| Topic: |
Politics > Politics-USA |
| User: |
"Ethic" |
| Date: |
04 Aug 2003 05:12:54 PM |
| Object: |
America silences Niger leaders in Iraq nuclear row |
http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/08/03/wwmd03.xml
The Telegraph - UK
03/08/2003 By David Harrison in Niamey, Niger
America silences Niger leaders in Iraq nuclear row
America has warned the Niger government to keep out of the row
over claims that Saddam Hussein sought to buy uranium for his
nuclear weapons programme from the impoverished West African
state.
Herman Cohen, a former assistant secretary of state for Africa and
one of America's most experienced Africa hands, called on
Mamadou Tandja, Niger's president, in the capital Niamey last
week to relay the message from Washington, according to senior
Niger government officials.
One said : "Let's say Mr Cohen put a friendly arm around the
president to say sorry about the forged documents, but then
squeezed his shoulder hard enough to convey the message,
"Let's hear no more about this affair from your government.
Basically he was telling Niger to shut up".
The dramatic American intervention reflects growing concern
about the continuing row over claims that America and Britain
distorted evidence to justify the war against Iraq.
It follows The Telegraph's exclusive interview with Hama
Hamadou, Niger's prime minister, last week.
Mr Hamadou said that the Niger government had never had
discussions with Iraq about uranium and called on Tony Blair
to produce the "evidence" he claims to have to confirm that Iraq
sought uranium from Niger in the 1990s.
American officials denied that there had been any attempt to
"gag" the Niger government. The Niamey official, however, said
that there was "a clear attempt to stop any more embarrassing
stories coming out of Niger".
He said that Washington's warning was likely to be heeded.
"Mr Cohen did not spell it out but everybody in Niger knows
what the consequences of upsetting America or Britain would be.
We are the world's second-poorest country and we depend on
international aid to survive."
Mr Cohen's intervention suggests that Washington is keen to
draw a line under the "uranium from Africa" affair, although
The Telegraph has also learned that senior American soldiers
were in Iraq last week to investigate the movement of Niger's
uranium.
More :
27 July 2003 : 'Saddam never shopped for uranium in my country'
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/ news/2003/07/27/wniger27.xml
27 July 2003 : 'Why, Mr Blair, would Saddam ever have thought
he could get hold of our uranium ?'
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/ news/2003/07/27/wniger127.xml
21 July 2003 : Bush under pressure over 'dodgy' Iraq weapons claim
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/ news/2003/07/21/wmd21.xml
20 July 2003 : Envoy pours scorn on Niger intelligence
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/ news/2003/07/20/wniger20.xml
9 July 2003 : White House disowns British claim that Saddam tried
to buy uranium
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/ news/2003/07/09/wdoss09.xml
7 July 2003 : CIA man denies Niger-Iraq uranium link
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/ news/2003/07/07/wcia07.xml
Afghanistan :
http://rawa.fancymarketing.net/s-photos.htm
http://rawasongs.fancymarketing.net/movies/index.html
.
|
|
|
Related Articles |
|
|
