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CNN Live Saturday
British Foreign Minister Says, "We Did Not Share Intelligence With U.S."
Aired July 12, 2003 - 14:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SCHAEFFLER: That political flap is coming down on the head of the CIA. Intelligence Director George Tenet says he's to blame for approving a line that has created all the stirs. CNN's Bob Franken in Washington on the nuclear fallout. Bob.
FRANKEN: Well, you get the impression Rhonda that the CIA director volunteered to stick his head up and take responsibility to keep the president -- please, let us not forget that Tenet is an appointee of Bill Clinton, President Clinton and not all conservatives like him, but one who does is President Bush. Buried in his comments his statement, very long statement yesterday, was confirmation of a CNN report that the CIA has objected to the use of the language, but the administration negotiated with the intelligence agencies to use it, saying that the British, the British government had said that this charge that Iraq had tried to buy uranium in Africa was true.
Here's what the CIA director said in his statement, "agency officials, in the end, concurred that the text in the speech was factually correct, i.e. that the British government report said that Iraq sought uranium from Africa." We got the result is of that on September 28 when the president said these 16 words.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The British government has learned Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANKEN: Now let's muddy the water just a little bit. We know the British government had been aware that the U.S. government, the CIA, had some questions about whether there was the purchase of this uranium from Africa. Today the foreign secretary of Britain, Jack Straw released a letter he has written to the House of Commons in which he said, "UK officials were confident that the dossier statement was based on reliable intelligence, which we had not shared with the U.S., and then in perentheses (for good reasons), which I had given your committee in private sessions." Which, of course, raises the question, why is it that the United Kingdom is not sharing intelligence with the United States? But that is one of the questions Rhonda that continues to swirl around this entire controversy.
SCHAEFFLER: About Press Secretary Ari Fleisher has said that the President considers the matter closed and moved on. Is this a fair assessment? FRANKEN: Well let me use the slang expression to answer that question the slang expression is in his dreams.
SCHAEFFLER: Bob Franken, clearing everything for us in Washington. Thanks so much, Bob.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Intelligence With U.S." >
Aired July 12, 2003 - 14:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SCHAEFFLER: That political flap is coming down on the head of the CIA. Intelligence Director George Tenet says he's to blame for approving a line that has created all the stirs. CNN's Bob Franken in Washington on the nuclear fallout. Bob.
FRANKEN: Well, you get the impression Rhonda that the CIA director volunteered to stick his head up and take responsibility to keep the president -- please, let us not forget that Tenet is an appointee of Bill Clinton, President Clinton and not all conservatives like him, but one who does is President Bush. Buried in his comments his statement, very long statement yesterday, was confirmation of a CNN report that the CIA has objected to the use of the language, but the administration negotiated with the intelligence agencies to use it, saying that the British, the British government had said that this charge that Iraq had tried to buy uranium in Africa was true.
Here's what the CIA director said in his statement, "agency officials, in the end, concurred that the text in the speech was factually correct, i.e. that the British government report said that Iraq sought uranium from Africa." We got the result is of that on September 28 when the president said these 16 words.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The British government has learned Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANKEN: Now let's muddy the water just a little bit. We know the British government had been aware that the U.S. government, the CIA, had some questions about whether there was the purchase of this uranium from Africa. Today the foreign secretary of Britain, Jack Straw released a letter he has written to the House of Commons in which he said, "UK officials were confident that the dossier statement was based on reliable intelligence, which we had not shared with the U.S., and then in perentheses (for good reasons), which I had given your committee in private sessions." Which, of course, raises the question, why is it that the United Kingdom is not sharing intelligence with the United States? But that is one of the questions Rhonda that continues to swirl around this entire controversy.
SCHAEFFLER: About Press Secretary Ari Fleisher has said that the President considers the matter closed and moved on. Is this a fair assessment? FRANKEN: Well let me use the slang expression to answer that question the slang expression is in his dreams.
SCHAEFFLER: Bob Franken, clearing everything for us in Washington. Thanks so much, Bob.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Intelligence With U.S." >
