Could the whole "uranium from Africa" thing be a red herring?

The uranium available from Niger is yellowcake, a low-grade ore. It takes a HUGE processing infrastructure to convert tons of yellowcake into ounces of fissionable uranium. Recall the centrifuge parts story, where it was revealed that it takes an enormous processing plant with hundreds-thousands of centrifuge units to refine meaningful amounts of weapons-grade uranium. This capability doesn't exist in Iraq. Any processing infrastructure that existed earlier was destroyed by UN inspectors prior to 1998 (or buried in rose gardens), and cannot be built or rebuilt either rapidly or undetected. There was no IMMINENT threat of nuclear WMD based on Niger yellowcake whatsoever, even "dirty bombs!" The Neocons are not dumb and would know this, so why would they base an urgent rush to war on this "evidence?"

there is no other reason. They came up with every lame ass excuse they could. Seems they should'a asked old Tom Friedman why they were invading Iraq, 'cuz he seesm to think booting Saddam was reason enough, and they have simply cooked their own goose by pretending there were other reasons.

They must have figured that would sound vaguely plausible to the Great Unwashed whom it is their job to keep deceived and in a cloud of unknowing a la Leo Strauss. Roveco just ain't used to getting questioned, and it probly never occurred to them that they would have to come up with a story that would withstand actual scrutiny. Ergo also the crude Niger documents that they commissioned from Vito with the printing press he keeps hidden down in one of the Roman catacombs.

Not this, obviously. They proved in the vote yesterday that they are perfectly at ease with a stupid irresponsible president. Wonder what threats they can receive from their constituents to make them vote in favor of more investigation and inquery. Some will probably come from military. I believe they are getting a lot of pressure from seniors right now on the prescription drug plans. The privatizing medicare thing went right down the tubes and now they are circulating an e-mail that says don't be fooled, democrats voted to tax social security and are now saying republicans want to privatize it. Who was it that said never underestimate (or is that 'misunderestimate') the stupidity of the general public.

What did it take to convert the Republicans during the Whitewater trials? If the Iraq questions remain before the public long enough, and if enough constituents contact their legislators, then things might turn slowly. Right now, the members of Congress feel like everyone was in favor of the war, so they are just trying to keep their votes. If they realize that the public is sick of Bush, they will turn also. It's all about keeping their own power.

"and it probly never occurred to them that they would have to come up with a story that would withstand actual scrutiny"

The collective braintrust just knew that SH must have had WMD in Iraq...it was inconceivable that he wouldn't. Sure they had no direct evidence, but he was a evil man in the axis of evil. Ergo, he had to have weapons.

So, no problem fabricating a little evidence...once we rolled in and took over the oil fields, we'd stumble accross them someplace.

Except we haven't...and now those little fabrications have become pretty damning.

The question I want to know is, if they knew there was little or no evidence, what was the real reason for invading and occupting Iraq?

"The question I want to know is, if they knew there was little or no evidence, what was the real reason for invading and occupting Iraq?"

The long answer is "go read the PNAC stuff."

The medium-length answer is "Go check out the latest Judicial Watch story."

The short answer is oil.

Plus it sounds really, really scary. :)

like they were holding back the reigns to time his re-election campaign. I know there are other people on DU that have said this before. The problem is that they miscalculated the post war threat and it is imploding in front of their faces.

DEAN 04'

If it was worth the expense and trouble, I imagine the Iraqis would have used their own uranium ore from their own mines.