Do not use 45-minute claim, CIA told No 10

[ze_dscherman]

The CIA objected to claims in the British government's September dossier on Iraq's banned weapons programme, the issue at the heart of the Kelly affair, it was revealed yesterday.

It appears that among the CIA's objections was the much-trumpeted claim that Iraqi forces could deploy chemical and biological weapons within 45 minutes of an order to do so.

SNIP

Yesterday, the FO revealed that the CIA was given a draft of the government's dossier on September 11 last year, the same day Alastair Campbell, the prime minister's communications director, saw it, according to evidence given to the Commons committee.

The committee asked the FO what "reservations and comments" the CIA had expressed about the September dossier in addition to the Niger uranium story. The FO replied: "The CIA made a number of comments". It declined to be specific but added: "The JIC chairman incorporated or rejected them as he judged fit."

The FO also revealed that the CIA told Whitehall it did not regard the uranium claim as "credible", though it failed to offer an explanation for its concerns.

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/iraq/story/0,12956,1009494,00.html

[ze_dscherman]

1. Dupe please lock

dupe, continue here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=43925&mesg_id=43925


or here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=42059&mesg_id=42059