How the uranium storm blew up

Daily Mail

  • Late 2001: Italian spies give Niger diplomat "suitcase of dollars" for copies of "agreements" to sell Iraq uranium. Documents passed to CIA and MI6.

  • February 2002: CIA sends ex-diplomat Joseph Wilson to Niger. He reports claim is unfounded. British Government says it was not informed of his visit.

  • September 24: Tony Blair publishes dossier claim that Iraq sought "significant quantities of uranium from Africa". CIA says it expressed reservations.

  • September/October: Top US intelligence officials tell Congress they doubted the uranium claim.

  • October: CIA Director George Tenet takes reference to Niger out of one presidential speech.

  • January 28, 2003: But CIA approves State of the Union address, in which Bush repeats the Niger claims, attributing them to the British Government.

  • March 7: International Atomic Energy Agency claims documents forged: Signatures false and one person named as Niger minister left years before.

  • July 3: Commons Foreign Affairs Committee asks Government what it based the claims on.

  • July 8: Blair tells Commons Liaison Committee evidence was from separate intelligence. He refuses to explain further.

  • July 9: Tenet says CIA was wrong to let Bush include Niger claim in his speech.

  • July 12: Jack Straw says Britain had reliable intelligence from a source not shared with US.

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