Hans Blix Interview on the Niger Forgeries

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Saturday December 10, 2005 · 3:39 PM PST

2005/12/10 · 15:39

Hans Blix has released an interview to the Italian daily, la Repubblica, on the Niger yellowcake canard. Hans Blix was head of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (Unmovic) during the crucial period leading up to the invasion of Iraq. The report, published on December 10th, is signed by Carlo Bonini and Giuseppe D'Avanzo.

It isn't the first time Hans Blix has expressed himself on the Niger forgeries. In a 2004 interview with Jim Lehrer Blix characterized the Niger affair as scandalous:

rom wyo

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Thursday December 08, 2005 · 4:27 PM PST

2005/12/08 · 16:27

The Procura of Rome has decided to reopen the investigation into the Niger forgeries scam following closely in the steps of the FBI, la Repubblica reports today, December 8th. Recent developments in the story has been recounted in my diaries at Booman this past month based primarily on the on-going scoops of Carlo Bonini and Giuseppe D'Avanzo, top investigative reporters with the Roman daily. A full translation of today's article is below the fold.

rom wyo

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Tuesday December 06, 2005 · 1:32 AM PST

2005/12/06 · 01:32

Robert Lady Seldon has decided to argue his case by putting in a defence plea. His 59 page argument was rejected by the preliminary judge. There is speculation here that CIA lawyers may have helped prepare his case, since one of the defence arguments directly implicates the Italian government, who according to the defence should apply the state secrecy act. The judge ruled that state secrecy concerns Italy's national and international interests- not those of a foreign power. This also implies that the judge does not consider the CIA argument valid that Italian authorities were involved or aware of the kidnapping. Lady also pled that he was covered by diplomatic immunity and that the DIGOS (special investigative police) had no right to confiscate his personal effects nor use them as evidence. This was rejected on the grounds that their is no such thing as diplomatic immunity for crime. Lady had cancelled his hard disk. The Digos was nevertheless able to reconstruct it and gather further incriminating evidence, not only of the photo of Abu Omar, but of his trip to Cairo.

rom wyo

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Thursday December 01, 2005 · 5:49 PM PST

2005/12/01 · 17:49

One of the intriguing aspects of the Niger hoax was the silence of French authorities. Well before the coalition invasion of Iraq France was on the receiving end of a vicious smear campaign as well as prurient antics in the US House of Representatives. Before Depleted Uranium gave a whole new meaning to Freedom Fries, that was what we were fed on the Hill. When the Niger forgeries hit the press in July 2003, the Financial Times was on stage accusing the French of masterminding the hoax. Nor were they alone. It became a rightwing truism.

Now this has changed. In an in-depth article published on December 1st in the Italian daily, la Repubblica, the two authors, Carlo Bonini and Giuseppe D'Avanzo, interview the retired Number Two DGSE chief, Alain Chouet, on the case. Bonini and D'Avanzo, by the way, were the first to reveal the Iraq-Niger yellowcake scam.

rom wyo

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Friday November 11, 2005 · 4:40 PM PST

2005/11/11 · 16:40

While the Italian Sismi and the Berlusconi government scuttle for damage control over the revelations in la Repubblica last week, Carlo Bonini and Giuseppe D'Avanzo take a hint from an American blog and again wreak havoc. But this time by simply pointing out glaring inconsistencies that have been available to the public since the publication of the Senate Select Committee Investigation Report. Apparently they're doing the job that Rockefeller and Roberts can't get around to doing in the Senate follow-up investigation.

According to today's Repubblica scoop, the blog Left Coaster noticed a crucial detail and asked an appropriate question: "Why did the Senate Report attribute a letter by Allele Dihadj Habibou to Nassirou Sabo? Who is disinforming who?" That is precisely what is written on page 36 of the SSCI Report: "Nigerien Minister of Foreign Affairs Nassirou Sabo." The answer can only be the Sismi, for it was the Sismi that showed the documents to the CIA station chief in Rome as early as October 15th, 2001. The station chief was not allowed to photocopy the documents but only to hand copy salient details.

rom wyo

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Tuesday May 03, 2005 · 12:51 AM PDT

2005/05/03 · 00:51

For anyone who reads Italian the 52-page Italian Report is available as of last night (approximately twelve hours ago) here
and here.

It is a serious rebuttal of the Vangjel Report, and contains a good deal of new info.

Jukeboxgrad's excellent diary yesterday has some comments based on the new report but appears now to be buried, a common phenomena here at DailyKos.

Unfortunately I'm off to work, so just take it from here.

RSS

Hans Blix Interview on the Niger Forgeries

Niger Yellowcake Forgeries- Roman Investigation Reopened

Robert Lady Seldon Defense and request for extradition of Milan 22

Niger forgeries- French Spy Chief Debunks Sismi and Washington

The Niger forgery- The devil is in detail

Italian Calipari Report published