Waxman requests Condi to testify re: Niger-gate and other pre-war lies

[blitzen]

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Democratic_Committee_requests_deposition_from_Secretary_0330.html

The House Government Committee today formally requested Secretary Rice to testify before the Oversight Committee on Apr. 18th regarding the Bush administration's claims that Iraq sought uranium from Niger, White House treatment of classified information, the appointment of Ambassador Jones as "special coordinator" for Iraq, and other subjects.

Claims that Iraq were seeking uranium from Niger were based on documents that were later proved to be forgeries, and caused ire among Democrats and others who felt the Administration had provided false information to Congress about Iraq in the lead-up to war.

The following letter, sent to the Secretary of State Friday, was acquired by RAW STORY.

[AndyA]

1. Everyone know where your fans are?

There's some major GOP shit about to be flung. Be ready, with finger on the fan switch, because it's about to hit!

[tridim]

2. Waxman is an amazing man

Say what you will about the Dems, but they're exceeding my expectations every day. Very impressive.

Eventually Waxman will get to 9/11 complicity/fault/etc., but probably after BushCo is already gone.

[IChing]

3. Copy of the letter and his 2003 letter plus some statements from Rice

Also to put the story into context for some
Chronology of Bush Administration Claim that Iraq Attempted to Obtain Uranium from Niger (2001-2003)

http://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/IraqUraniumClaim.asp

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Some of her statements:
January 23, 2003: Rice writes in The New York Times that Iraq's declaration "fails to account for or explain Iraq's efforts to get uranium from abroad." A White House report issued the same day asserts that Iraq's weapons declaration "ignores efforts to procure uranium from abroad."

June 8, 2003: Rice acknowledges on "Meet the Press" that the intelligence underlying the Niger claim "was mistaken," but also states that "no one in our circles knew that there were doubts and suspicions that this might be a forgery."
This is a lie if you read the article,she knew.
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Waxman's original 2003 letter to rice:
WHICH I SUMMERIZED
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Since March 17, 2003, I have been trying without success to get a direct answer to one simple question: Why did President Bush cite forged evidence about Iraq's nuclear capabilities in his State of the Union address?

...During your interviews over the weekend, you asserted that no doubts or suspicions about these efforts or the underlying documents were communicated to senior officials in the Bush Administration before the President's State of the Union address.

We did not know at the time -- no one knew at the time, in our circles -- maybe someone knew down in the bowels of the agency, but no one in our circles knew that there were doubts and suspicions that this might be a forgery.

...Similarly, when you appeared on This Week, you repeated this statement, claiming that you made multiple inquiries of the intelligence agencies regarding the allegation that Iraq sought to obtain uranium from an African country.

...For example, Greg Thielmann, Director of the Office of Strategic, Proliferation, and Military Issues in the State Department, told Newsweek last week that the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) had concluded the documents were "garbage."

...Kristof has reported that the Vice President's office was aware of the fraudulent nature of the evidence as early as February 2002 - nearly a year before the President gave his State of the Union address.

...Contrary to your public statements, senior officials in the intelligence community in Washington knew the forged evidence was unreliable before the President used the evidence in the State of the Union address.

In addition to denying that senior officials were aware that the President was citing forged evidence, you also claimed (1) "there were also other sources that said that there were, the Iraqis were seeking yellowcake - uranium oxide - from Africa" and (2) "there were other attempts to get yellowcake from Africa."

...Moreover, contrary to your assertion, there does not appear to be any other specific and credible evidence that Iraq sought to obtain uranium from an African country.

...On Meet the Press, you said that "maybe someone knew down in the bowels of the agency" that the evidence cited by the President about Iraq's attempts to obtain uranium from Africa was suspect.

...Please identify any individuals in the Administration who, prior to the President's State of the Union address, were briefed or otherwise made aware that an individual or individuals in the Administration had expressed doubts about the validity of the evidence or the credibility of the claim.

...On This Week, you said there was other evidence besides the forged evidence that Iraq was trying to obtain uranium from Africa.

...When you were asked about reports that Vice President Cheney sent a former ambassador to Niger to investigate the evidence, you stated "the Vice President's office may have asked for that report."
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link:http://www.truthout.org/docs_03/061303B.shtml

[CrazyOrangeCat]

4. And we inch closer . . .

. . . to the heart of the matter.

K&R

:popcorn:

[irish.lambchop]

5. She'll most certainly

squirm out of this one. She was bush's national security advisor then and "executive privilege" will most certainly be invoked. If she ever does appear, I'd love to see Waxman get his hands on her, though - I don't think it'll be anything like her appearance at the 911 Commission.

[GreenPartyVoter]

8. Most likely. How do we manage to enforce her testifying under oath?

[irish.lambchop]

9. I think there would be only one of two ways -

either she voluntarily agrees to testify (unlikely) or, if subpoened and fought (likely), it'll end up first, I think, in D.C. Circuit Court. If the ruling goes against rice, they'll appeal. If the ruling is still upheld, I think they can take it to the Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court upholds an original ruling that she must testify, then she has to. I've never known any of these clowns to actually come forward willingly.

[newyawker99]

17. Hi irish.lambshop!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[waiting for hope]

6. Waxman has been a very

busy boy - I've been looking into what he's been investigating for a few years now, he's a lot smarter than most of the Repukes give him credit for. That will be to their detriment.

[malaise]

7. I love Henry Waxman

Chase them out of town.

[IChing]

10. I think he is great

[ChairmanAgnostic]

14. and hard working.

and effective.

and the worst nachtmare in the dreams of these folks.

[IChing]

18. Honest too

n/t

[Tom Joad]

11. You would think they would be too embarrassed to ask this... who believed Bush and his lies back

then?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

12. Folks, we already have her testimony:

"I have no present recollection."
"I have already answered that question."
"We already determined that the intelligence was flawed, and we have worked hard to fix those problems."
"I truly cannot recall."
"I don't remember that ever happening."
"I disagree with your attempt to politicize the administration's position. We are keeping the terrorists busy over there, just because we don't want them attacking us over here."
"Congressman, I honestly don't recall that happening."
"we previously answered these questions."
"I can't comment here while you have an active investigation going on, because our policy is not to comment on active investigations."
"I've already answered that, Congressman."
"I do not recall."
"Our rules prevent me from commenting out in public, sir, I can answer you in a closed session, not under oath."
" I can't answer that question, because, honestly, I cannot recall, Congressman."
"The best intelligence that we had was what we gave the American Public."
"NO, I don't regret saying we don't want a smoking gun to become a mushroom cloud. That is why Iran is so serious of an issue, and because of our efforts against Saddam, he will never again be such a threat to us. I view Iraq as a great victory, congressman."

[myrna minx]

13. You can't hide from Waxman!

Nowhere to run to, baby
Nowhere to hide (oooh)
Got nowhere to run to, baby
Nowhere to hide (oooh)

[pberq]

15. Now we're talking!

I agree with other posts that she will try to avoid testifying, and if she is somehow forced to, will provide nothing but non-answers. Nevertheless, this turns up the heat, which is good in itself.

[driver8]

16. Here is what she's going to say:

"I don't recall."

"I don't remember."

"Who could have imagined...?"

"I seem to recall..."

"It's not my job."