Treasongate: The Niger Forgeries v. the CIA Intel Reports - Part 1: Claims and Documents
by eriposte
This is a series (introduced in this post) focused on comparing the CIA intel reports on Niger to the corresponding contents of the relevant Niger documents (mostly forgeries) to understand how the forgeries were "mainstreamed" and to what extent Italian intelligence (SISMI) was complicit in this affair. In this post, I provide a summary of the CIA claims captured in the Senate (SSCI) Report and the contents of the relevant Niger documents. The information presented here will form the basis of subsequent analysis.
This post is (long and) divided into three sections.
SECTIONS
I. CIA claims regarding Iraq's attempts to seek or buy uranium from Niger (as documented in the Senate Report)
II. List of forged Niger documents and their contents
III. Table matching CIA claims with corresponding claims/information in the Niger documents
I. CIA claims regarding Iraq's attempts to seek or buy uranium from Niger (as documented in the Senate Report)
Here I provide the relevant extracts from the unclassified portions of the Senate (SSCI) report. I have artificially segmented the claims (using a letter-number classification scheme, e.g., A1) for ease of later comparison to the Niger forgeries.
A. First Niger intel Report - Date: 10/15/01
A1 [page 36]: Reporting on a possible uranium yellowcake[5] sales agreement between Niger and Iraq first came to the attention of the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) on October 15, 2001. The Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) Directorate of Operations (DO) issued an intelligence report [DELETED] from a foreign government service indicating that Niger planned to ship several tons of uranium to Iraq [DELETED].
A2 [page 36]: The intelligence report said the uranium sales agreement had been in negotiation between the two countries since at least early 1999, and was approved by the State Court of Niger in late 2000.
A3 [page 36]: According to the cable, Nigerien President Mamadou Tandja gave his stamp of approval for the agreement and communicated his decision to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
A4 [page 36]: The report also indicated that in October 2000 Nigerien Minister of Foreign Affairs Nassirou Sabo informed one of his ambassadors in Europe that Niger had concluded an accord to provide several tons of uranium to Iraq. [SENTENCE DELETED]
B. CIA intel product based on first Niger intel report - Date: 10/18/01
B1 [pages 36-37]: Only the CIA wrote a finished intelligence product on the report (Senior Executive Intelligence Brief [SEIB], Iraq: Nuclear-Related Procurement Efforts, October 18, 2001). Regarding the Niger reporting the SEIB said:
According to a foreign government service, Niger as of early this year planned to send several tons of uranium to Iraq under an agreement concluded late last year. Iraq and Niger had been negotiating the shipment since at least early 1999, but the state court of Niger only this year approved it, according to the service.
- There is no corroboration from other sources that such an agreement was reached or that uranium was transferred.
In view of the origin, the uranium probably is in the form of yellowcake and will need further processing to be used in an uranium enrichment plant. Iraq has no known facilities for processing or enriching the material.
- The quantity of yellowcake to be transferred could support the enrichment of enough uranium for at least one nuclear weapon.
C. Second Niger intel report - Date: 2/5/02
C1 [page 37]: Reporting on the uranium transaction did not surface again until February 5, 2002 when the CIA's DO issued a second intelligence report [DELETED] which again cited the source as a "[foreign] government service." Although not identified in the report, this source was also from the foreign service. The second report provided more details about the previously reported Iraq-Niger uranium agreement and provided what was said to be "verbatim text" of the accord.
C2 [page 37]: [SENTENCE DELETED] Subsequently, the governments of Niger and Iraq signed an agreement regarding the sale of uranium during meetings held July 5-6, 2000.
C3 [page 37]: The report indicated that 500 tons of uranium per year [SENTENCE DELETED].
C4 [page 38]: Several analysts interviewed by Committee staff also pointed out that information in the second intelligence report matched [DELETED] reporting from 1999 which showed that an Algerian businessman, Baraka, was arranging a trip for the Iraqi Ambassador to the Vatican, Wissam al-Zahawi, to visit Niger and other African countries in early February 1999. [SENTENCE DELETED].
D. U.S. embassy cable based on first two Niger intel reports - Date: 2/18/02
D1 [page 40]: On February 18, 2002, the embassy in Niger disseminated a cable which reported that the alleged Iraq-Niger uranium deal "provides sufficient detail to warrant another hard look at Niger's uranium sales. The names of GON [government of Niger] officials cited in the report track closely with those we know to be in those, or closely-related positions.
E. Third Niger intel report - Date: 3/25/02
E1 [page 47]: On March 25, 2002, the DO issued a third and final intelligence report from the same "[foreign] government service." The report said that the 2000 agreement by Niger to provide uranium to Iraq specified that 500 tons of uranium per year would be delivered in [DELETED].
As in the two previous reports, the government service was not identified as the foreign government service.
F. Additional CIA observations on first three Niger intel reports - Date: Unknown
F1 [page 47]: There were no obvious inconsistencies in the names of officials mentioned or the dates of the transactions in any of the three reports.
F2 [page 47]: Of the seven names mentioned in the reporting, two were former high ranking officials who were the individuals in the positions described in the reports at the time described...
F3 [page 47]: ...and five were lower ranking officials. Of the five lower ranking, two were not the individuals in the positions described in the reports, however, these do not appear to be names or positions with which intelligence analysts would have been familiar. For example, an INR analyst who had recently returned from a position as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Niger told Committee staff that he did not notice any inconsistencies with the names of the officials mentioned.
F4 [page 47]: The only mistake in any of the reports regarding dates, is that one date, July 7, 2000, is said to be a Wednesday in the report, but was actually a Friday.
N. NIE Draft - Date: 9/25/02
Regarding uranium from Africa, the language of the NIE said:
Iraq has about 550 metric tons of yellowcake and low enriched uranium at Tuwaitha, which is inspected annually by the IAEA. Iraq also began vigorously trying to procure uranium ore and yellowcake; acquiring either would shorten the time Baghdad needs to produce nuclear weapons.
- A foreign government service reported that as of early 2001, Niger planned to send several tons of "pure uranium" (probably yellowcake) to Iraq. As of early 2001, Niger and Iraq reportedly were still working out arrangements for this deal, which could be for up to 500 tons of yellowcake. We do not know the status of this arrangement.
To recap, the above extracts from the Senate (SSCI) Report capture the unclassified claims from U.S. intelligence (largely the CIA) relating to the reports they received based on information in the forged Niger documents.
II. List of forged Niger documents and their contents
The Cryptome website has helpfully put together a list of the documents that were published by the Italian Panorama and/or La Repubblica media outlets. They have also provided electronic copies of many of the documents (most of which were forged). In this section, I collect the list of the known documents, a link to the electronic copy of each (if available) and a translation of the contents (if available). I have numbered the documents based on my own numbering system (and this is different from Cryptome's numbering) to be consistent with my previous references to these documents. Consequently, I downloaded the electronic copies of the documents from the Cryptome website and changed the filenames to reflect my numbering (TLC Niger Document #) as well as the Cryptome numbering (Cryptome Niger Doc#) in the filename of the .jpg files. These copies, with new filenames reflecting the TLC numbering and Cryptome numbering, were then uploaded to The Left Coaster (TLC) website.
In the following, I have separated out the documents listed at the Cryptome website into two categories - ones that have a copy of the contents posted (Part II.A) and ones that don't (Part II.B). For the most part, the second category does not appear to have much significance in the overall analysis. The "Cryptome Brief Description" refers to the as-is reproduction of the summaries of the documents at the Cryptome website. [NOTE: This article, as it originally appeared had a few of the translations of the Niger documents erroneously attributed to Pat Conway rather than the Cryptome website. This was fixed on 12/1/05.]
II.A Documents listed in Cryptome website WITH contents provided/transcribed
1. TLC NIGER DOC 1 and DOC 1A*
Cryptome Brief Description:
A letter from the Niger embassy in Rome to the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Niger announcing Mr. Zahawie's trip also dated February 1, 1999. Probably authentic. [niger-doc-001]
A telex dated February 1, 1999, identical in text to the preceding letter. Probably authentic. [niger-doc-04]
[TLC Note: The Niger Ambassador's name is actually Adamou Chekou; *link to DOC 1A added on 2/20/06]
Link to Document: TLC Doc 1, Cryptome Doc 04; TLC Doc 1A, Cryptome Doc 001
Translation of contents by Cryptome [with my correction added for Zahawie's name and Niamey]:
0097652**01/02 14:57
MINAFET 520****
626290 NIGER I
MINAFET 5200NI
626290 NIGER I
FAX # 803:9*: ASA**RONE OF 02/01/99
DESTINATION: HIS EXCELLENCY MISTER THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFAIRS
AND OF AFRICAN INTEGRATION
NIAMEY
I HAVE THE HONOR TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT THE EMBASSY
OF IRAQ AT THE VATICAN JUST INFORMED ME THAT HIS EXCELLENCY
MR. WISSAM AL ZAHAWIE, AMBASSADOR OF IRAQ TO THE VATICAN,
WILL CARRY OUT AN OFFICIAL VISIT IN OUR COUNTRY IN THE ROLE
OF REPRESENTATIVE OF HIS EXCELLENCY MR. SADDAM HUSSEIN, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC
OF IRAQ.
HIS EXCELLENCY MR. ZAHAWIE WILL ARRIVE IN NIAMEY ON FRIDAY THE 5TH OF FEBRUARY 1999 AROUND
18:25 THROUGH AIR FRANCE FLIGHT # 730 FROM PARIS.
I WOULD BE GRATEFUL OF THE DISPOSITIONS THAT YOU COULD MAKE HAPPEN REGARDING THIS.
REALLY HIGH CONSIDERATION
SIGNED: HIS EXCELLENCY A*MNON CHE*OU
------ AMBASSADOR NIGER ROME
636290 NIGER I*
*********** ***************
0029
2. TLC NIGER DOC 2
Cryptome Brief Description:
A letter from the Niger Ministry of Foreign Affairs to his ambassador in Rome asking him to contact the Iraqi ambassador (sic), Mr. Zahawie, concerning an agreement signed June 28, 2000, to furnish uranium to Iraq. The letter is dated July 30, 1999. In the Panorama version the date has been hand corrected to the year 2000. False. [niger-doc-05]
Link to Document: TLC Doc 2, Cryptome Doc 05
Translation of contents by Cryptome [with the name Nassirou Sabo added at the end corresponding to the name printed in the document and the year of the letter shown clearly as 1999]:
REPUBLIC OF NIGERCOUNCIL OF NATIONAL RECONCILIATION
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
AND AFRICAN INTEGRATION
DIRECTORATE OF JUDICIARY AMD CONSULATE AFFAIRS
NIAMY, THE 30TH OF JULY 1999
N- 05055 /MAE/IA/DAJC/DIR
URGENT
HONOR TO ASK YOU TO CONTACT HIS EXCELLENCY
THE AMBASSADOR OF IRAQ MR. WISSAM AL ZAHAWIE TO
RECEIVE ANSWER FOR HIS COUNTRY REGARDING PROVIDING
URANIUM ACCORDING TO LAST AGREEMENTS ESTABLISHED IN NIAMEY
ON THE 28TH JUNE 2000
PLEASE FOLLOW THIS HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL DOSSIER WITH
ALL DISCRETION AND CARE.
SIGNATURE
NASSIROU SABO
SEAL OF THE REPUBLIC OF NIGER
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
3. TLC NIGER DOC 3
Cryptome Brief Description:
Page one of a letter from the president of Niger to Saddam Hussein confirming the agreement to furnish 500 tons of uranium, dated July 27, 2000. The president swears by a constitution that has been replaced four times since independence. False. [niger-doc-01]
Page two of the same letter. [niger-doc-06]
[TLC Note: Although the name of the Nigerien President is not explicitly mentioned (only a signature is shown), the President of Niger in the year 2000 was Mamadou Tandja].
Link to Documents: TLC Doc 3 page 1, Cryptome Doc 01 and TLC Doc 3 page 2, Cryptome Doc 06
Translation of contents by Cryptome:
CONFIDENTIALURGENT
REPUBLIC OF NIGER
FRATERNITY-WORK-PROGRESS
NIAMEY, 07/27/2000
MR PRESIDENT,
IT'S MY HONOR TO REFER TO THE AGREEMENT # 3*1-NI 2000,
REGARDING THE SUPPLY OF URANIUM, SIGNED IN NIAMEY ON THE 6TH
OF JULY 2000 BETWEEN THE GOVERMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF NIGER
AND THE GOVERMENT OF IRAQ BY THEIR RESPECTIVE REPRESENTATIVES
OFFICIAL DELEGATES.
ABOVE MENTIONED SUPPLY EQUIVALENT TO 500 TONS OF PURE URANIUM
PER YEAR, WILL BE DELIVERED IN TWO PHASES.
HAVING SEEN AND INSPECTED THE SAID DEAL. I APPROVE IN ALL
AND EACH OF ITS INVOLVED PARTIES IN REGARD TO THE POWERS
INVESTED IN ME BY THE CONSTITUTION OF THE 12TH OF MAY 1966. [see footnote below]
ACCORDINGLY, I PRAISE YOU TO CONSIDER
THIS LETTER AS BEING THE FORMAL TOOL OF APPROVAL
OF THIS AGREEMENT BY THE GOVERMENT OF THE REPUBLIC
OF NIGER THAT BECOMES BY THIS RIGHTFULLY ENGAGED.
PLEASE ACCEPT, MR. THE PRESIDENT, THE CERTAINTY
OF MY HIGHEST REGARDS
SIGNATURE
SEAL OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF NIGER
------------
[TLC Footnote added on 12/1/05: The year is likely 1965, not 1966 - see this post for an explanation.]
4. TLC NIGER DOC 4
Cryptome Brief Description:
Accompanying letter to a formal agreement between Iraq and Niger to furnish uranium to the former, sent to the Niger embassy in Rome by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The letter is dated October 10, 2000, but is received in Rome on September 28, 2000. The letter is signed by Ailele Elhadj Habibou, no longer minister since 1989. False. [niger-doc-07]
Link to Document: TLC Doc 4, Cryptome Doc 07
Translation of contents by Cryptome [with the name Allele (*spelling fixed on 11/1) Elhadj Habibou added at the end corresponding to the name printed in the document]:
REPUBLIC OF NIGERCOUNCIL OF NATIONAL RECONCILIATION
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
AND AFRICAN INTEGRATION
DIRECTORATE OF JUDICIARY AMD CONSULATE AFFAIRS
NIAMEY, THE 10TH OF OCTOBER 2000
THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
AND OF COOPERATION
#07254
MR. THE AMBASSADOR OF NIGER
ROME
SUBJECT: PROTOCOL OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERMENT
OF NIGER AND THE GOVERMENT OF IRAQ
RELATED TO THE SUPPLYING OF URANIUM
SIGNED ON THE 5TH AND THE 6TH OF JULY 2000 IN NIAMEY
I HAVE THE HONOR TO SEND TO YOU THE ATTACHED, FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES,
COPY OF THE PROTOCOL OF AGREEMENT SIGNED IN NIAMEY BETWEEN THE REPUBLIC
OF NIGER AND THE GOVERMENT OF IRAK REGARDING THE SUPPLYING
OF URANIUM THAT THE NIGER STATE ISSUED REGARDING THE PROTOCOL CITED IN THE SUBJECT
ATTACHED PAPER: 1
SIGNATURE
ALLELE ELHADJ HABIBOU
SEAL
5. TLC NIGER DOC 5
Cryptome Brief Description:
Page one of schedule n° 1 to the agreement. The actual text of the agreement has not surfaced as of this writing. False. [niger-doc-02]
Second and final page of schedule n°1 to the agreement. [niger-doc-03]
[TLC note: This refers to Annex 1 (perhaps, of the alleged uranium agreement). Annex 1 details the alleged approval to the alleged sale by the State Court of Niger].
Link to Documents: TLC Doc 5 page 1, Cryptome Doc 02 and TLC Doc 5 page 2, Cryptome Doc 03
Translation of contents by Cryptome:
ANNEX 1 THE DIRECTION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS OF THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN
AFFAIRS IN THE PERSON OF HIS EXCELLENCY MR. THE MINISTER AND
THE (TIER ?) OF THE MINISTER OF MINES IN THE PERSON OF MR THE MINISTER IN
CHARGE, UNITED IN ASSEMBLY STATED THE FOLLOWING:
- THE STATE COURT, CALLED UPON TO GIVE HIS ADVICE ACCORDING TO
THE 20TH ARTICLE OF ORDONNANCE # 74-19 OF THE 5TH OF JULY 2000, REGARDING
CREATION, COMPOSITION, ATTRIBUTION AND WORKINGS OF THE STATE
COURT, MET IN THE CHAMBER OF THE COUNCIL IN THE PALACE OF THE SAID
COURT ON WEDNESDAY JULY 7, 2000, AT NINE O'CLOCK;
-READ THE LETTER # 488/MJ/SO OF THE 3RD OF JULY 2000 OF MR. THE MINISTER
OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND COOPERATION:
DEMANDING TO SOLICITATE A FAVORABLE ADVICE TO THE STATE COURT
ON THE POINTS TO BE KNOWN:
-ON ONE PART, IF THE PROTOCOL OF THE DEAL BETWEEN THE GOVERMENT OF
THE REPUBLIC OF NIGER AND THE GOVERMENT OF IRAQ, RELATED TO THE
SALE OF PURE URANIUM, SIGNED ON THE 6TH OF JULY 2000 IN NIAMEY CONFORMS
TO THE INTERNAL LAWS OF THE REPUBLIC OF NIGER, AND IF IT CONSTITUTES
FOR THE REPUBLIC A VALID AND INCUBENT ENGAGEMENT;
-IN OTHER MATTERS, IF IT HAS BEEN RIGHTFULLY SIGNED AND APPROVED BY THE
GOVERMENT OF IRAQ IN COMPLIANCE TO ALL ADMINISTRATIVE
NORMS THAT ARE APPLICABLE AND CONSTITUING FOR HER A
VALID AND INCUBENT AGREEMENT;
ISSUES THE ADVICE
THAT THE STATE OF NIGER SATISFIED ALL THE REQUIRINGS OF ITS CONSTITUNIONAL
LAWS AND OF *** OTHERS PRINCIPLES OF LAWS FOR THE TAKING CHARGE OF VALID AND
JURIDICALLY INCUBENT TO ALL ITS ENGAGEMENTS RESULTING FROM THE PROTOCOL OF THE AGREEMENT
THAT THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE STATE OF NIGER AND THE REPRESENTATIVE OF IRAQ
WHO HAVE SIGNED IN THE NAME OF THEIR RESPECTIVE GOVERMENT, HAD JURIDICALLY
POWER OF REPRESENTATION.
WERE SITTING MISTER: MAMADOU MALAN AOUAMI, PRESIDENT OF THE COURT
OF NIGER; MADJ MADJIR, ADVISOR TOTHE GOVERMENT OF IRAK, MAHAMANE
BOUKARI INTERIM ADVISOR TO THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
OF NIGER, IN THE PRESENCE OF MR BANDIAIRE ALI, ATTORNEY GENERAL
OF IRAQ AND WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF MASTER MAIGA ALI, CLERK OF THE COURT IN CHIEF.
SIGNATURE
SEAL OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
REPUBLIC OF NIGER
6. TLC NIGER DOC 6
Cryptome Brief Description:
A letter in code from the Secretary of State of Niger to the Ambassador in Rome dated July, 2001. Panorama furnishes a deciphered version. The text details the shipping of uranium "metal" [TLC correction; see note below] to Iraq and cautions utmost secrecy. False.
[TLC note: This almost certainly refers to the Cryptome document 002. However, if you read the document, it does not specify uranium at all. It talks about a "metal".]
Link to Document: TLC Doc 6, Cryptome Doc 002
Translation of contents by Cryptome:
ConfidentialJuly 2001
Nigerien Ambassador
Rome
A government representative [from Iraq] has concluded his visit with his Nigerien colleague. Negotiations are underway and look very promising.
It's necessary that you keep in close contact with the ambassador in Rome concerning the transportation of metal 551.91 [sic- 551.81 in original]. The authorization for overflight arrived too late. Our government has decided to send the merchandise secretly by sea under the Gabon banner and tranship in international waters. Contact re-established. Very good work done together with the personal emissary of the Iraqi president.
It's understood that this information is top secret and personal. Be on guard as far as all embassy personnel are concerned.
Secretary of State
Mamadou El Hadji
7. TLC NIGER DOC 7
Cryptome Brief Description:
A letter from the [Niger] Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Ambassador in Rome dated August 28, 2001, confirming a shipment of uranium. No destination is specified. It could just as well refer to a presumed sale to China. See below. [niger-nitra-01]
[TLC note: If you read the document, it talks about "chemical merchandise - U 92 (238.028 9)". Uranium has an atomic number of 92 - so this likely refers to uranium. However, the document does not mention Iraq at all.]
Link to Document: TLC Doc 7, Cryptome Doc nitra-01
Translation of contents by Cryptome:
REPUBLIC OF NIGERNiamey, August 28, 2001
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and African Integration
Directorate of Nigeriens Abroad
[..] – 6093/ MAE/C/IA/DNE[?]
[From] the Minister to the Ambassador of Niger [in] Rome
It is our pleasure to inform you that the delivery of the chemical merchandise- U 92 (238.028 9) has finally concluded today August 28, 2001.
All documents concerning this operation have been remitted to the NITRA Transit Society which will assure transportation from Niamey to Cotonou via Lom?.
Best regards,
For the Minister and P.O.
The Secretary General
MAIGA[?] DJIBRILLA AMINATA
SIGNED AND SEALED WITH THE SEAL OF THE MINISTRY
OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF NIGER
8. TLC NIGER DOC 8
Cryptome Brief Description:
A report on a meeting between the ambassadors of Niger, Sudan, Iraq, Pakistan, Libya and Iran on June 14, 2002, to set up a secret elite military corps to aid nations and groups that are victims of unjust embargos, sanctions or accusations. The ensuing pages have not surfaced yet. Badly written fantasy politics. [niger-global-01]
Link to Document: TLC Doc 8, Cryptome Doc global-01
Translation of contents by Cryptome:
CONFIDENTIALREPORT ON THE MEETING REALIZE[D] WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN OF ACTION "GLOBAL SUPPORT"
Our group, which met today June 14, 2002, at 4 PM in the residence of the Iraqi ambassador, via della Camillucia n 355 in Rome has determined as follows:
The group directed by the ambassadors of Niger, Sudan, Iraq, Pakistan, Libya, Iran have [plural in original] decided that "Global Support" which is composed of specialists belonging to different military corps of the allied countries will be active immediately.
We are convined [sic] that the high profession of the military belonging to "Global Support" are [subjunctive plural in original] qualified with considerable experiences and very diversified in the sectors of defence and security and without a doubt they are responsible for the tasks assigned to them.
The Global Support (our group) is active worldwide, in all areas and extreme climates.
The competences of the members of Global Support are the following:
- Our support will above all be extended to:
governments submitted to an embargo;
governments continually suspected, and without just cause, of producing nuclear, bacteriological, chemical weapons; governments accused, without just cause, of international terrorism;
Islamic patriots accused of belonging to criminal organizations, to cells having non-existent ramifications;
SEAL OF THE EMBASSY IN ROME OF THE REPUBLIC OF NIGER
9. TLC NIGER DOC 9
Cryptome Brief Description:
A page with the word "Accord." [niger-doc-08]
TLC note: Cryptome states that: "The actual text of the agreement has not surfaced as of this writing", meaning that the actual "verbatim text" of the alleged uranium sale agreement/accord has not surfaced yet.
Link to Document: TLC Doc 9, Cryptome Doc 08
Translation of contents:
REPUBLIC OF NIGER
ACCORD
10. TLC NIGER DOC (i)
[Updated 2/20/06]
Cryptome Brief Description:
A letter in Italian from the Iraqi ambassador to the Holy See received by the Niger embassy on February 1, 1999, confirming Mr. Zahawie's forthcoming trip to Niger. Probably authentic. [niger-doc-001]
Link to Document: TLC Doc (i), Cryptome Doc 001
Translation of contents by Cryptome [since the document is partially covered up, only a partial translation is available]:
[... Em]bassy of the Republic of Iraq to the Holy See presents his […] to the honourable Embassy of NIGER in Rome and with the present […in]forms the esteemed embassy as follows:
[…] following our telephone conversation today […Exc]ellency Mister Wissam Al Zahawie, Ambassador of the Republic [of Iraq to] the Holy See, will visit the capital of Niger on an official mission, as […rep]resentative of His Excellency Saddam Hussein, President of the [Republic of Ir]aq, where he will arrive in Niamey February 5, 1999 at approximately 6:25 PM on the French air[line] from Paris, flight number 730.
[…] courteously therefore to inform the authorities of Niger of the […] welcome, as well as the release of a visa.
[…] of the Republic of Iraq to the Holy See avails […re]new to the Honourable Embassy of Niger the sense of his most […]
11. TLC NIGER DOC (ii)
[Updated 2/20/06]
Cryptome Brief Description:
A letter identical to the preceding except for the date, September 3, 2001. False. [niger-doc-001]
Link to Document: TLC Doc (ii), Cryptome Doc 001
Translation of contents by Cryptome [since the document is partially covered up, only a partial translation is available]: See TLC Doc (i) above.
12. TLC NIGER DOC (v)
[Updated 2/20/06]
Cryptome Brief Description:
A letter dated May 3, 2002, from the Nigerien embassy. Since it is partially covered in the Panorama spread, the text is incomprehensible. [niger-global-01]
TLC note: It is possible that this document, which is hidden behind the "Global Support" document (TLC Doc 8 above) is in some form associated with the contents of the "Global Support" document.
Link to Document: TLC Doc (v), Cryptome Doc global-01 (see the document in the background, not the one in the foreground (which is TLC Doc 8))
Tentative translation sent to me on 2/20/06 over email by de Gondi at European Tribune [since the document is partially covered up, only a partial translation is available]:
Rome, May 3, 2002
The Ambassador (of Niger)
1st line: “ ........of the foreseen Supplies
2nd line: “......([au]rais?) the pleasure to [verb on next line] again you*
3rd line: “.......[h]onor to propose one, or
4th line: “.......(...tielles) near one of our
5th line: “.....[bring?] to term the projects already
6th line: “.....(r) the news (sic) which (will or could?) presen(t?) itself**
COMMENTS added by de Gondi:
The word “nouveaux” could mean “new events” (nouveautés) or “news” (nouvelles). “Nouveaux” in this context is not good idiomatic French. The problem with the hyphen on “presen-“ would indicate that it may be a simple future tense (se présen-tera) or conditional tense (se présen-terait), “will” or “could.” Present reflexive (présente) would not take a hyphen.
*possibly: “...I shall have the pleasure of seeing/ meeting(?) you again...”
**possibly: “...the developments which might occur...” “...events that present themselves...”
II.B Documents listed in Cryptome website WITH NO COPY of contents (and NO corresponding translation) provided
Cryptome's summaries are reproduced as-is, below [but the numbering has been changed/added]:
Doc (iii): A telex published by Panorama, partially visible and illegible, dated February 5, 1999.
Doc (iv): A letter in code from the Minister of Foreign Affairs dated February 7, 2001. Panorama does not furnish a deciphered version.
Doc (vi): An eighteenth page in code was also published by Panorama. According to the author of the service, it refers to a presumed sale of uranium to China. The letter is hand dated August 9, 2001. Ms. Burba's source affirmed that he had received the documents from someone within the Niger embassy while he was investigating a presumed China-Niger uranium sale. A similar transaction seems remote. Although China- and not only China- was involved in the Pakistani atomic and has been accused of furnishing high tech to Iran, it certainly doesn't need Niger uranium. The China link appears more likely to be part of the scam.
III. Table matching CIA claims with corresponding claims/information in the Niger documents
The table below (which is subject to change as more information comes in) is an attempt to match the information in the CIA reports (Section I above) to the corresponding Niger document(s) (Section II above). Much of the analysis to follow in subsequent posts becomes easier to understand using this table as a reference.
CIA/SSCI Claim in Section I |
Niger Document in Section II (TLC Doc #) |
Comments (use TLC Doc #) |
|---|---|---|
See comments |
(a) None of the publicly available Niger documents directly offer proof of uranium negotiations in 1999. However, Doc 1 talks about the Wissam Al-Zahawi visit and Doc 2 introduces Wissam Al-Zahawi into the context of a uranium agreement (although it does not mention his 1999 visit). (b) The approval by Niger's State Court refers to Doc 5 |
|
Doc 3 actually cites a 1966 constitution, but this had been obsolete in July 2000 (alleged date of the letter). More on this in a future post. |
||
(a) Doc 4 is an alleged letter dated 10/10/00 signed not by Nassirou Sabo (as the CIA report claimed) but by Allele Elhadj Habibou, as I noted previously. Habibou had not been in the alleged position indicated in this letter since 1989. (b) Doc 4 is dated 10/10/00 but marked received in Rome on 9/28/00. More on these discrepancies in a future post. |
||
See comments |
||
See comments |
No report mentions the quantity of uranium required to build a nuclear weapon, but the only document mentioning the alleged quantity of uranium involved in the alleged deal is Doc 3. |
|
N/A |
It appears that the "verbatim text" of the alleged sale agreement/accord has not surfaced to date, per the Cryptome website. |
|
However, Doc 2, a key document, has a 6/28/00 date contradicting the dates in the other documents. Additionally, Doc 2 is a letter dated 7/30/99, discussing an agreement dated 7/28/00! As the Cryptome website notes, "In the Panorama version the [7/30/99] date has been hand corrected to the year 2000." More on these discrepancies in a future post. |
||
- |
||
Doc 1, but see comments |
||
See comments |
The veracity of this claim in the Senate report is pending further analysis. |
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The Senate Report says "500 tons of uranium per year would be delivered in [DELETED]." Doc 3 says "500 tons of pure uranium per year will be delivered in two phases." |
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See comments |
The veracity of this claim in the Senate report is pending further analysis |
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See comments |
The veracity of this claim in the Senate report is pending further analysis |
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See comments |
The veracity of this claim in the Senate report is pending further analysis |
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See comments |
The table above provides a quick overview of which Niger documents match the CIA claims and highlights some of the missing items and discrepancies. The contents of this table will be used for the analysis reported in subsequent parts of this series.