Full Article Text
T H U R S D A Y , J U L Y 2 1 , 2 0 0 5Rove And That Memo: True Ironyby Michael in New York on
7/21/2005 01:35:00 PMRove is back on the front page of the Washington Post today,as John posted below. The story focuses on the fact thatinvestigators believe this memo is the source of knowledgeused to smear Joseph Wilson and expose his covert operativewife. The telling detail is that anyone who looked at it wouldhave KNOWN the info was classified and not to be revealed.But the irony I love is that anyone actually READING the memowould know Bush lied in the State of the Union address.Almost all of the memo is devoted to describing why StateDepartment intelligence experts did not believe claims thatSaddam Hussein had in the recent past sought to purchaseuranium from Niger. Only two sentences in the seven-sentence paragraph mention Wilson's wife....The material in the memo about Wilson's wife was based onnotes taken by an INR analyst who attended a Feb.19, 2002, meeting at the CIA where Wilson'sintelligence-gathering trip to Niger was discussed.The memo was drafted June 10, 2003, for Undersecretaryof State Marc Grossman, who asked to be brought up todate on INR's opposition to the White House view thatHussein was trying to buy uranium in Africa.The description of Wilson's wife and her role in the Feb. 19,2002, meeting at the CIA was considered "a footnote" in abackground paragraph in the memo, according to an officialwho was aware of the process.It records that the INR analyst at the meeting opposedWilson's trip to Niger because the State Department,through other inquiries, already had disproved theallegation that Iraq was seeking uranium from Niger.Attached to the INR memo were the notes taken by thesenior INR analyst who attended the 2002 meeting at theCIA.So even before the first of THREE seperate investigations werelaunched by the Bush administration, the State Dept. had alreadydismissed the rumour that Hussein had tried to buy uranium in Nigeras without merit. Think about that. A rumour -- based on poorlyforged documents that the Hardy Boys could have exposed in fiveminutes -- pops up overseas. The State Dept. investigates andrealizes there is absolutely no evidence to back it up -- it ain't evenworth investigating. Bush is desperate for "proof" so he can justifygoing to war and sends the esteemed Joseph Wilson (praised byBush's father as a "hero" and eminently qualified for the task) tocheck it out anyway. Wilson comes back and says it isn't true. Theylaunch a second investigation -- still no evidence. They launch aTHIRD investigation. Nope -- nothing, nada to back up a shakyrumour the State Dept. had already dismissed as meaningless.Bush tries to insert it into a speech anyway -- this inflammatory claimthat a foreign power is trying to obtain nuclear weapons-gradematerial that he HAS ABSOLUTELY NO EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT. TheCIA strenuously objects and gets the claim removed. But then Bushgoes ahead and makes the claim anyway in his State of the Unionaddress and the American people believe he speaks the truth.Meanwhile, the Downing Street Memo -- minutes of a meeting withthe top leaders of the UK -- made crystal clear that our closest allybelieved Bush was going to war no matter what and was lying, ie.fixing the evidence to justify it.Joseph Wilson ultimately comes forward after the war was launchedand says simply there was no evidence to back up those 16 words.He is attacked and mocked and smeared. His WIFE is attacked. Andnational security is endangered, all to smack down the fact thatBush's central evidence in going to war -- the attempt to buy uraniumin Niger and the "tubes" -- didn't hold water AND BUSH KNEW IT.
HuffPost PoliticsHuckabee's Huck Pac In Turmoil With StaffTurnover, Mounting Debts - Former Arkansas Gov.Mike Huckabee's political action committee, HuckPac, is undergoing a "restructuring," ExecutiveDirector Sarah Huckabee said Wednesday....1 hour ago
Ben SmithGoing small - My story tonight: President BarackObama came alive about 50 minutes intoWednesday night’s news conference – whensomebo1 hour ago
FiredoglakeLate Late Night FDL: What Eclipse? - A new videofrom Fatoumata Diawara, and and oldie from Bob.2 hours ago
Daily KosOpen Thread and Diary Rescue - *Today, srkp23(pulling a double shift), ybruti, taylormattd,ItsJessMe and vcmvo2 combed through hundredsof diaries to find this powerful list. Today's...2 hours ago
EschatonOvernight - Folk On. Newish.3 hours agoJ O H N ' S P H OT O S
Show AllA M E R I C A B L O G T V
Next 6AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Rove ...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/rove-and-that-memo-true...
1 of 57/23/09 3:15 AM
Visit our AMERICAblog TV site.see all 322 videos >I collect with
vodpod
In honor of SenatorDeMint
For the GOPers, healthcare is politics. They just
Traditional media has todebunk the birthers
One small step...
The right-wing media, thevoices of the GOP, inAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Rove ...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/rove-and-that-memo-true...
2 of 57/23/09 3:15 AM
The TreatmentObama Has a Grown-UpTalk With America(Gulp)3 hours agoEzra KleinTab Dump7 hours agoWonk RoomSen. Byron Dorgan:The ‘Trade’ InCap-And-Trade ‘MakesNo Sense To Me’8 hours agoHealth BeatTruth Squad: WallStreet Journal HealthCare Editorial Wrong onthe Facts . . .9 hours agoDaily DoseProviders Endorse 'Payfor Value' ProposalsG AY P O L I T I C S
Visit our new gay politicssection, AMERICAblog Gay.F E E D S
Blog RSS
AMERICAblog TV RSS
Twitter RSSTwitter Feed
Get the blog by email:
Subscribe me!
AmoLatino.comAds by GoogleTop AdAdvertise in this spot.H E A LT H C A R ER E F O R MAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Rove ...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/rove-and-that-memo-true...
3 of 57/23/09 3:15 AM
S E A R C H
AMERICAblog
Web
SearchS E N D U S T I P S &C O M M E N T Samericablog@starpower.netB L O G A R C H I V E
Blog ArchiveS I T E S W E L I K EAir America RadioAlan Colmes' blogAri Melber (The Nation)Ben SmithBicycleMark's blog &podcastBilericoBradBlogBring It OnCarrie FisherCrooks and LiarsDailyKosDan Savage's "Slog"Daou ReportDemocratic UndergroundEschatonEzra KleinFire Dog LakeFiveThirtyEight.comFreeway BloggerThe Gavel (SpeakerPelosi's blog)Good As YouGlenn GreenwaldHoly Bullies and HeadlessMonstersHuffington PostHullabaloo (Digby)Jack and Jill PoliticsJed ReportJesus' GeneralKenneth in the 212Margaret and HelenMatthew GrossMedia MattersMike Signorile's "The Gist"MudflatsMyDDOpen LeftPlum LinePolitical Punch (JakeTapper)Political WirePolitics 1Pop SurfingProgressive Blog DigestQueers UnitedRawStoryRex WocknerRude PunditSmirking ChimpTalk LeftTappedTaylor MarshThink ProgressTowleRoadVetVoice.comWashington NoteWayneBesen.comWonketteWorth Repeating
N E W S L I N K SUSWashington PostNYTAP PoliticsReuters PoliticsRasmussen PollsTimeNewsweekRoll CallThe HillABCNews
P L E A S E S U P P O RTA M E R I C A B L O GOne-time donation$
Recurring monthlydonation$
Donations are nottax-deductible.L A B E L S
Select a labelL A S T 1 0 0 V I S I T O R SRecent Visitors
A B O U TA M E R I C A B L O GWhy AMERICAblog?Because a great nationdeserves the truth.What issues do youcover?US politics overall with aparticular focus on theObama Administration, theradical right, and civilrights.Who are you?John AravosisEditorWashington, DCJoe SudbayDeputy EditorWashington, DCChris RyanAssociate EditorParis, FranceRobert ArenaContributing EditorBaltimore, MarylandJacki SchechnerContributing EditorWashington, DCAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Rove ...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/rove-and-that-memo-true...
4 of 57/23/09 3:15 AM
© 2009 - John Aravosis | Design maintenance by Jason RosenbaumSend me your tips: americablog@starpower.netAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Rove ...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/rove-and-that-memo-true...
5 of 57/23/09 3:15 AM
7/21/2005 01:35:00 PMRove is back on the front page of the Washington Post today,as John posted below. The story focuses on the fact thatinvestigators believe this memo is the source of knowledgeused to smear Joseph Wilson and expose his covert operativewife. The telling detail is that anyone who looked at it wouldhave KNOWN the info was classified and not to be revealed.But the irony I love is that anyone actually READING the memowould know Bush lied in the State of the Union address.Almost all of the memo is devoted to describing why StateDepartment intelligence experts did not believe claims thatSaddam Hussein had in the recent past sought to purchaseuranium from Niger. Only two sentences in the seven-sentence paragraph mention Wilson's wife....The material in the memo about Wilson's wife was based onnotes taken by an INR analyst who attended a Feb.19, 2002, meeting at the CIA where Wilson'sintelligence-gathering trip to Niger was discussed.The memo was drafted June 10, 2003, for Undersecretaryof State Marc Grossman, who asked to be brought up todate on INR's opposition to the White House view thatHussein was trying to buy uranium in Africa.The description of Wilson's wife and her role in the Feb. 19,2002, meeting at the CIA was considered "a footnote" in abackground paragraph in the memo, according to an officialwho was aware of the process.It records that the INR analyst at the meeting opposedWilson's trip to Niger because the State Department,through other inquiries, already had disproved theallegation that Iraq was seeking uranium from Niger.Attached to the INR memo were the notes taken by thesenior INR analyst who attended the 2002 meeting at theCIA.So even before the first of THREE seperate investigations werelaunched by the Bush administration, the State Dept. had alreadydismissed the rumour that Hussein had tried to buy uranium in Nigeras without merit. Think about that. A rumour -- based on poorlyforged documents that the Hardy Boys could have exposed in fiveminutes -- pops up overseas. The State Dept. investigates andrealizes there is absolutely no evidence to back it up -- it ain't evenworth investigating. Bush is desperate for "proof" so he can justifygoing to war and sends the esteemed Joseph Wilson (praised byBush's father as a "hero" and eminently qualified for the task) tocheck it out anyway. Wilson comes back and says it isn't true. Theylaunch a second investigation -- still no evidence. They launch aTHIRD investigation. Nope -- nothing, nada to back up a shakyrumour the State Dept. had already dismissed as meaningless.Bush tries to insert it into a speech anyway -- this inflammatory claimthat a foreign power is trying to obtain nuclear weapons-gradematerial that he HAS ABSOLUTELY NO EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT. TheCIA strenuously objects and gets the claim removed. But then Bushgoes ahead and makes the claim anyway in his State of the Unionaddress and the American people believe he speaks the truth.Meanwhile, the Downing Street Memo -- minutes of a meeting withthe top leaders of the UK -- made crystal clear that our closest allybelieved Bush was going to war no matter what and was lying, ie.fixing the evidence to justify it.Joseph Wilson ultimately comes forward after the war was launchedand says simply there was no evidence to back up those 16 words.He is attacked and mocked and smeared. His WIFE is attacked. Andnational security is endangered, all to smack down the fact thatBush's central evidence in going to war -- the attempt to buy uraniumin Niger and the "tubes" -- didn't hold water AND BUSH KNEW IT.
HuffPost PoliticsHuckabee's Huck Pac In Turmoil With StaffTurnover, Mounting Debts - Former Arkansas Gov.Mike Huckabee's political action committee, HuckPac, is undergoing a "restructuring," ExecutiveDirector Sarah Huckabee said Wednesday....1 hour ago
Ben SmithGoing small - My story tonight: President BarackObama came alive about 50 minutes intoWednesday night’s news conference – whensomebo1 hour ago
FiredoglakeLate Late Night FDL: What Eclipse? - A new videofrom Fatoumata Diawara, and and oldie from Bob.2 hours ago
Daily KosOpen Thread and Diary Rescue - *Today, srkp23(pulling a double shift), ybruti, taylormattd,ItsJessMe and vcmvo2 combed through hundredsof diaries to find this powerful list. Today's...2 hours ago
EschatonOvernight - Folk On. Newish.3 hours agoJ O H N ' S P H OT O S
Show AllA M E R I C A B L O G T V
Next 6AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Rove ...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/rove-and-that-memo-true...
1 of 57/23/09 3:15 AM
Visit our AMERICAblog TV site.see all 322 videos >I collect with
vodpod
In honor of SenatorDeMint
For the GOPers, healthcare is politics. They just
Traditional media has todebunk the birthers
One small step...
The right-wing media, thevoices of the GOP, inAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Rove ...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/rove-and-that-memo-true...
2 of 57/23/09 3:15 AM
The TreatmentObama Has a Grown-UpTalk With America(Gulp)3 hours agoEzra KleinTab Dump7 hours agoWonk RoomSen. Byron Dorgan:The ‘Trade’ InCap-And-Trade ‘MakesNo Sense To Me’8 hours agoHealth BeatTruth Squad: WallStreet Journal HealthCare Editorial Wrong onthe Facts . . .9 hours agoDaily DoseProviders Endorse 'Payfor Value' ProposalsG AY P O L I T I C S
Visit our new gay politicssection, AMERICAblog Gay.F E E D S
Blog RSS
AMERICAblog TV RSS
Twitter RSSTwitter Feed
Get the blog by email:
Subscribe me!
AmoLatino.comAds by GoogleTop AdAdvertise in this spot.H E A LT H C A R ER E F O R MAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Rove ...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/rove-and-that-memo-true...
3 of 57/23/09 3:15 AM
S E A R C H
AMERICAblog
Web
SearchS E N D U S T I P S &C O M M E N T Samericablog@starpower.netB L O G A R C H I V E
Blog ArchiveS I T E S W E L I K EAir America RadioAlan Colmes' blogAri Melber (The Nation)Ben SmithBicycleMark's blog &podcastBilericoBradBlogBring It OnCarrie FisherCrooks and LiarsDailyKosDan Savage's "Slog"Daou ReportDemocratic UndergroundEschatonEzra KleinFire Dog LakeFiveThirtyEight.comFreeway BloggerThe Gavel (SpeakerPelosi's blog)Good As YouGlenn GreenwaldHoly Bullies and HeadlessMonstersHuffington PostHullabaloo (Digby)Jack and Jill PoliticsJed ReportJesus' GeneralKenneth in the 212Margaret and HelenMatthew GrossMedia MattersMike Signorile's "The Gist"MudflatsMyDDOpen LeftPlum LinePolitical Punch (JakeTapper)Political WirePolitics 1Pop SurfingProgressive Blog DigestQueers UnitedRawStoryRex WocknerRude PunditSmirking ChimpTalk LeftTappedTaylor MarshThink ProgressTowleRoadVetVoice.comWashington NoteWayneBesen.comWonketteWorth Repeating
N E W S L I N K SUSWashington PostNYTAP PoliticsReuters PoliticsRasmussen PollsTimeNewsweekRoll CallThe HillABCNews
P L E A S E S U P P O RTA M E R I C A B L O GOne-time donation$
Recurring monthlydonation$
Donations are nottax-deductible.L A B E L S
Select a labelL A S T 1 0 0 V I S I T O R SRecent Visitors
A B O U TA M E R I C A B L O GWhy AMERICAblog?Because a great nationdeserves the truth.What issues do youcover?US politics overall with aparticular focus on theObama Administration, theradical right, and civilrights.Who are you?John AravosisEditorWashington, DCJoe SudbayDeputy EditorWashington, DCChris RyanAssociate EditorParis, FranceRobert ArenaContributing EditorBaltimore, MarylandJacki SchechnerContributing EditorWashington, DCAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Rove ...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/rove-and-that-memo-true...
4 of 57/23/09 3:15 AM
© 2009 - John Aravosis | Design maintenance by Jason RosenbaumSend me your tips: americablog@starpower.netAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Rove ...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/rove-and-that-memo-true...
5 of 57/23/09 3:15 AM