July 14, 2004

MEMORANDUM TO: OPINION LEADERS

FROM: GARY SCHMITT

SUBJECT: Iraq's Attempts to Acquire Uranium from Niger

In his 2003 State of the Union speech, President Bush said "the British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa." Since then, this statement has been criticized by Former Ambassador Joe Wilson and others as relying on flimsy or non-existent intelligence. Today, however, the British government released a report titled "Review of Intelligence on Weapons of Mass Destruction,"* which, on page 125 (paragraph 503), states:

"From our examination of the intelligence and other material on Iraqi attempts to buy uranium from Africa, we have concluded that:

a. It is accepted by all parties that Iraqi officials visited Niger in 1999.

b. The British Government had intelligence from several different sources indication that this visit was for the purpose of acquiring uranium. Since Uranium constitutes almost three-quarters of Niger's exports, the intelligence was credible.

c. The evidence was not conclusive that Iraq actually purchased, as opposed to having sought, uranium and the British Government did not claim this.

d. The forged documents were not available to the British Government at the time its assessment was made, and so the fact of the forgery does not undermine it." [emphasis in text]

If the British report is correct, there is only one reason for Iraq to have attempted to acquire uranium from Africa - to restart its nuclear weapons program.

* A copy of the report can be found at http://www.fas.org/irp/world/uk/butler071404.pdf.