lennart
13-03-03, 13:28
FBI Probes Fake Evidence of Iraqi Nuclear Plans
The FBI is looking into the forgery of a key piece of evidence linking Iraq to a nuclear weapons program, including the possibility that a foreign government is using a deception campaign to foster support for military action against Iraq.
"It's something we're just beginning to look at," a senior law enforcement official said yesterday. Officials are trying to determine whether the documents were forged to try to influence U.S. policy, or whether they may have been created as part of a disinformation campaign directed by a foreign intelligence service.
"We're looking at it from a preliminary stage as to what it's all about," he said.
The FBI has not yet opened a formal investigation because it is unclear whether the bureau has jurisdiction over the matter.
The phony documents -- a series of letters between Iraqi and Niger officials showing Iraq's interest in equipment that could be used to make nuclear weapons -- came to British and U.S. intelligence officials from a third country. The identity of the third country could not be learned yesterday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17888-2003Mar12.html
The FBI is looking into the forgery of a key piece of evidence linking Iraq to a nuclear weapons program, including the possibility that a foreign government is using a deception campaign to foster support for military action against Iraq.
"It's something we're just beginning to look at," a senior law enforcement official said yesterday. Officials are trying to determine whether the documents were forged to try to influence U.S. policy, or whether they may have been created as part of a disinformation campaign directed by a foreign intelligence service.
"We're looking at it from a preliminary stage as to what it's all about," he said.
The FBI has not yet opened a formal investigation because it is unclear whether the bureau has jurisdiction over the matter.
The phony documents -- a series of letters between Iraqi and Niger officials showing Iraq's interest in equipment that could be used to make nuclear weapons -- came to British and U.S. intelligence officials from a third country. The identity of the third country could not be learned yesterday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17888-2003Mar12.html