THE NIGER URANIUM CHARGE: THE WASHINGTON POST REPEATS LEFTIST LIE AT CORE OF PLAMEGATE

FROM TODAY'S WASHINGTON POST/DANA MILBANK AND WALTER PINCUS - THESE TO BUSH BASHERS ARE UNABASHED PROPAGANDISTS - AND BLATANT LIARS - AND IN THIS ARTICLE THEY LIE ABOUT THE CENTRAL CHARGE IN PLAMEGATE:

'Wilson's central assertion -- disputing President Bush's 2003 State of the Union claim that Iraq was seeking nuclear material in Niger -- has been validated by postwar weapons inspections.'

THIS IS A LIE. BUSH NEVER EVER EVEN MENTIONED NIGER IN THE SPEECH. HERE'S WHAT HE SAID:

"The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa."

HERE'S WHAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT SAID ABOUT THAT INTEL' - AFTER THE WAR/AFTER THE POST-WAR INSPECTIONS WERE DONE (FROM A SUMMARY BY THE BBC):

Uranium from Niger - British intelligence on the claim that Iraq had sought uranium from Niger was "credible". There was not conclusive evidence Iraq actually purchased the material, nor did the government make that claim.

NOR DID BUSH. BUSH'S STATEMENT WAS TRUE THEN, AND IT'S TRUE NOW.

AND HERE'S WHAT THE SENATE INTEL' COMMITTEE SAID ABOUT WILSON'S CHARGE:

WASHINGTON - A Senate report criticizing false CIA claims that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction at the same time provides support for an assertion the White House repudiated: that Iraq sought to buy uranium in Africa.

A Friday report from the Senate Intelligence Committee offers new details supporting the claim. French and British intelligence separately told the United States about possible Iraqi attempts to buy uranium in the African nation of Niger, the report said. The report from France is significant not only because Paris opposed the Iraq war but also because Niger is a former French colony and French companies control uranium production there. Joseph Wilson, a retired U.S. diplomat the CIA sent to investigate the Niger story, also found evidence of Iraqi contacts with Nigerien officials, the report said.

THE SENATE REPORT ALSO INDICATES THAT WILSON LIED ABOUT WHAT HE REPORTED TO THE CIA ABOUT NIGER IN HIS INFAMOUS NYTIMES OP-ED ARTICLE. WILSON'S REPORT ACTUALLY BUTTRESSED THE SUSPICION THAT SADDAM WAS INTENT ON RESTARTING HIS NUKE PROGRAM.

FOR THE WASHINGTON POST TO CHARACTERIZE THIS FALSE CHARGE AS HAVING BEEN VALIDATED NOW IS ANOTHER OUTRAGEOUS LIE. AND THEY KNOW IT.

I DEMAND A CORRECTION. NOW.

UPDATE: it cannot be repeated often enough: the SOTU in question was delivered in January of 2003; the Congress gave Bush authority to wage war against Saddam in October of 2002; therefore, the Brit intel claim COULD NOT HAVE influenced/"misled" a single Congressman. Even IF that Brit intel claim was false - WHICH IT ISN'T! - there were plenty of other reasons to oust Saddam, and they are ALL listed in the Congressional Resolution. [TEXT HERE.]

GREAT ARTICLE HERE - hat tip POWERLINE.