CIA Director George Tenet declared Friday that the blame for President Bush's false allegation about an Iraqi nuclear deal rested squarely with him and his agency.
The CIA should never have let Bush repeat a British report that Iraq was seeking uranium from the African country of Niger when U.S. intelligence analysts could not corroborate it, Tenet said in a statement. Ultimately, the allegation proved false.
"These 16 words should never have been included in the text written for the president," Tenet said, referring to Bush's State of the Union speech in January.
Tenet said the responsibility for vetting the allegations included in Bush's speech rested with CIA.
"Let me be clear about several things right up front," he said. "First, CIA approved the president's State of the Union address before it was delivered. Second, I am responsible for the approval process in my agency. And third, the president had every reason to believe that the text presented to him was sound."
Tenet said CIA officials reviewed portions of the draft speech and raised some concerns with national security aides at the White House that prompted changes in the language. But he said the CIA officials failed to stop the remark from being uttered despite the doubts about its validity.
"Officials who were reviewing the draft remarks on uranium raised several concerns about the fragmentary nature of the intelligence with 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 that the British government report said that Iraq sought uranium from Africa."
"This should not have been the test for clearing a presidential address," the statement continued. "This did not rise to the level of certainty which should be required for presidential speeches, and CIA should have ensured that it was removed."
Tenet's extraordinary statement was released after Bush and his national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, blamed the error on the CIA and members of Congress called for someone to be held accountable. "This was a mistake," the director said, according to AP.
CIA and administration officials said that despite his statement, they did not expect Tenet to resign.
"I've heard no discussion along those lines," CIA spokesman Mark Mansfield said Friday night when asked whether Tenet would consider resigning. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
