CIA director takes blame for fake Iraq claim

12.00pm

WASHINGTON - CIA Director George Tenet took responsibility on Friday (Washington time) for President Bush's false accusation that Iraq was trying to obtain uranium from Africa, saying his agency should have cut it from the State of the Union address.

"I am responsible for the approval process in my agency," Tenet said in a statement marking the latest twist in the controversy dogging both the British and US governments.

Critics have accused Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair of exaggerating the threat posed by Saddam Hussein in trying to build a case for the invasion of Iraq in March.

"The president had every reason to believe that the text presented to him was sound. These 16 words should never have been included in the text written for the president," Tenet said.

Bush said in his January speech: "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa."

Tenet issued his statement hours after Bush, travelling in Africa, said the charge that Iraq tried to buy uranium from Africa was approved by his "intelligence services."

White House national security adviser Condoleezza Rice said the specific wording was cleared by the CIA.

Portions of a draft of the State of the Union speech came to the CIA for comment shortly before the president delivered it, Tenet said.

At that time the documents related to the alleged Niger-Iraqi uranium deal had not yet been determined to be forgeries, but CIA officials raised concerns about the "fragmentary nature" of the intelligence with White House National Security Council colleagues, Tenet said.

"Some of the language was changed. From what we know now, agency officials in the end concurred that the text in the speech was factually correct," he said.

It was correct in that the British were reporting that Iraq was seeking uranium from Africa, Tenet said.

"This did not rise to the level of certainty which should be required for presidential speeches, and the CIA should have ensured that it was removed," Tenet said.

- REUTERS

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