body:

The Lie: "Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa." (George Bush SOTU 1/28/03)

The Truth: Iraq never sought uranium from Africa after it abandoned its nuclear program in 1991.

Manufactured Evidence:

1. 1998 meeting

2. Forged contract

• 1/03 the top intelligence review body concluded this claim was false

White House Manipulation of Intelligence:

1. The CIA repeatedly warned the White House not to repeat this lie.

• 10/02
• 1/03

White House Cover-up

1. When Joseph Wilson exposed this lie in a New York Times Op Ed on 7/6/03, Vice President Cheney and his Chief of Staff Scooter Libby launched a campaign to smear Wilson. This campaign included "outing" Wilson's wife Valerie Plame to Bob Novak. Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's investigation has been delayed by Libby's alleged perjury, for which Libby has been indicted. Fitzgerald's investigation is ongoing.

2. Deputy National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley persuaded CIA Director George Tenet to "accept responsibility" for the SOTU claim, even though Tenet and other top CIA officials had repeatedly warned the White House not to repeat this lie. Tenet was rewarded with a Presidential Medal of Freedom.

3. The Senate Intelligence Committee under Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) has repeatedly delayed its report on White House manipulation of Iraq War intelligence. In 2005, Democrats shut down the Senate to demand a timely report, and Republicans promised to produce one but never did. In July 2006, Roberts said the report would not be issued before the 2006 election.

Rightwing Red Herrings:

1. The White House relied on British Intelligence

• Tony Blair's government has never produced any evidence apart from the 1998 meeting and the forged contract, despite claims to the contrary in the Butler Report
• The CIA works hand-in-glove with British Intelligence so if the CIA concluded the claim was false, then we can safely conclude Britain had no evidence credible enough for the CIA

Sources:

• Cooperative Research 
• Wikipedia