GX 402: Cheney's annotated copy of Wilson article "What I Didn't Find in Africa" July 6, 2003

Here is exactly what Cheney had underlined from the Wilson Op-Ed:


I have little choice but to conclude that some of the intelligence related to Iraq's nuclear weapons program was twisted to exaggerate the Iraqi threat.

I was told that it referred to a memorandum of agreement that documented the sale of uranium yellowcake —

by Niger to Iraq in the late 1990's.

While the C.I.A. paid my expenses (my time was offered pro bono),

ambassador told me that she knew about the allegations of uranium sales to Iraq — and that she felt she had already debunked them in her reports to Washington.

It did not take long to conclude that it was highly doubtful that any such transaction had ever taken place.

it would be exceedingly difficult for Niger to transfer uranium to Iraq.

there's simply too much oversight over too small an industry for a sale to have transpired.


(As for the actual memorandum, I never saw it. But news accounts have pointed out

Though I did not file a written report,

and a specific answer from the agency to the office of the vice president (this may have been delivered orally). While I have not seen any of these reports,

The vice president's office asked a serious question. I was asked to help formulate the answer. I did so, and I have every confidence that the answer I provided was circulated to the appropriate officials within our government.