Sept. 8, 2002 – Judith Miller and Michael Gordon cite unnamed administration officials on Iraqi weapons, specifically “aluminum tubes,” in a front-page article in the New York Times:

 
“More than a decade after Saddam Hussein agreed to give up weapons of mass destruction, Iraq has stepped up its quest for nuclear weapons and has embarked on a worldwide hunt for materials to make an atomic bomb, Bush administration officials said today.

       In the last 14 months, Iraq has sought to buy thousands of specially designed aluminum tubes, which American officials believe were intended as components of centrifuges to enrich uranium. American officials said several efforts to arrange the shipment of the aluminum tubes were blocked or intercepted but declined to say, citing the sensitivity of the intelligence, where they came from or how they were stopped.

       The diameter, thickness and other technical specifications of the aluminum tubes had persuaded American intelligence experts that they were meant for Iraq's nuclear program, officials said, and that the latest attempt to ship the material had taken place in recent months.      

       The attempted purchases are not the only signs of a renewed Iraqi interest in acquiring nuclear arms. President Hussein has met repeatedly in recent months with Iraq's top nuclear scientists and, according to American intelligence, praised their efforts as part of his campaign against the West.” (“THREATS AND RESPONSES: THE IRAQIS; U.S. SAYS HUSSEIN INTENSIFIES QUEST FOR A-BOMB PARTS,” A1)

 
As with the Niger uranium story, the story of aluminum tubes purportedly for use in making missiles has already been revealed to be false. The tubes are not suitable for missiles, as has been reported in intelligence briefings including the DIA report of April 11, 2001, above.

Same day -- Condoleezza Rice appears on CNN Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer pressing case for war with Iraq:

“There will always be some uncertainty about how quickly he can acquire nuclear weapons but we don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud.”

Same day – In advance of the following Thursday’s appearance before the U.N. General Assembly by President Bush, the White House pulls out all the stops for regime change. Vice President Cheney appears on Meet the Press, and he cites the Miller and Gordon New York Times article on “aluminum tubes,” based on an item given to the reporters by the administration:

“Now, the more recent developments have to do with our now being able to conclude, based on intelligence that's becoming available, some of it has been made public, more of it hopefully will be, that he has indeed stepped up his capacity to produce and deliver biological weapons, that he has reconstituted his nuclear program to develop a nuclear weapon, that there are efforts under way inside Iraq to significantly expand his capability

. . . VICE PRES. CHENEY: Specifically aluminum tubes. There's a story in The New York Times this morning--this is--I don't--and I want to attribute The Times. I don't want to talk about, obviously, specific intelligence sources, but it's now public that, in fact, he has been seeking to acquire, and we have been able to intercept and prevent him from acquiring through this particular channel, the kinds of tubes that are necessary to build a centrifuge. And the centrifuge is required to take low-grade uranium and enhance it into highly enriched uranium, which is what you have to have in order to build a bomb. This is a technology he was working on back, say, before the Gulf War. And one of the reasons it's of concern, Tim, is, you know, we know about a particular shipment. We've intercepted that. We don't know what else--what other avenues he may be taking out there, what he may have already acquired. We do know he's had four years without any inspections at all in Iraq to develop that capability.”

Note that Cheney inserts a little dig at the Times, here, presumably with some implication that the Times got its purported information on Saddam without administration consent.

Same day – George Will brings out a column linking September 11, 2001, to Pearl Harbor: “Lessons of 9/11 – and 12/7.”

Sept. 9, 2002 – SISMI chief Nicolo Pollari meets with U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Stephen J. Hadley, according to later reports in Italian media that also accuse Pollari of involvement in the Niger uranium story.

Sept. 11, 2002 – On the first anniversary of 9/11, the NSC asks CIA to clear language about uranium for inclusion in a possible statement by Bush, but “The President never used the approved language publicly.” The language cleared by the CIA, including a statement that “Iraq has resumed efforts to obtain large quantities of a type of uranium oxide known as yellowcake,” is almost identical to the White House text. (SSCI Report, 49)

Sept. 12, 2002 -- Bush makes a speech before the U.N. General Assembly the day after the first anniversary of 9/11, calling for a new Iraq resolution.

Same day -- The White House also publishes a background paper for Bush’s speech, “A Decade of Deception and Defiance”:

“For more than a decade, Saddam Hussein has deceived and defied the will and resolutions of the United Nations Security Council by, among other things: continuing to seek and develop chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons , and prohibited long-range missiles; brutalizing the Iraqi people, including committing gross human rights violations an d crimes against humanity; supporting international terrorism; refusing to release or account for prisoners of war and other missing individuals from the Gulf War era; refusing to return stolen Kuwaiti property; and working to circumvent the UN's economic sanctions.”

Sept. 13, 2002 – Bush discusses Iraq with reporters in a joint appearance with Central African leaders:

 
“Q Thank you, sir. Knowing what you know about Saddam, what are the odds that he's going to meet all your demands and avoid confrontation?

THE PRESIDENT: I am highly doubtful that he'll meet our demands. I hope he does, but I'm highly doubtful. The reason I'm doubtful is he's had 11 years to meet the demands. For 11 long years he has basically told the United Nations and the world he doesn't care. And so, therefore, I am doubtful, but nevertheless, made the decision to move forward to work with the world community. And I hope the world community knows that we're extremely serious about what I said yesterday, and we expect quick resolution to the issue. And that's starting with quick action on a resolution.

Q Yes, sir, how soon are you expecting the resolution from the United Nations? In a week, month, days?

THE PRESIDENT: As soon as possible.

Q And how -- what kind of deadline would you perceive within that resolution?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, there will be deadlines within the resolution. Our chief negotiator for the United States, our Secretary of State, understands that we must have deadlines. And we're talking days and weeks, not months and years. And that's essential for the security of the world. This man has had 11 years to comply. For 11 long years, he's ignored world opinion. And he's put the credibility of the United Nations on line.”

Same day – About 100 US/UK jet fighters bomb and destroy airbases H-3 and al-Baghdadi in western Iraq, close to the Jordanian border.

(Middle East Economic Survey, Sept 23, 2002, quoting a London Arabic-language newspaper.)

Sept. 13, 2002 – According to another Judith Miller article in the New York Times, a senior Defense Department official briefs reporters

 
“on efforts by terrorist groups and by Iraq, Iran and other nations to acquire chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons, as well as the means to deliver them. The briefing was a more limited version of a classified presentation that Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and senior aides have made to NATO allies and to legislators on Capitol Hill.”

(Judith Miller, “THREATS AND RESPONSES: TERRORIST WEAPONS; Lab Suggests Qaeda Planned To Build Arms, Officials Say,” A7)

The report does not mention that U.S. and U.K. bombings have destroyed Iraqi airbases. U.S. media seem to be unaware of the bombings.

Same day – Charles Krauthammer’s column, titled “Fictional Rift,” again supports war with Iraq and says that Republican leaders are united in favoring war.

Sept. 14, 2002 – Bush discusses Iraq with reporters again, in a joint appearance with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi:

“Saddam Hussein's regime continues to support terrorist groups and to oppress its civilian population. It refuses to account for missing Gulf War personnel, or to end illicit trade outside the U.N.'s oil-for-food program. And although the regime agreed in 1991 to destroy and stop developing all weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles, it has broken every aspect of this fundamental pledge.

Today this regime likely maintains stockpiles of chemical and biological agents, and is improving and expanding facilities capable of producing chemical and biological weapons. Today Saddam Hussein has the scientists and infrastructure for a nuclear weapons program, and has illicitly sought to purchase the equipment needed to enrich uranium for a nuclear weapon. Should his regime acquire fissile material, it would be able to build a nuclear weapon within a year.”