Questions for Cheney
Yesterday, I mentioned that the investigation could turn towards VP Cheney, as it should. In a letter to Cheney, published by TomPaine.com on September 18th, written by Reps. Kucinich, Maloney and Sanders, (members of the Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations), state the following information and ask pertinent questions about this affair. I quote:
Concerning a request by the Vice President to investigate intelligence of Niger uranium sale, revealing forgery one year ago.
This alleged sale of uranium to Iraq by Niger was critical to the administration's case that Iraq was reconstituting a nuclear weapons program. During the period of time you reportedly paid visits to CIA, you also requested that CIA investigate intelligence that purported to show Iraqi pursuit of uranium from Niger, and your office received a briefing on the investigation. According to The New York Times of May 6, 2003, "more than a year ago the vice president's office asked for an investigation of the uranium deal, so a former U.S. Ambassador to Africa was dispatched to Niger."
The ambassador "reported to the CIA and State Department that the information was unequivocally wrong and that the documents had been forged," according to the Times. Indeed, that former U.S. Ambassador, Joseph Wilson, wrote in The New York Times, July 6, 2003, "The vice president's office asked a serious question. We were asked to help formulate the answer. We did so, and we have every confidence that the answer we provided was circulated to the appropriate officials within our government."
Moreover, your chief of staff, Mr. Libby, told Time magazine this week that you did in fact express interest in the report to the CIA briefer. Our understanding is that Standard Operating Procedure is that if a principal asks about a report, he is given a specific answer.
On Meet the Press on Sunday September 14, 2003, contrary to Ambassador Wilson and Mr. Libby, you denied receiving Ambassador Wilson's findings in February, or March of 2002. You also denied sending Ambassador Wilson to look into the claim.
"I don't know Joe Wilson. I've never met Joe Wilson... 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."
Questions:
5) Who in the office of Vice President was informed of the contents of Ambassador Wilson's report?
6) When did you personally become informed of Ambassador Wilson's findings?
7) If the staff who took your question said, "This is all we know. There's a lot we don't know", why did you continue to use the shaky uranium claim in your public statements over the past year?
8) What efforts were made by your office to disseminate the findings of Ambassador Wilson's investigation to the President, National Security Adviser, and Secretary of Defense?
Now that the Department of Justice is investigating the White House, we’ll have to see just how deep the investigation goes.
LiberalOasis believes that the depth and success of the investigation depends on whether the GOP will be united and on Ashcroft. At this moment, he believes they are not united. The right-wing press is behind the president but the GOP in government are thus far not saying anything. He cites the quote from the Paula Zahn/CNN interview last night with former Bush Pentagon Spokeswoman, Victoria Clarke.
The best thing to do is to have a very thorough and very fast investigation, find out what happened.
And, if what we think may have happened did happen, identify and fire and prosecute those people.
If the best way to get it done well and get it done fast is to turn it over to an independent counsel, then I say turn it over to an independent counsel.
I’m still under the belief that pressure from the media, congress, and the people will determine this. Expect diversions to crop up to take the limelight off this crisis. This is how this administration works. Isn’t it obvious?
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