US State: Boucher on the Allegations of African Uranium Sales to Iraq

BRIEFING WITH RICHARD BOUCHER
SPOKESMAN

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

July 17, 2003

MR. BOUCHER: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I don't have any statements, so I would be glad to take your questions.

Do you want to start?

. . .

QUESTION: Richard, new subject? As I'm sure you're aware, the Italian press is alive with the sound of speculation. There are reports all about the Niger uranium documents, and I'm wondering if you're able to say anything about these reports. One, are you aware of an FBI investigation that involves the Embassy in Rome? Two, if you are -- well, if you are, is that investigation related to a foreign journalist giving these documents to, or presenting them to, the Embassy in October of 2002?

MR. BOUCHER: And your first question you can ask at the FBI, if they have any investigations. I'm not in a position to talk about anything like that, whether I know about it or not.

As far as the source of the documents, let me just say that there was information prior to that. We all understand that Ambassador Wilson was sent to Niger to check out allegations that Niger might have sold uranium to Iraq.

QUESTION: I'm sorry. Prior to when?

MR. BOUCHER: Prior to October of 2002. We acquired the documents in October of 2002 and they were shared widely within the U.S. Government with all the appropriate agencies in various ways.

But I think the point that we have made, and this goes back not just to the documents which turned out -- the documents themselves, which turned out to be forgeries, but regarding the allegations, is that while the idea that Niger sold uranium to Iraq has been classified as, you know, false or highly dubious or many other things, there had been reports that Iraq was out seeking to purchase uranium there and in other places in Africa.

And now, we have not said that those reports are solid either, but I think the fact that Iraq had not abandoned its nuclear ambitions, the fact that Iraq had not abandoned its programs for weapons of mass destruction, that was the basic fact that led us to want to see the implementation of the UN resolutions, not a particular report or a particular document about Iraq's intentions.

QUESTION: But, okay, my question isn't really about the overall picture. It's more very focused specifically --

MR. BOUCHER: My answer is about the overall picture, yes.

QUESTION: I know. When you say, "We acquired the documents in October of 2002," you're talking about you acquired -- they were presented -- they were, in fact, given to the Embassy or to someone in the Embassy in Rome?

MR. BOUCHER: I wouldn't be able -- I don't think I'm in a position to say that specifically. There is a certain point at which we can't get too detailed into how we acquire things.

QUESTION: Okay. Can you say that it was acquired in a -- okay, how specific can you get about how --

MR. BOUCHER: As specific as I've been.

QUESTION: Okay. So not at all, in other words? (Laughter.)

MR. BOUCHER: I've told you when. I've told you it was us.

QUESTION: Yeah. But not where?

MR. BOUCHER: No, I haven't said where or who from.

QUESTION: Okay. Now, but prior to this, I had been under the impression that you guys had said that it had come from the intelligence service of another country.

MR. BOUCHER: No, I don't think I said that.

QUESTION: Well, maybe not you, but --

MR. BOUCHER: I don't think the U.S. Government has said that. I think that's been widely reported in the press by -- because the British said they had information from other intelligence services, and I suppose people must have made the assumption that was talking about these documents.

QUESTION: But it wasn't?

MR. BOUCHER: I think the British themselves have said it wasn't.

QUESTION: All right. Well, let me just get one more. I just want to make sure this is on the record. The documents that you did acquire in October of 2002 were specifically these specific documents about Niger?

MR. BOUCHER: Were the documents about Niger that we had, and that we subsequently turned over to the IAEA and that Dr. ElBaradei talked about in front of the Security Council, and which have subsequently proved fraudulent.

QUESTION: And are the documents that were published by La Republica, in fact, those documents?

MR. BOUCHER: Don't know. I haven't read La Republica. QUESTION: Really?

QUESTION: Not today?

MR. BOUCHER: Today?

QUESTION: I believe it was yesterday.

MR. BOUCHER: No, I don't know.

Okay, Joel.

QUESTION: Change of subject? The United Nations is asking for $190.4 million in claims relating back, I guess over ten years, to the first Iraqi war. And are you, in any sense, working with the UN to demand these monetary claims against the --

MR. BOUCHER: I'm not quite sure what the figure is. You would have to ask the UN, I think. There are a variety of claims from the previous war that have been dealt with in various UN resolutions, and if you look in the most recent resolution, 1483, there was language in there that described how those various claims should be dealt with in terms of the escrow account and the remaining claims.

QUESTION: So do --

MR. BOUCHER: But the UN, I guess, will have to explain the math on that.

QUESTION: But to save time and bother, are these similar claims from 12 years ago being lumped together with present claims --

MR. BOUCHER: Again, you've got to read the resolution. It was all done there. Our contribution was to work it out with the other partners in that resolution. That's where the rules are. The UN is charged with making it happen.

. . . .

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Search WMD profiles Iraqi entities of concern Iraq's suppliers UN documents Government documents Controlled items Perspectives	BRIEFING WITH RICHARD BOUCHER SPOKESMAN U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE July 17, 2003 MR. BOUCHER: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I don't have any statements, so I would be glad to take your questions. Do you want to start? . . . QUESTION: Richard, new subject? As I'm sure you're aware, the Italian press is alive with the sound of speculation. There are reports all about the Niger uranium documents, and I'm wondering if you're able to say anything about these reports. One, are you aware of an FBI investigation that involves the Embassy in Rome? Two, if you are -- well, if you are, is that investigation related to a foreign journalist giving these documents to, or presenting them to, the Embassy in October of 2002? MR. BOUCHER: And your first question you can ask at the FBI, if they have any investigations. I'm not in a position to talk about anything like that, whether I know about it or not. As far as the source of the documents, let me just say that there was information prior to that. We all understand that Ambassador Wilson was sent to Niger to check out allegations that Niger might have sold uranium to Iraq. QUESTION: I'm sorry. Prior to when? MR. BOUCHER: Prior to October of 2002. We acquired the documents in October of 2002 and they were shared widely within the U.S. Government with all the appropriate agencies in various ways. But I think the point that we have made, and this goes back not just to the documents which turned out -- the documents themselves, which turned out to be forgeries, but regarding the allegations, is that while the idea that Niger sold uranium to Iraq has been classified as, you know, false or highly dubious or many other things, there had been reports that Iraq was out seeking to purchase uranium there and in other places in Africa. And now, we have not said that those reports are solid either, but I think the fact that Iraq had not abandoned its nuclear ambitions, the fact that Iraq had not abandoned its programs for weapons of mass destruction, that was the basic fact that led us to want to see the implementation of the UN resolutions, not a particular report or a particular document about Iraq's intentions. QUESTION: But, okay, my question isn't really about the overall picture. It's more very focused specifically -- MR. BOUCHER: My answer is about the overall picture, yes. QUESTION: I know. When you say, "We acquired the documents in October of 2002," you're talking about you acquired -- they were presented -- they were, in fact, given to the Embassy or to someone in the Embassy in Rome? MR. BOUCHER: I wouldn't be able -- I don't think I'm in a position to say that specifically. There is a certain point at which we can't get too detailed into how we acquire things. QUESTION: Okay. Can you say that it was acquired in a -- okay, how specific can you get about how -- MR. BOUCHER: As specific as I've been. QUESTION: Okay. So not at all, in other words? (Laughter.) MR. BOUCHER: I've told you when. I've told you it was us. QUESTION: Yeah. But not where? MR. BOUCHER: No, I haven't said where or who from. QUESTION: Okay. Now, but prior to this, I had been under the impression that you guys had said that it had come from the intelligence service of another country. MR. BOUCHER: No, I don't think I said that. QUESTION: Well, maybe not you, but -- MR. BOUCHER: I don't think the U.S. Government has said that. I think that's been widely reported in the press by -- because the British said they had information from other intelligence services, and I suppose people must have made the assumption that was talking about these documents. QUESTION: But it wasn't? MR. BOUCHER: I think the British themselves have said it wasn't. QUESTION: All right. Well, let me just get one more. I just want to make sure this is on the record. The documents that you did acquire in October of 2002 were specifically these specific documents about Niger? MR. BOUCHER: Were the documents about Niger that we had, and that we subsequently turned over to the IAEA and that Dr. ElBaradei talked about in front of the Security Council, and which have subsequently proved fraudulent. QUESTION: And are the documents that were published by La Republica, in fact, those documents? MR. BOUCHER: Don't know. I haven't read La Republica. QUESTION: Really? QUESTION: Not today? MR. BOUCHER: Today? QUESTION: I believe it was yesterday. MR. BOUCHER: No, I don't know. Okay, Joel. QUESTION: Change of subject? The United Nations is asking for $190.4 million in claims relating back, I guess over ten years, to the first Iraqi war. And are you, in any sense, working with the UN to demand these monetary claims against the -- MR. BOUCHER: I'm not quite sure what the figure is. You would have to ask the UN, I think. There are a variety of claims from the previous war that have been dealt with in various UN resolutions, and if you look in the most recent resolution, 1483, there was language in there that described how those various claims should be dealt with in terms of the escrow account and the remaining claims. QUESTION: So do -- MR. BOUCHER: But the UN, I guess, will have to explain the math on that. QUESTION: But to save time and bother, are these similar claims from 12 years ago being lumped together with present claims -- MR. BOUCHER: Again, you've got to read the resolution. It was all done there. Our contribution was to work it out with the other partners in that resolution. That's where the rules are. The UN is charged with making it happen. . . . .