If there is one thing you can say about Axis of Evil countries, it's that they are persistent in their drive to acquire WMD.  And if there is one thing you can say about our intelligence agencies, it's that they are consistently bad, or deceptive, or both.

The (UK) Times Online reports that the Persians are 'seeking to import large consignments of bomb—making uranium' from mines in the Congo.  I wonder where the mullahs got the idea that the Congo would be ripe for uranium deals?  Perhaps their old nemesis, Saddam Hussein gave them the idea.

A July 18 United Nations report said there was 'no doubt' that a huge shipment of uranium 238 originated in the Lubumbashi mines in the Congo with its final destination being the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas.  The shipment was stopped by customs officials in Tanzania on October 22 of last year during a routine customs inspection.  Another interesting aspect of this operation is that the uranium's ultimate destination was the former Soviet Republic of Kazakhstan.

Only four days after the shipment was seized, I wrote  about Saddam's efforts to obtain uranium from Africa, and how Joe Wilson and the Iraq Survey Group (ISG) have played a game of misdirection and cover—up to promote their case that Bush lied about Iraqi WMD.  One of my key findings was that the President clearly stated that Saddam had sought quantities of uranium in Africa, but he did not specify Niger.  This statement was based on solid British intelligence estimates that showed that the Congo was a far more likely target for illicit uranium deals since it was in the midst of a civil war, various warlords were strapped for cash, and security was lax to non—existent.

The Niger connection may ultimately be proven to be true, but clearly, Wilson and the ISG deliberately focused attention on a country that any dictator would have placed further down on his priority list.  In post—OIF Iraq, the ISG found a document that told of a post—Gulf War I contact between Baghdad and the Congo about an offer of uranium.  With information gleaned from British intelligence, one would think that the ISG would pursue the Congo connection.

Yet, the group virtually placed this Congo information in the round file, and then enthusiastically investigated the 'specific allegations of uranium pursuits from Niger,' even though there was no paperwork or recent intelligence that logically pointed to a Niger—Iraq uranium deal.  On top of this, their conclusion that Iraq had not sought uranium from Niger was based largely on testimony from Ja—far Diya. Ja—far, who was the head of Iraq's pre—1991 nuclear weapons program!  This was, of course, another example of fishing for data to support a pre—determined conclusion, except this time they got caught.

It appears that many of our internal enemies' deceptions are seeing the light of day thanks to the new media.  More and more revelations about the truth of Saddam's and the mullahs' quest for WMD are slowly but surely killing the 'Bush lied' mantra of the left.

Douglas Hanson   8 06 06