George Tenet did not close the books on Bush's false statements in a State of the Union address. Get that straight. This wasn't a slip of the tongue at a press conference. It was a STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS. If anything Tenet's mea cupa has blown the hole wider on the issue. Only a full investigation will quell how this Niger story could have happened in the first place. We went to war based upon these allegations. Innocent Iraqi people and American soldiers died because of it and we still haven't found any WMDs or "uranium". Bush may desperately want the issue closed but it's not going away. This reeks of a cover-up on the CIA's part (afterall, Bush's dad used to run the CIA and their damn new building is named for the man who pardoned CIA members from the Iran Contra scandal). Only a full and open investigation will put this issue to rest.

Bush Considers Iraq Uranium Issue Closed

By JOHN SOLOMON, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - President Bush (news - web sites) said Saturday he had confidence in CIA (news - web sites) Director George Tenet despite his agency's failure to warn Bush against making allegations about Iraq (news - web sites)'s nuclear weapons program later found false.

"Yes I do, absolutely," Bush said. "I've got confidence in George Tenet. I've got confidence in the men and women who work at the CIA and I look forward to working with them as we win this war on terror."

The president spoke in Abuja, Nigeria, at the end of a five-country trip through Africa.

Bush asserted in his State of the Union address in January that Iraq had sought nuclear materials from Africa. Nearly six months later, the White House acknowledged the charge was false, and the tempest that followed has shadowed Bush on his five-country trip through Africa.

Bush considers the matter closed, said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer (news - web sites). "The president has moved on," he said...





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