Why isn't anyone asking WHO FORGED THE NIGER DOCUMENTS

Wouldn't a desire to determine who forged them aid us all including the Bushies who claim they were mislead in determining who lied?

I have read several articles on this matter and NONE provide any detail into who may have forged this series of letters...why? Is nobody curious? Why?

the administration isn't curious because they KNOW who forged them.

and I hope is not Israel. I would doubt that Israel would leave such an obvious forgery.

Whoever forged the documents, wanted them to be found as forgeries for reasons that are not clear at this time. It would have been an exquisite KGB trick to embarrass the US in front of the UN, but the Cold War is long over.

Why would anyone do this? This isn't a standard prank, and it wasn't like forging a driver's license so a person can buy beer. Or forging a passport for whatever reason. What was the forgers' motive to forge such a document? They didn't do it for the hell of it.

To "show" that Iraq was trying to build a nuclear weapon? Who would do such a thing? Someone trying to justify a war, maybe? Hmmmmm . . . who could that be?

There were others than America who wanted Hussein gone. He had a lot of enemies, even in his own country, obviously. They were poor forgeries, so expertise isn't an issue. There are also random groups here and there who want attention, or who want to be on the US's good side. Or Britain's, or Saudi Arabia.

It obviously wasn't our government, or the forgeries would have been better, unless of course W forged them himself, in which case the crayon marks and beer stains would tip us off.

It's an interesting question, but since we can be certain it wasn't our guys, to me the most important question is the one being asked: Can we prove Bush knew the info was false? We all know he did, but can we prove it? Here's one time he's going to play up the "I'm stupid, ask Uncle Dick" card. Whoever forged them will be a footnote if we can prove Bush knew.

other front groups. We KNOW it wasn't the CIA...but that doesn't mean it wasn't someone associated with the Bushies, Cheney or the PNACers..I mean it IS clumsy enough to have come from them.

But it is curious how the origin of such a fateful document made it from its creation to the CIA.

Originating from Italy...did Chalabi travel to Italy...you know...Unca Dick's buddy?

The one who just called the Germans nazis at the EU. Burlesconi, I think his name is. Kind of suspicious that the docs originated in Italy and this guy is right-winger who signed to *'s agenda.

who then turned it over to the CIA.

The forger could have been anyone with a motive that would benefit from the US invading Iraq, and there were many groups that fit into that category. Anyone EXCEPT the CIA--the forgery was far too clumsy. The signature of the Niger Minister of Mines gave the name of a man who had already left the position, and the signature did not even match his.

What is astounding is that a forgery this bad was even taken seriously. That is the reason why we haven't seen the forged letter--it would be proof that the US was using really terrible intel to justify the war, and would cast even more doubt on the legitimacy of other intel.

Using the standard riposte of "national security" this letter, though phony, will never be made public.

This story
http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101030721/story.html
says there were not one but six letters
purportedly going back & forth twixt Niger & Iraq.

This wasn't one forgery but a set of documents. One article I read had the CIA wondering why Iraq would be attempting to get it and claiming Iraq already had yellow cake. They speculated it was a trick by the Russians but that is a quite convenient story and..uh..oh yeah...no yellow cake found in Iraq.

Judging from the total incompetence, they were forged by some African con man (think Nigerian 419 scam) who thought he would make a few bucks from some gullible intel guy. He's nobody.

No way a professional forged them. They were too crude for that. If the CIA wanted to forge documents, they would not be a joke on their face. Think about it.

Then the Italians turned it over to the Brits, and they notified the US.

Now, of course, Shrubco is trying to smear the French with the possession trail. Don't know what they're hanging their hat on for doing so. But then they don't need reasons for arrogant behavior.

Judging from the total incompetence, they were forged by some African con man (think Nigerian 419 scam) who thought he would make a few bucks from some gullible intel guy.

...or it wouldn't even necessarily be sold to an intel guy either but just a part of a standard "Nigerian letter" scam: "Dear Sir, my uncle the general has sold uranium to Saddam and now we need help getting the money out of the country..."

I would like to make that my talking point .
Who put the Niger info in the SOTU speech ?
Who Forged the Niger Documents ?
When Wilson came back from Africa was a memo
sent out to officials ? Who was sent a memo ?

Since these forgeries were the topic of discussion for months within the inteligence comunity and the white house, why did it take them so long to figure out they were forgeries?

Important national decisions were being made on the basis of these papers yet it had to go to an outside agency before they were debunked in a couple days?

Uhhh huhh...

Theres tons of intrigue in this one.

and the timeliness of the documents didn't wash! DOH!

Everything about this whole thing stinks to high heaven! Is our inteligence really that inept?

These documents had to be hot! and no one bothered to check the signatures for months....


Uhhh huuhhh


Sell me another one george

Signed by a guy who had been out of office for 12 years!

and big bucks they paid; from what has been said.Also said by the IAEC, and others, was that any 3rd world intel agency could tell it was bogus.