U.S. senator calls for probe into White House tactics over Iraq intelligence

23.07.2003 [08:55]



Tuesday, July 22, 2003

WASHINGTON (CP) - Efforts by White House officials to intimidate those who questioned intelligence used to justify invading Iraq could be illegal and must be investigated, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin said Tuesday.

Durbin demanded a Senate committee find out whether the U.S. administration illegally revealed the wife of former U.S. ambassador to Iraq Joseph Wilson works as a CIA operative. Wilson, who disputed claims Iraq was trying to buy nuclear material from Africa, said angry officials made public his wife's name and occupation.

"It's not only unacceptable, it may be criminal," said Durbin.

"That's about as serious as it gets in this town."

Durbin sits on the Senate intelligence committee holding closed hearings on whether officials overhyped Iraq's weapons capabilities to support the U.S.-led invasion.

He urged his colleagues to determine the extent of the administration's exaggerations.

"It's an important chapter in our political history," Durbin said on the Senate floor.

"Please do not back off from our responsibility.n.n.to hold this administration accountable for honesty and accuracy."

White House spokesman Scott McClellan denied the assertion about Wilson and his wife.

"That is not the way that this president or this White House operates and I've seen no evidence to suggest there's any truth to it."

Wilson, who was asked to investigate claims about Iraq's nuclear program in February 2002, went public this month, saying he told officials back then the information wasn't valid.

The White House recently acknowledged President George W. Bush shouldn't have included the Iraq nuclear reference in his state of the union address last January.

In the address, Bush cited a British report suggesting Iraq was actively seeking to buy uranium in Africa. The claim, based largely on allegations Iraq was seeking uranium ore in the West African country Niger, has since been challenged by U.S. intelligence officials.

In an interview Tuesday, Wilson would not confirm his wife works for the CIA.

But he said authorities should investigate whether White House officials have breached national security.

"I fully expect the appropriate authorities will look into it, as well they should if, in fact, it's a violation of U.S. law," said Wilson.

"What I'm most worried about. . .is that it is probably intended to intimidate others and keep them from stepping forward."

CIA director George Tenet took responsibility for the nuclear reference in Bush's speech but admitted he didn't see the final draft. He testified there was pressure from a White House official to include the line but attribute it to British intelligence sources.

Later Tuesday, Stephen Hadley, Bush's deputy national security adviser, became the second administration official to apologize for allowing a tainted intelligence report on Iraq's nuclear ambitions into Bush's state of the union address.

Hadley, said he had received two memos from the CIA and a phone call from Tenet last October raising objections to an allegation Iraq was seeking to buy uranium ore from Africa to use in building nuclear weapons.

As a result, Hadley said the offending passage was excised from a speech on Iraq the president gave in Cincinnati last Oct. 7. But Hadley suggested details from the memos and phone call had slipped from his attention as the state of the union was being put together.

"The high standards the president set were not met," Hadley said.

He said he apologized to the president Monday.

The issue has caused an uproar, sparking sharp attacks from Democrats and some Republicans. Last week, Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair defended the invasion, saying weapons of mass destruction will be found.

The Bush administration has been feverishly trying to counter the attacks by focusing on the broader war against terrorism and the benefits of toppling Saddam Hussein.

Bush's approval rating has been slipping and criticism has been mounting over the daily deaths of U.S. soldiers and the estimated pricetag of $3.9 billion US a month to stabilize Iraq.

http://www.canada.com/news/story.asp?id=E32F4A4D-9A9D-4FA2-A692-299431BC3C6D

Source: Beth Gorham Canadian Press