Mainstream Media Reports

Fox News

Mainstream news outlets covering the Scooter Libby trial continue to say that President Bush's contention that Iraq had tried to buy weapons-grade uranium in Africa was contradicted by the findings of Joe Wilson following his CIA mission to Niger, in Africa, to investigate the matter.

The Washington Post today said, "Wilson's mission there was to explore reports, ultimately proved false, that Iraq had tried to buy nuclear material in Niger." But Wilson's report to the CIA actually confirmed that the former prime minister of Niger had met with Iraqis to discuss what was called 'commercial relations' — which Wilson interpreted as meaning sales of yellowcake uranium. Wilson told the CIA he had found no evidence of a successful deal — not that there had been no attempt to broker a deal.

Wilson later wrote an op-ed piece in The New York Times which differed from his CIA report.