The Hindu : Forgery to blame for Niger link?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 16, 2003

International

International

Forgery to blame for Niger link?

New York July 15. A low paid African diplomat working in Niger's embassy in Rome forged documents claiming that the former Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein, had sought uranium from Africa and fooled U.S. and British intelligence agencies into believing they were genuine, a media report said today.

The diplomat, whose name was not disclosed, sold the documents to the Italian government for a few thousand dollars, ABC television said.

In its latest issue, Time magazine reported that Italians had shared the information with the U.S. and British intelligence agencies.

The information found its way into the January State of the Union address by the U.S. President, George W Bush, who quoted it as one of the major reasons to justify war on Iraq. Officials later said the information was wrong and there was no attempt by Mr. Hussein to procure uranium from Niger.

ABC said the Italians officially denied they bought fake documents, but quotes intelligence sources as saying that these were produced in late 2001 in Rome in a building that houses the tiny embassy of Niger.

PTI

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