From the whitewashing British Butler Report:
http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Politics/documents/2004/07/14/butler.pdfIn early 1999, Iraqi officials visited a number of African countries, including Niger. The
visit was detected by intelligence, and some details were subsequently confirmed by
Iraq. The purpose of the visit was not immediately known. But uranium ore accounts for
almost three-quarters of Niger’s exports. Putting this together with past Iraqi purchases
of uranium ore from Niger, the limitations faced by the Iraq regime on access to indigenous
uranium ore and other evidence of Iraq seeking to restart its nuclear programme, the JIC
judged that Iraqi purchase of uranium ore could have been the subject of discussions ...But ..http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3891503.stmNiger's former prime minister has said that Iraq did not try to buy uranium, contradicting claims made in the build-up to the invasion of Iraq.
Ibrahim Mayaki told the BBC that no Iraqi delegation went to Niger while he was foreign minister or prime minister.
An official report into UK intelligence supported the claims that Iraq had sought to buy uranium from Niger. Although some documents backing up this claim were shown to be forgeries, the UK has not withdrawn the charge. Last week's US Senate report on the intelligence leading up to the Iraq invasion said that Saddam Hussein's government may have tried to buy uranium from Africa. Following the discovery of the forgeries, President George W Bush withdrew the charges.
Mr Mayaki denies allegations in the Senate report that he admitted meeting a delegation from Iraq in 1999.
...
"I think this could be easily verified by the Western intelligence services and by the authorities in Niger," he said.