Contact: Rob Ostrander 202.224.7627 Shana Stribling 202.224.0309
Wednesday, July 14, 2004

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kit Bond said a report released today on British intelligence both confirmed that Iraq sought to purchase uranium from Niger and called President Bush's 2003 State of the Union statement on the issue "well-founded".

"After all the partisan charges and accusations, now we have the truth," said Bond. "The President's statement was well-founded. Once again, Democrats' overblown partisan attacks have been found to be false. Those who have made these false charges owe the President of the United States an apology."

The Butler Report examined British intelligence related to Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program. The report called British intelligence "seriously flawed," but said there was no evidence of "deliberate distortion or culpable negligence.''

The Butler report stated: "We conclude that, on the basis of the intelligence assessments at the time, covering both Niger and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the statements on Iraqi attempts to buy uranium from Africa in the Government’s dossier, and by the Prime Minister in the House of Commons, were well-founded. By extension, we conclude also that the statement in President Bush’s State of the Union Address of 28 January 2003 that: The British Government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa, was well-founded."

Bond again called on Senate Democrats to stop playing politics with the recently released Senate Intelligence Committee report, saying the report unanimously concluded that the committee found absolutely no evidence that the Bush Administration pressured intelligence analysts on their Iraq findings.

"It's time the Democrats stop attacking the President. We ought to be strengthening our troops, supporting our agencies here at home and not trying to phony up charges of pressure to win political points. There is no question we are safer because we have deposed Saddam Hussein."

Bond said the Intelligence Committee report found in three separate conclusions no evidence of pressure on analysts by the Administration.

"Democrats need to stop this misinformation campaign," said Bond. "Winning the war on terror is more important than Democrats winning the political war for the White House."