While vetting a speech President Bush was to deliver on October 7, 2002, in Cincinnati, Ohio, the CIA took exception to a line “saying that Saddam ‘has been caught attempting to purchase up to 500 metric tons of uranium oxide from Africa–an essential ingredient in the enrichment process.’ In response, on October 5 [2002], the CIA faxed back a memo to [Deputy National Security Advisor] Stephen Hadley and chief White House speechwriter Michael Gerson telling them to delete the sentence on uranium ‘because the amount is in dispute and it is debatable whether it can be acquired from the source. We told Congress that the Brits have exaggerated this issue. Finally, the Iraqis already have 550 metric tons of uranium oxide in their inventory.’ ”
– Craig Unger, The Fall of the House of Bush, Pages 261-262