analyst

(...)

Who Did It?

Who authored the forgery remains a mystery-but one that our Republican-controlled Congress has avoided trying to solve, even though many legislators expressed outrage at having been snookered into voting for war. Senate intelligence committee chair Pat Roberts, R, Kansas), a White House loyalist, has demonstrated a curious lack of curiosity. And nothing that ranking minority member Jay Rockefeller did could persuade Roberts to ask the FBI to investigate.

So those searching for answers are reduced to asking the obvious: Cui bono? Who stood to benefit from such a forgery? A no-brainer-those lusting for war on Iraq. And who might they be? Look up the "neo-conservative" writings on the website of the Project for the New American Century. There you will find information on people like Michael Ledeen, "Freedom Analyst" at the American Enterprise Institute and a key strategist among "neoconservative" hawks in and out of the Bush administration. Applauding the invasion of Iraq, Ledeen asserted-with equal enthusiasm-that the war could not be contained, and that "it may turn out to be a war to remake the world."

Beyond his geopolitical punditry, Ledeen's curriculum vitae shows he is no stranger to rogue operations. A longtime Washington operative, he was fired as a "consultant" for the National Security Council under President Ronald Reagan for running fool's errands for Oliver North during the Iran-Contra subterfuge. One of Ledeen's Iran-Contra partners in crime, so to speak, was Elliot Abrams, who was convicted of lying to Congress about Iran-Contra. Abrams was pardoned before jail time, however, by George H. W. Bush, and he is now George W. Bush's deputy national security adviser. Ledeen is said to enjoy easy entrée to the office of the vice president as well as to his friend Abrams.


Made in the U.S.A?

During a radio interview with Ian Masters on April 3, 2005, former CIA operative Vincent Cannistraro charged that the Iraq-Niger documents were forged in the United States. Drawing on earlier speculation regarding who forged the documents, Masters asked, "If I were to say the name Michael Ledeen to you, what would you say?" Cannistraro replied, "You're very close."

(...)

http://www.counterpunch.org/mcgovern07202005.html

(Edit: added link)

[acmavm]

1. Once upon a time it would have been considered a 'high crime' for

someone in the administration to forge documents to justify a war. Look what we've come to.

[ladjf]

2. The thugs in power have debased our government to a

level that is almost beyond comprehension.

[peacetalksforall]

3. Assuming Cheney did ask the CIA to investigate the yellowcake

claim in Niger.,,,,(a safe assumption since Cheney was maneuvering for a war) and -

1.YOU had been Cheney and you were trying to make a war:

a. would you have the nerve to ask the CIA to send someone there and make sure they came back with right wing style proof of a uranium sale transaction between Niger and Hussein - so that they could go to Congress, go to the UN, convince coalition partners, sit behind the person making the famous speech on the evening of the SOTU address?

or

b. would you simply ask the CIA to send someone, anyone?

IN either case, if the CIA reported back to you, Cheney, that they had found someone to go, do you think:

a. You would say good, that's fine - let me know the result

or

b. Ask who it was and ask questions about the person to gage the chances of them coming back with proof you needed.

or

c. Ask to speak to someone at the CIA and clue them in on your objective, would you go to Tenet since you are, after all, the VP. Leaders speak to others on their level, right?

d. Treat sending someone, anyone, only as a necessity to that you could claim that the CIA is looking into it?

Or... tin foil hat time -

WOULD you have arranged a second 'proof of sale' to be 'on location in Niger' that a CIA hired investigator could find and that you could use for your proof saying it was found by in independent investigator hired by the CIA who was eminently qualified, so it must be true?

In other words, what other manipulations might have gone on here since we know the betrayal of the Wilsons was the act of juvenile minds?

Joe Wilson seemed imminently qualified...

Understood yellowcake because the country he was Ambassador to and the countries in Africa that had yellowcake were next to or nearby to Niger. An interest in yellowcake is not a new thing.

He knew who was who in Niger and the surrounding countries.

He was Ambassador to Iraq and was in touch with Hussein during the lead up to Gulf War 1 so he knew Iraq. (Was praised and honored by Bush, Sr. for his work in trying to convince Hussein not to invade, so they say).

So do those who slam Wilson slam his qualifications?

Was there something else in Wilsons report that didn't allow the proof needed to make a war?

Who conducted the debriefing upon Wilson's return? Was a report written up and who was it sent to?

Why did they think they could get away with lying about yellowcake sales to Hussein in the SOTU address? Who vetted the claim and exactly who ordered it back in. Rice says it got back in by mistake. Has Rice ever said anything of truth?

In other words, everyone knows that Cheney is the person in charge in the Executive branch of our government. Rice was NSC under the Executive. These were the two key people responsible for war along with Rumsfeld.

It appears that everyone else was doing their job or was blindly pimping a la Powell.

Lastly - exactly what were the Legislative members of our country told in secret meetings that convinced them that we should go kill and conquer for corporations and the future of corporations?

We've been taken. Someone cheated us.

The discovery led to lies. The result is theft of our country, another country, and billions of our money acquired through taxes or other thefts.

Why should we believe the press who pimp for the right wing by saying Rove and Libby are pure? Rove and Libby are not calling the shots. They take orders.