This week the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) chairman, Ken Mehlman,
put out a

“talking points” memo to help discredit Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame while
showing support for Karl Rove’s actions of disclosing a CIA operative’s
identity. As soon as I read these I realized that the RNC was in fact putting
their old spin machine to work. There for, I have decided to take each point the
memo states and discredit that. Where they were available, I gave links to the
corresponding evidence in order to further prove my point. This is the result of
some hard work and investigation, but it was well worth it. I hope you enjoy it
and realize what you are hearing when you see some of the right out there trying
to defend Rove. As you read these you will notice they sound very familiar.
Further more you will see how the RNC is spinning the actual context of reports
and transcripts to make this into a partisan issue.

“[Time Reporter Matt] Cooper Wrote That Rove Offered Him A
‘Big Warning’ Not To ‘Get Too Far Out On Wilson.’ Rove Told Cooper That Wilson’s
Trip Had Not Been Authorized By ‘DCIA’ – CIA Director George Tenet – Or Vice
President Dick Cheney.” (Michael Isikoff, “Matt Cooper’s Source,” Newsweek,
7/18/05)

That is true and that is what was written in the article. This was apparently
put in to provide more of an introduction than an attack against Wilson.

 

Wilson Falsely Claimed That It Was Vice President Cheney
Who Sent Him To Niger, But The Vice President Has Said He Never Met Him And
Didn’t Know Who Sent Him:

Wilson Says He Traveled To Niger At CIA Request To Help
Provide Response To Vice President’s Office. “In February 2002, I was informed
by officials at the Central Intelligence Agency that Vice President Dick
Cheney’s office had questions about a particular intelligence report. … The
agency officials asked if I would travel to Niger to check out the story so they
could provide a response to the vice president’s office.” (Joseph C. Wilson, The
New York Times, 7/6/03)

Actual text of
article:

In February 2002, I was informed by officials at the Central Intelligence
Agency that Vice President Dick Cheney’s office had questions about a particular
intelligence report. While I never saw the report, I was told that it referred
to a memorandum of agreement that documented the sale of uranium yellowcake — a
form of lightly processed ore — by Niger to Iraq in the late 1990’s. The agency
officials asked if I would travel to Niger to check out the story so they could
provide a response to the vice president’s office.

*He stated he was informed by officials. Now that official was indeed his
wife, but if he would of stated his wife who was an official at the CIA he would
be facing the same trouble Rove is right now.

Joe Wilson: “What They Did, What The Office Of The Vice
President Did, And, In Fact, I Believe Now From Mr. Libby’s Statement, It Was
Probably The Vice President Himself …” (CNN’s “Late Edition,” 8/3/03)

Transcript from
Late Edition:

WILSON: Well, look, it’s absolutely true that neither the vice president
nor Dr. Rice nor even George Tenet knew that I was traveling to Niger.

What they did, what the office of the vice president did, and, in fact, I
believe now from Mr. Libby’s statement, it was probably the vice president
himself…

BLITZER: Scooter Libby is the chief of staff for the vice president.

WILSON: Scooter Libby. They asked essentially that we follow up on this
report — that the agency follow up on the report. So it was a question that
went to the CIA briefer from the Office of the Vice President. The CIA, at the
operational level, made a determination that the best way to answer this serious
question was to send somebody out there who knew something about both the
uranium business and those Niger officials that were in office at the time these
reported documents were executed.

*The RNC has taken a small part of the actual conversation out of context to
make it into something that was not said

Vice President Cheney: “I Don’t Know Joe Wilson. I’ve Never
Met Joe Wilson. … And Joe Wilson – I Don’t [Know] Who Sent Joe Wilson. He
Never Submitted A Report That I Ever Saw When He Came Back.” (NBC’s “Meet The
Press,” 9/14/03) CIA Director George Tenet: “In An Effort To Inquire About
Certain Reports Involving Niger, CIA’s Counter-Proliferation Experts, On Their
Own Initiative, Asked An Individual With Ties To The Region To Make A Visit To
See What He Could Learn.” (Central Intelligence Agency, 7/11/03)

Meet The Press Transcript

MR. RUSSERT: Now, Ambassador Joe Wilson, a year before that, was sent over
by the CIA because you raised the question about uranium from Africa. He says he
came back from Niger and said that, in fact, he could not find any documentation
that, in fact, Niger had sent uranium to Iraq or engaged in that activity and
reported it back to the proper channels. Were you briefed on his findings in
February, March of 2002?

VICE PRES. CHENEY: No. I don’t know Joe Wilson. I’ve never met Joe Wilson.
A question had arisen. I’d heard a report that the Iraqis had been trying to
acquire uranium in Africa, Niger in particular. I get a daily brief on my own
each day before I meet with the president to go through the intel. And I ask
lots of question. One of the questions I asked at that particular time about
this, I said, “What do we know about this?” They take the question. He came back
within a day or two and said, “This is all we know. There’s a lot we don’t
know,” end of statement. And Joe Wilson—I don’t who sent Joe Wilson. He never
submitted a report that I ever saw when he came back.

*This confirms that point, but also confirms that Cheney never saw the
report, not that it was never made or that Wilson went to Niger unjustly. It is
just stating that he never went there. Now Joe Wilson was the last Ambassador we
had to Iraq prior to the Gulf War. Here is an part of his biography from
Wikipedia:

Cheney served as the Secretary of Defense from March 1989 to January 1993
under President George H. W. Bush. He directed Operation Just Cause in Panama
and Operation Desert Storm in the Middle East. In 1991 he was awarded the
Presidential Medal of Freedom for “preserving America’s defenses at a time of
great change around the world.”

So I guess that our Secretary of Defense at a time of war did not even know
who our ambassador was in the country which we were getting ready to go to war
with? That point is totally absurd.

The second point they make here in regards to Tenet’s comments only reasserts
the fact that Wilson was sent to Niger by the CIA and does nothing to discredit
Joe Wilson.

Tenet: “Because This Report, In Our View, Did Not Resolve
Whether Iraq Was Or Was Not Seeking Uranium From Abroad, It Was Given A Normal
And Wide Distribution, But We Did Not Brief It To The President, Vice-President
Or Other Senior Administration Officials.” (Central Intelligence Agency,
“Statement By George J. Tenet,” 7/11/03)

Cia Press Release:

There was fragmentary intelligence gathered in late 2001 and early 2002 on
the allegations of Saddam’s efforts to obtain additional raw uranium from
Africa, beyond the 550 metric tons already in Iraq. In an effort to inquire
about certain reports involving Niger, CIA’s counter-proliferation experts, on
their own initiative, asked an individual with ties to the region to make a
visit to see what he could learn. He reported back to us that one of the former
Nigerien officials he met stated that he was unaware of any contract being
signed between Niger and rogue states for the sale of uranium during his tenure
in office. The same former official also said that in June 1999 a businessman
approached him and insisted that the former official meet with an Iraqi
delegation to discuss “expanding commercial relations” between Iraq and Niger.
The former official interpreted the overture as an attempt to discuss uranium
sales. The former officials also offered details regarding Niger’s processes for
monitoring and transporting uranium that suggested it would be very unlikely
that material could be illicitly diverted. There was no mention in the report of
forged documents — or any suggestion of the existence of documents at all.

Because this report, in our view, did not resolve whether Iraq was or was
not seeking uranium from abroad, it was given a normal and wide distribution,
but we did not brief it to the President, Vice-President or other senior
Administration officials. We also had to consider that the former Nigerien
officials knew that what they were saying would reach the U.S. government and
that this might have influenced what they said.

This was only in reference to one Nigerian offical that was met with and on a
further, more imporant note it needs to be made clear that this same press
release was the one that stated the allegations should of never been in the
State of the Union:

Legitimate questions have arisen about how remarks on alleged Iraqi
attempts to obtain uranium in Africa made it into the President’s State of the
Union speech. Let me be clear about several things right up front. First, CIA
approved the President’s State of the Union address before it was delivered.
Second, I am responsible for the approval process in my Agency. And third, the
President had every reason to believe that the text presented to him was sound.
These 16 words should never have been included in the text written for the
President.

Wilson Denied His Wife Suggested He Travel To Niger, But
Documentation Showed She Proposed His Name:

 

Wilson Claims His Wife Did Not Suggest He Travel To Niger
To Investigate Reports Of Uranium Deal; Instead, Wilson Claims It Came Out Of
Meeting With CIA To Discuss Report. CNN’S WOLF BLITZER: “Among other things, you
had always said, always maintained, still maintain your wife, Valerie Plame, a
CIA officer, had nothing to do with the decision to send to you Niger to inspect
reports that uranium might be sold from Niger to Iraq. … Did Valerie Plame,
your wife, come up with the idea to send you to Niger?” JOE WILSON: “No. My wife
served as a conduit, as I put in my book. When her supervisors asked her to
contact me for the purposes of coming into the CIA to discuss all the issues
surrounding this allegation of Niger selling uranium to Iraq.” (CNN’s “Lade
Edition,” 7/18/04)

 

But Senate Select Committee On Intelligence Received Not
Only Testimony But Actual Documentation Indicating Wilson’s Wife Proposed Him
For Trip. “Some [CIA Counterproliferation Division, or CPD,] officials could not
recall how the office decided to contact the former ambassador, however,
interviews and documents provided to the Committee indicate that his wife, a CPD
employee, suggested his name for the trip. The CPD reports officer told
Committee staff that the former ambassador’s wife ‘offered up his name’ and a
memorandum to the Deputy Chief of the CPD on February 12, 2002, from the former
ambassador’s wife says, ‘my husband has good relations with both the PM [prime
minister] and the former Minister of Mines (not to mention lots of French
contacts), both of whom could possibly shed light on this sort of activity.'”
(“Report On The U.S. Intelligence Community’s Prewar Intelligence Assessments On
Iraq,” U.S. Senate, 7/7/04)

The transcript does match from
Late
Edition and the actual

Senate Report. Actually this argument only confirms what Wilson said. It was
not Valerie Plame who made the ultimate decision to send him to Iraq, but only
that she suggested he do it. After all he is well educated on yellow cake, well
known in Niger and the former ambassador to Iraq. It is just a coincidence that
she was married to him, or to sum it up what the

Senate Report , additional views by Chairman Pat Roberts, says about the
issue:

The former ambassador’s wife suggested her husband for the trip to Niger
in February 2002. The former ambassador had traveled previously to Niger on
behalf of the CIA, also at the suggestion of his wife, to look into another
matter not related to Iraq. On February 12, 2002, the former ambassador’s wife
sent a memorandum to a Deputy Chief of a division in the CIA’s Directorate of
Operations which said, “[m]y husband has good relations with both the PM [prime
minister] and the former Minister of Mines (not to mention lots of French
contacts), both of whom could possibly shed light on this sort of activity.”
This was just one day before the same Directorate of Operations division sent a
cable to one of its overseas stations requesting concurrence with the division’s
idea to send the former ambassador to Niger.

Wilson’s Report On Niger Had “Thin” Evidence And Did Not
Change Conclusions Of Analysts And Other Reports:

Officials Said Evidence Was “Thin” And His “Homework Was
Shoddy.” “In the days after Wilson’s essay appeared, government officials began
to steer reporters away from Wilson’s conclusions, raising questions about his
veracity and the agency’s reasons for sending him in the first place. They told
reporters that Wilson’s evidence was thin, said his homework was shoddy and
suggested that he had been sent to Niger by the CIA only because his wife had
nominated him for the job.” (Michael Duffy, “Leaking With A Vengeance,” Time,
10/13/03) Senate Select Committee On Intelligence Unanimous Report: “Conclusion
13. The Report On The Former Ambassador’s Trip To Niger, Disseminated In March
2002, Did Not Change Any Analysts’ Assessments Of The Iraq-Niger Uranium Deal.”
(“Report On The U.S. Intelligence Community’s Prewar Assessments On Iraq,
7/7/04)

 

“For Most Analysts, The Information In The Report Lent More
Credibility To The Original Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Report On The
Uranium Deal, But State Department Bureau Of Intelligence And Research (IN)
Analysts Believed That The Report Supported Their Assessments That Niger Was
Unlikely To Be Willing Or Able To Sell Uranium.” (Senate Select Committee On
Intelligence, “Report On The U.S. Intelligence Community’s Prewar Assessments On
Iraq, 7/7/04)

These two points are combined, while present separate by the RNC, they are
actually addressed in the same paragraph from the

report:

(U) Conclusion 13. The report on the former ambassador’s trip to Niger,
disseminated in March 2002, did not change any analysts’ assessments of the
Iraq-Niger uranium deal. For most analysts, the information in the report lent
more credibility to the original Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) reports on
the uranium deal, but State Department Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR)
analysts believed that the report supported their assessment that Niger was
unlikely to be willing or able to sell uranium to Iraq.

This more or less proves that two intelligence agencies could not agree upon
the data. Actually it turns out the INR was right in this issue as disclosed by
the findings of Charles Duelfer, who was selected by Bush to investigate the WMD
in Iraq. The following is from a

Washington Post article titled “U.S. ‘Almost All Wrong’ on Weapons Report on
Iraq Contradicts Bush Administration Claims” which appeared on October 7, 2004:

Duelfer also found no information to support allegations that Iraq sought
uranium from Africa or any other country after 1991, as Bush once asserted in a
major speech before the invasion. The only two contacts with Niger that were
discovered were an invitation to the president of Niger to visit Baghdad, and a
visit to Baghdad by a Niger minister in 2001 seeking petroleum products for
cash. There was one offer to Iraq of “yellowcake” uranium, and that was from a
Ugandan businessman offering uranium from Congo. The deal was turned down, and
the Ugandan was told that Baghdad was not interested because of the sanctions.

CIA Said Wilson’s Findings Did Not Resolve The Issue.
“Because [Wilson’s] report, in our view, did not resolve whether Iraq was or was
not seeking uranium from abroad, it was given a normal and wide distribution,
but we did not brief it to the president, vice president or other senior
administration officials. We also had to consider that the former Nigerien
officials knew that what they were saying would reach the U.S. government and
that this might have influenced what they said.” (Central Intelligence Agency,
“Statement By George J. Tenet, Director Of Central Intelligence,” Press Release
7/11/03) The Butler Report Claimed That The President’s State Of the Union
Statement On Uranium From Africa, “Was Well-Founded.” “We conclude that, on the
basis of the intelligence assessments at the time, covering both Niger and the
Democratic Republic of Congo, the statements on Iraqi attempts to buy uranium
from Africa in the Government’s dossier, and by the Prime Minister in the House
of Commons, were well-founded. By extension, we conclude also that the statement
in President Bush’s State of the Union Address of 28 January 2003 that: ‘The
British Government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant
quantities of uranium from Africa.’ was well-founded.” (The Rt. Hon. The Lord
Butler Of Brockwell, “Review Of Intelligence, On Weapons Of Mass Destruction,”
7/14/04) Sens. Roberts, Bond And Hatch All Dismissed Wilson’s Claims:

This was again proven wrong by the investigation conducted by Duefler who was
appointed by Bush. To further disprove it though let’s look into the full
context of the report by Lord
Butler:

We conclude that, on the basis of the intelligence assessments at the
time, covering both Niger and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the statements
on Iraqi attempts to buy uranium from Africa in the Government’s dossier, and by
the Prime Minister in the House of Commons, were well-founded. By extension, we
conclude also that the statement in President Bush’s State of the Union Address
of 28 January 2003 that: The British Government has learned that Saddam Hussein
recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa. was well-founded

This was at the time, meaning when we got the reports which was prior to the
State of the Union Adresss. Now appearing right below that paragraph is:

We also note that, because the intelligence evidence was inconclusive,
neither the Government’s dossier nor the Prime Minister went on to say that a
deal between the Governments of Iraq and Niger for the supply of uranium had
been signed, or uranium shipped

We have been told that it was not until early 2003 that the British
Government became aware that the US (and other states) had received from a
journalistic source a number of documents alleged to cover the Iraqi procurement
of uranium from Niger. Those documents were passed to the IAEA, which in its
update report to the United Nations Security Council in March 2003 determined
that the papers were forgeries:

Leaving that little extra in once again proves the Joe Wilson’s over all
findings were correct, regardless of how he went around getting them. In fact we
based some of the intelligence we used to go to war on “leaked” information from
a journalist, and not from the actual government who is our number one ally in
the war.

Sens. Pat Roberts (R-KS), Kit Bond (R-MO) And Orrin Hatch
(R-UT) All Stated, “On At Least Two Occasions [Wilson] Admitted That He Had No
Direct Knowledge To Support Some Of His Claims And That He Was Drawing On Either
Unrelated Past Experiences Or No Information At All.” (Select Committee On
Intelligence, “Additional Views Of Chairman Pat Roberts, Joined By Senator
Christopher S. Bond And Senator Orrin G. Hatch; Report On The U.S. Intelligence
Community’s Prewar Intelligence Assessments On Iraq,” U.S. Senate, 7/7/04)

 

“The Former Ambassador, Either By Design Or Through
Ignorance, Gave The American People And, For That Matter, The World A Version Of
Events That Was Inaccurate, Unsubstantiated, And Misleading.” (“Additional Views
Of Chairman Pat Roberts, Joined By Senator Christopher S. Bond And Senator Orrin
G. Hatch; Report On The U.S. Intelligence Community’s Prewar Intelligence
Assessments On Iraq,” U.S. Senate, 7/7/04)

 

“[J]oe Wilson Told Anyone Who Would Listen That The
President Had Lied To The American People, That The Vice President Had Lied And
That He Had ‘Debunked’ The Claim That Iraq Was Seeking Uranium From Africa …
Not Only Did He NOT ‘Debunk’ The Claim, He Actually Gave Some Intelligence
Analysts Even More Reason To Believe That It May Be True.” (“Additional Views Of
Chairman Pat Roberts, Joined By Senator Christopher S. Bond And Senator Orrin G.
Hatch; Report On The U.S. Intelligence Community’s Prewar Intelligence
Assessments On Iraq,” U.S. Senate, 7/7/04)

All three of these points, if you notice are under additional views. This is
meaning opinions by Republican members of Senate. The truth still lies in the
fact that we now know that Saddam WAS NOT attempting to get the uranium from
Niger. It was stated above that it did five some analysts even more reason to
believe it was true, but it also lead another government agency, the INR, more
reason to believe it was not true. The fact still remains that we were wrong in
believing that Saddam was trying to get the uranium from Niger.

Wilson Tied To The 2004 Kerry Campaign For President:

 

Wilson Endorsed Kerry In October 2003. “Former Ambassador
Joseph Wilson, who accused the Bush administration of manipulating intelligence
to exaggerate the threat from Iraq, endorsed Democrat John Kerry for president
… In a conference call with New Hampshire reporters, Wilson said he and Kerry
have shared the experience of challenging their government – Wilson when he
questioned the ‘rush to war’ with Iraq, Kerry when he challenged America’s role
in Vietnam.” (David Tirrell-Wysocki, “Former Ambassador Wilson Endorses Kerry In
Presidential Race,” The Associated Press, 10/23/03) “Wilson … Said He Has Long
Been A Kerry Supporter And Has Contributed $2,000 To The Campaign This Year. He
Said He Has Been Advising Kerry On Foreign Policy For About Five Months And Will
Campaign For Kerry, Including A Trip To New Hampshire …” (David
Tirrell-Wysocki, “Former Ambassador Wilson Endorses Kerry In Presidential Race,”
The Associated Press, 10/23/03) “In Mid-May, [Wilson] Began Talking To Kerry’s
Advisers About Helping The Campaign; He Made His First Donation May 23. Kerry
Himself Had Not Met Wilson Until Tuesday Night At A Campaign Fund-Raiser In
Potomac, Md., A Kerry Aide Said …” (Patrick Healy and Wayne Washington, “In
Probe Of CIA Leak, Two Sides See Politics,” The Boston Globe, 10/2/03) “[Kerry
Advisor Rand] Beers Said Wilson Communicates With Campaign Advisers At Least
Once A Week.” (Patrick Healy and Wayne Washington, “In Probe Of CIA Leak, Two
Sides See Politics,” The Boston Globe, 10/2/03)

This is the one point that just struck me as a totally grasping for straws.
If we can not allow people in our government to have political alliances then
that means Catherine Harris, the attorney general of Florida during the 2000
elections and also a campaign manager for Bush should not have been allowed to
oversee the votes. The same goes for Ohio’s attorney general Kenneth Blackwell
who was also a campaign manager for Bush during the 2004 campaign.

Wilson did make contributions to both Gore and Bush in 2000 and ultimately
ended up supporting Bush. He decided to support Kerry in 2003, but this was also
during primaries not even during the actual campaign. I can not say I blame him
either as he knew first hand what was going on within the administration and how
we were going to war on lies and bad intelligence.

These points reflect a party that is struggling to keep the confidence of the
public. The very fact that the RNC had to go through the effort of publishing
them means either they do not have the confidence in their own party to think
and answer upon them selves or that Karl Rove’s involvement in this case has
really taken them by shock. Whatever the reason it is evident without a shadow
of doubt that the RNC has turned this into a smear campaign against Joe Wilson,
whose wife is actually the victim in this investigation.

Sadly enough, Joe Wilson is just another example of how our administration
will go to great lengths to discredit someone that may not agree with them. The
same as Richard Clarke. Both men served our country under numerous Presidents,
both Democrat and Republican, and were never terminated or publicly discredited
for their actions. In fact they were both well respected for their knowledge in
their respective fields. The current administration does not care about
knowledge, they care about agenda. When you are dealing with war and terrorism
that is truly a scary way to govern the remaining super power.