Nigergate: The CIA confounded. SISMI "doctored" documents...-LaRepubblica

[Wordie]

(Mods please note: this is a translation by a blogger, Nur al-Cubicle, of an article today in La Repubblica, which publishes only in Italian, here: http://www.repubblica.it/2005/j/sezioni/esteri/nigergate/nigercia/nigercia.html)
Nur al-Cubicle's site: http://nuralcubicle.blogspot.com/
<snip>
(This part is by Nur al-Cubicle):
CIA Hornswoggled by Sloppy Touch-Up Job

Nigergate won't go away.

Italian reporters Bonini and D'Avanzo are back and they've got the goods on SISMI. (<http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/006988.php|talkingpointsmemo> and <http://www.theleftcoaster.com/archives/006009.php|The Left Coaster> (cited in the article) are also on the case. <http://www.repubblica.it/2005/j/sezioni/esteri/nigergate/nigercia/nigercia.html|Read >the story of the professional cut-and-paste artists inside SISMI and weep.

(And here is the La Repubblica translation):
Nigergate: The CIA confounded. SISMI "doctored" documents in the phony uranium dossier.

SISMI is familiar with the spectacularly phony dossier on the Niger uranium, assembled “by private motivation for lucre” by three characters on the SISMI’s payroll (Rocco Martino, Antonio Nucera and La Signora, who worked at the Embassy). SISMI is aware of the information contained the dossier. SISMI "doctors" the mistakes and absurdities contained in the documents. It does not entrust the dossier to the CIA but instead to a “field officer” of the Agency stationed in Rome, who is permitted to “view” the documents. The US agent scribbles a few notes resulting in the first report drafted in Washington. When the (false) news that Saddam is moving to acquire the bomb causes consternation (or joy) in the US intelligence community, Nicolò Pollari’s SISMI prepares a second report confirming the first, this time with the inclusion of a transcription of the Niger-Iraq agreement confirming “the credibility of the source (La Signora)”. With a third cable comes notification that finally, “500 tons of uranium have already been shipped to Iraq.” In the Nigergate affair, this is precisely what happened. Yet the Italian Government and the SISMI director stubbornly clings to the claim that Rome never sent a single document to Washington. They admit to having shared information with the American ally, but the point is this: Exactly what information did Italy share with the United States? It can be documented that our intelligence people, with the consent of the Italian Government, presented to the United States information which it knew to be not only falsified but so sloppily forged that is it necessary to remove some errors and to doctor others by means of the routine craftwork of clandestine services.

It isn’t that complicated to make decidedly false information appear to be true—or sufficiently true. As the cloak and dagger types know, "Disinformation relies on both the true and the false." This is the maxim which guides the cunning hand of Italian intelligence when it concocts, a month following 9-11, the swill of the uranium purchase in Niger by agents of Saddam Hussein. The half-baked frittata prepared by the Italians is a simple operation. For spies it should be child’s play to move a signature —a single signature— from one document to another. The Italian Job (the scam), as the Americans call it, would be more aptly named Three Card Monte (the three documents in question would be the cards) because it is carried out in plain view of everyone. More or less like the Purloined Letter of Edgar Allan Poe. The SISMI director admits – even in front of Italian Parliament – that on 18 October 2001 he forwards "information" to US intelligence confirming the “credibility of a source named La Signora, who in the past had already delivered “the genuine article” filched inside the Embassy of Niger in Rome, located at via Antonio Baiamonti No. 10.

SISMI Director Nicolò Pollari does not say what information he is guaranteeing (by vouching for La Signora) to the American ally. To uncover something more, you have to leaf through the US Senate report: Report on the U. S. Intelligence Community's Prewar Intelligence Assessments on Iraq. On Page 36, it reads:

Reporting on a possible yellowcake sales agreement between Niger and Iraq first came to the attention of the US Intelligence Community (IC) on October 15, 2002. The Central Intelligence Agency's Directorate of Operations (DO) issued an intelligence report (...) from a foreign government service indicating that Niger planned to ship several tons of uranium to Iraq (...). 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. According to the cable, Nigerois President Mamadou Tandja gave his stamp of approval for the agreement and communicated his decision to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. The report also incicated that in October 2000 Nigerois 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. (...).

We know that the “foreign country” is Italy. We therefore know that Rome vouches for four items of information: 1)The agreement between Niger and Iraq goes back to 1999; 2) the deal is approved by the State Court of Niger in 2000; 3)that Nigerois President Mamadou Tandja gave sanction to the sale and informs Saddam; and, 4) that Foreign Minister Nassirou Sabo informed his ambassadors in Europe of same.<unsnip>

The article goes on to say what *else* they knew...

(Note that I have only posted 4 paragraphs from the original (translated) La Repubblica article, and 1 paragraph from Nur al-Cubicle's comments. I believe this complies with copyright concerns, as there are two sources in what I've posted, neither having more than the 4 paragraph limit quoted herein.)

[symbolman]

1. This is in my Film

"Rove's War" at http://www.takebackthemedia.com

There was a nice little meeting in Rome in 2001, DEC - where Ledeen (Rove's Boy at the time - pals with Chalabai AND a Known FORGER who was present at the meeting) met with the Head of the Italian CIA (SISMI), Rhode was there (Cheney's lil pony), and Larry Franklin who is up for espionage charges lately..

this colorful cast of characters might as well be considered as Rove's "Plumbers" for this war and supplied the caussus belli - the LIE that drove the media machine, along with Miller, also pals with Chalabai, Bolton, Libby, etc..

I've got all the dirt in my 2 DVD set of my film - to see a 12 minute Trailer visit our site, and hear the song cover I did for the film, "Secret Agent Plame" which Randi Rhodes sang on her show on Air America TWICE one afternoon - I was on the floor laughing, so flattered..

Got folks trying to get this film into the hands of Congress folks as a TOOL, a complete Chronology - Adopt a Congress Person TODAY!

[xchrom]

3. symbolman you're amazing!

that's dedication -- thank you!

[lovuian]

23. I have to ask what did the Italian SISMI get for giving us these

documents??? What was the pay off???

[Wordie]

26. Exactly. This article raises more questions than it answers, in many ways.

Which is frustrating. Who at SISMI gave the order for the forgeries to be doctored, or was it a lower level person taking it upon himself to do it. If it was either of those, why?

What was the SISMI motivation for whoever to do this to provide forged documents to the U.S.? Did the idea originate with the Italians, and they pitched it to someone within the administration, or was it the other way around, and the Americans just found some willing accomplices at SISMI? If that's it, how much did it cost for them to be convinced and where did the money come from? I know that various people have put forth possibilities, and so have I, but at any rate these are some questions that need to be answered, finally and quickly. I hope that this is not simply seen as a problem of the Italians, and that the msm will begin asking more questions about it too.

I'm sincerely hoping that these questions will be answered, in a definitive way, eventually. I wonder if GWB is even aware that all this is going on.

[Wordie]

30. LOTS of questions for the FBI (a coverup???)

For a more comprehensive list of questions (especially for the FBI, which closed the investigation into this case in July of this year (even though tons of questions remained even at that point!), try eriposte's article published today, here: http://www.theleftcoaster.com/ which is entitled "Treasongate: The Niger Forgeries v. the CIA Intel Reports - Post Script 1: The 11/11/05 La Repubblica article." The list of questions is far more comprehensive than my paltry list in the earlier post.

<snip>
<...the now closed FBI inquiry into this whole matter, that exonerated SISMI in public, was clearly intended, among other things, to avoid any discussion on the discrepancies between the contents of the Niger forgeries and the CIA reports and the likely role of someone at SISMI in changing some of the claims because they were fake. This smacks of a cover-up>.

Some examples of these excellent questions for the FBI:
Q10: What was the FBI's finding on the names of the people who were involved in some form or the other in discussions, encouragement, or financing of the Niger forgeries?

Q11: What was the FBI's finding on the names of the people who were involved in some form or the other in the creation or dissemination of the Niger forgeries?

Q12: What was the FBI's finding on the names of the people within SISMI who were involved in some form or the other in interacting with or communicating with those who encouraged, financed, created or disseminated the forgeries? <unsnip>

Note! The eriposte article is continued here: http://www.theleftcoaster.com/archives/006015.php#more

[symbolman]

27. The payoff could have been as simple as

OIL - we're all junkies when it comes to that..

Plus, in Europe there are some pretty scummy weapons deals being made - in fact if the Bush admin had been SMART they would have brought up the ACTUAL Centrifuges SOLD to Saddam by Germany (remember Saddam already HAD 550 tons of Yellowcake - which was later spread everywhere, Iraq folks emptied those 55 gallon drums and used them to bath in, or carry food, etc - many got sick, many more will)..

Saddam DID have centrifuges (and I believe they are still there somewhere, buried) - also remember that report Iraq was forced to create listing all the weapons they had, about a 12,000 page report - the US STOLE the only copy, REMOVED a good 8,000 pages and then RETURNED two copies to the UN. What was removed? I'm willing to bet it's all the RECEIPTS for the WMD SOLD to them by FRANCE, GERMANY, ITALY, and the good old USA..

Bush senior was ARMING Saddam in the 80's (remember the Rummy Pic of him shaking hands with Saddam?) along with Reagan, using Agricultural loans, HUGE ones to launder the Weapons money..

Italy was in it for the BUCKS, maybe a straight payout, maybe some later in the form of contracts for the reconstruction.

From what I understand these forgeries were stuck in with a whole bunch of other Niger Intel papers - like sneaking your one page book report into the big stack of book report papers being passed around the room in school.

There's a LOT of info on all the SISMI connections at Daily Kos, a bunch of good diaries there, as well as Josh Marshall's site..

Power, pure and simple, all they all want.

[Wordie]

28. symbolman, since this is a topic of particular interest to you, you really

should read eriposte's analysis at theleftcoaster, here: http://www.theleftcoaster.com/archives/005887.php

It's a six-part series on the Niger forgeries, an awful lot to read through (long), but amazing in the amount of detail and an excellent analysis. La Repubblica in fact references eriposte's work in their article.

As far as that report with the missing pages, I read someplace that there were still quite a few copies of the unedited report floating around on CD someplace. I read someplace that Saddam had sent one of those CDs to the UN. Might be very interesting to see.

It is the possible similarities of this case to the earlier Iran-Contra involvement of Michael Ledeen that has me intrigued.

[xchrom]

2. ah yes -- it isn't that complicated to make decidedly false

information appear to be true—or sufficiently true.''

now you know enough guys work at the cia to know that is true.


so the idea that that information worked it's way up throught the ranks of the most vaunted secret service agency in the world without some fuckin guffaws in the background is beyound belief.

personally i think someone played as a practical joke never thinking it would make it to sotu speech.

imagine their surprise.

[Wordie]

5. The question still remains, if the Italians did this deliberately, WHY?

There has to be some motivation in there somehow. That will be the meaningful answer to obtain. WHY did someone doctor this info and pitch it to people in the U.S. government?

[daleo]

7. Someone wanted fraudulent material pitched to the U.S.

As a pretext for war. It had to be someone in the U.S. power structure itself. That suggests Cheney/PNAC/etc., with Berlusconi's connivance.

Eventually this part of the story will break open. Don't know when, don't know how.

[Wordie]

12. We know now, thanks to this article, that the revising of the forgeries

(which was discovered by that amazingly astute and mercilessly analytical blogger, eriposte, over at the LeftCoast) was done by the Italians (SISMI). We don't know if there were orders from above (Berlusconi) to do so, or if the lower level people who actually did the revising (which I suppose could be called "forging the forgeries) did so because of some other intervenor, possibly associated with some of those in the U.S. government who so badly needed these documents to serve the purpose that they ultimately did, which was to lead us to war, or if there was some other aspect to all this, as yet undiscovered. (We don't KNOW the answer, although there certainly has been quite a lot of intelligent speculation.)

[jazzjunkysue]

16. Someone wanted a favor, in nice, crisp green bills. Lots of them.

Motivation is never hard to find.

[Wordie]

19. It could easily be that...then the question becomes, who paid them?

The other alternative that suggests itself is an ideological explanation, with the crime being committed because it advanced some ideological goal of the Italians. That seems less likely to me because one has to remember that Italy did not at first join the coalition. Italian forces only joined later, after the initial invasion. That doesn't sound to me like Italy is so in lockstep with Bush ideologically that they would give us (the Bush administration, that is) everything we wanted, at the risk of international embarassment, if discovered (as the forgeries now are).

...at least it doesn't sound like there is an ideological reason that originated at the top levels of the government.

[grasswire]

20. maybe some of that taxpayer money...

...that was under the control of Michael Ledeen's daughter. The billions of dollars of "walking around" money in Iraq. Some could have been diverted to any possible purpose, with no accountability for it.

[Wordie]

22. Very interesting theory. Because Ledeen has lots of contacts in Italy...

he has even lived there, I believe, so that fits. And then there was the meeting (someone up-thread mentions the infamous meeting that took place). And the money certainly went someplace. I wonder if La Repubblica is investigating this angle.

[grasswire]

25. 13 billion

Occupied Iraq was just as Simone Ledeen had imagined -- ornate mosques, soldiers in formation, sand blowing everywhere, "just like on TV." The 28-year-old daughter of neoconservative pundit Michael Ledeen and a recently minted MBA, she had arrived on a military transport plane with the others and was eager to get to work.

They had been hired to perform a low-level task: collecting and organizing statistics, surveys and wish lists from the Iraqi ministries for a report that would be presented to potential donors at the end of the month. But as suicide bombs and rocket attacks became almost daily occurrences, more and more senior staffers defected. In short order, six of the new young hires found themselves managing the country's $13 billion budget, making decisions affecting millions of Iraqis.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48543-2004May22.html

BTW, Simone Ledeen posts at freerepublic.com. A bona fide freeper.

[peacetalksforall]

9. Why? Payola. How many of the coalition partners wre not paid for

their services or coerced into the partnerships with some promises?

I don't want to smear all those countries, but my gut tells me that we picked up the tab by arrangement with the leaders of those countries. The remainder of inferences resulting from that supposition are yours to make, if you agree with the supposition.

[Wordie]

13. It's hard to see it as a supposition at this point, since the documents

were not only forged, but then the forgeries themselves were doctored, and only transcripts of the forgeries were then provided, when errors were discovered in the original documents. That part is pretty indisputable at this point. And it's clear that it was someone in SISMI (Italian intelligence) that was involved.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

10. Think about it. What would make the rightwing Italian government...

...cooperate with the rightwing NeoCon Junta?

[WhiteTara]

17. money? n/t

[HereSince1628]

11. My question is why doesn't this spring like a bear trap on Bush/Cheney?

This is a damning as anything that Woodward and Bernstein published prior to the congressional hearings.

Alas, I know the answer. Chickenshit media and complicit media owners.

[Wordie]

14. Some of this is still just coming out in dribs and drabs from LaRepubblica

(with help from eriposte at Left Coast).

[NVMojo]

4. is this what Sybil knew???

[Wordie]

6. Sybil? eom

[Carolab]

15. You mean Sibel Edmonds.

I think she may have known this and may also have information from Able Danger, given the timeframe and also the heavy amount of information collected by that group (2.5 terrabytes).

[Wordie]

21. Maybe. But this story is saying that the translating was done on Italy's

end. And that there was a second set of (re-)forged documents, that had infomation in them that could only have been changed by the Italians. And that the Italians had to re-forge the original forged documents, because they were of such poor quality (as forgeries go) and contained so many errors (names, dates, pertinant background information) that there was a great danger that they would easily be exposed as the forgeries they were.

So this establishes, you see, that the Italians KNEW that the documents were forgeries, and didn't just mistakenly pass them on to the U.S. The only reason for making those corrections would be if you WANTED the documents to deceive, if you were complicit.

I think the situation with Sibel Edwards was about a department translating documents within the U.S., and was probably not related to this story. (Although, given the convoluted and web-like nature of this Niger story, who knows! LOL)

[Carolab]

24. I think Sibel Edmonds' information concerns pre-9/11 intelligence.

more than information relating to pre-Iraq war intelligence.

[peacetalksforall]

8. It seems there are two ways Rove can fall - leak lies and forgery team.

Cheney to Rove - "get it done - this is who you will be playing with on this job."

Michael Ledeen - come on down.

[Wordie]

18. Here's more on this from the Josh Marshall site:

<snip>
But there's one more small detail, reported this morning in La Repubblica. The report sent over from Italy removed the out-of-date names (one of the key reasons they were spotted later as forgeries) and replaced them with the correct names. In other words, there seems to have been a conscious effort to cover up the fact that the documents were bogus, to clean them up, as it were.

This raises a number of questions...for now one more detail.

La Repubblica has confirmed that three days after SISMI sent its original report to the CIA on October 15th, 2001, Nicolo Pollari himself followed up with another report on October 18th. This follow-up was in response to a CIA query about the quality of the sourcing behind the report on the 15th.

Pollari told the CIA that the report was quite credible and that the information originated with a woman working for SISMI in the Niger Embassy in Rome.<unsnip>

Oh what a tangled web...

[Al-CIAda]

29. .