Former ambassador “Joe Wilson’s [July 6, 2003] op-ed [in The New York Times] was wrong in implying he found no evidence Iraq had tried to acquire uranium. Wilson had collected information that showed Saddam Hussein attempted to do just that. During his trip, Wilson met with former Niger prime minister Ibrahim Assane Mayaki. Mayaki told Wilson that back in June 1999, Iraq, working through a third party, encouraged him to receive an Iraqi delegation to discuss ‘expanding commercial relations.’ Mayaki had interpreted this as meaning the Iraqis wanted to talk about purchasing uranium, Niger’s only commercially attractive export. Wilson included this incident in his verbal report to the CIA but left it out of his op-ed. It didn’t fit his claim.” [The 15th of the month used for date sorting purposes only.]
– Karl Rove, Courage and Consequence, Page 323