I have posted extensively on Joe Wilson’s 1999 trip to Niger (and his less known return in 2000) and was able to determine that Joe Wilson was in Niger AFTER the coupe d’etat that removed the government talking to Iraq (and apparently AQ Kahn) from power. My first post is here with an update of information here. To summarize, 1999 was a very eventful year in Niger. The long running dictatorship was overthrown in April of 1999. Prior to that critical event Iraq sent its emissary from Rome to meet with key people were it is believed yellow-cake uranium was discussed. Also prior to the overthrow, in February, AQ Khan visited Niger – if not at the same time near the time of the Iraqi visit. This must have been a huge warning sign to the West, and in fact MacRanger had been posting on this for a while (mine here, his here). The warning signs were not trivial. Much has been reported on how abondoned mines could produce plenty of uranium yellow cake for fledgling efforts, and there were ways to ship the material to Libya by adding a ‘little bit’ to each shipment. Recall, Libya was an AQ Kahn site and working on nuclear weapons.

Also, as I posted way back when, it has been reported the French – who run and monitor the Niger Uranium business – where very concerned and had indications something was up.

So what to do about a country like Niger talking to Iraqi officials and AQ Kahn in 1999 – right before the millenium and all the threat warnings that were besieging the Clinton administration? How about a coupe d’etat? Wilson rambled on and on in VA about how he “guided” the Nigerians into democracy during his trip to Niger in 1999. Knowing how Wilson the blow hard works he was probably taking credit for the broader CIA program he was a small part of (eyes and ears on the ground – message boy). The strange thing is, those crazy forgeries that Wilson ‘debunked’ have some amazing ties to his 1999 and 2000 trip (when he came back to celebrate the new Niger government and probably thank those who overthrew the dictator for ‘stepping aside’ for democracy). The letterhead was that of the brief interim government that existed during the coup d’etat in May to the new democratic government in December of 1999 – the government Joe Wilson admits he visited in 1999. And the names on the forgeries pertain to people Joe Wilson knew, IIRC.

So, did the CIA (or worse, a rogue group in the CIA) play games (change out governments) in Niger so as to put up barriers to AQ Kahn and Iraq obtaining yellow cake? Or did someone take out the competition and put themselves in the role as yellow-cake seller to make some serious money? The fact Val and Joe are still walking around tells me these buffoons probably exposed a some sort of CIA effort of some kind. One that may have been simply opportunistic in talking advantage of a well timed coupe d’etat in a country stuffed with nuclear fuel. Time will tell. But what is really important is the CIA felt there was plenty to worry about in Africa regarding nuclear ambitions – or the should have been worried! Either the lied about the 16 words, or they were once again, caught asleep at the switch. More here on the forgeries and timelines and players. Also note that AQ Kahn was attempting to build the first “Muslim” nuke – which he did.

Update: Per the last link I want to point out this interesting statement from the Iraqi’s that was made to the IAEA regarding their Niger trip in 1999:

The Iraqi response referred to above explained that, on 8 February 1999, Mr. Wissam Al Zahawie, Iraqís then Ambassador to the Holy See, as part of a trip to four African countries, visited Niger as an envoy of the then President of Iraq to Mr. Ibrahim Bare, the then President of Niger,in order to deliver an oficial invitation for a visit to Iraq, planned for 20 to 30 April 1999. (N.B. Mr. Bare passed away on 9 April 1999.)

It is really convenient that the President of Niger was assassinated before his trip to Iraq, and that his assassin took over the country during Wilson’s visit. Really, really convenient. Wonder what Bill Clinton knows about this? Here are the forgeries themselves. They span time periods from 1998 through 2000 (sometimes on a single page!). I am not sure of the signature now and which government it applies to.