January – February 2003    Moving forward toward the invasion of Iraq that is already almost a fait accompli, the White House continues its unremitting barrage of messages about Iraq to the American nation. During this time, there is close to no effective major media analysis or questioning of the administration drive to war – even while most prominent media figures acknowledge directly or indirectly that war is the administration objective. Occasional accurate news reports about Iraq as one of the more secular nations in the Middle East, and one in which women have by and large advanced well beyond the female populations of the neighboring Gulf states, do not interrupt the PR juggernaut launched by the White House and by the Office of the Vice President, supported by principals including Rumsfeld and Rice. While public statements refer to diplomacy and the U.N. and ‘disarming’ Saddam, frenetic preparations for the military onslaught continue round the clock behind the scenes. It is strange in some ways living in metropolitan Washington, D.C., and witnessing the transparent ramping up of a war, with about as much voice in the polity as a bird or a cat living in the nation’s capital. Meanwhile, Tom DeLay (R-TX) mobilizes a campaign to redistrict Texas in order to get a GOP majority in the Texas House delegation; whether this is based on skepticism about the coming Iraq war or knowledge that the census will soon show Texas’ population ‘majority-minority’ is not stated.
January 1-7, 2003:

Jan. 2, 2003 – Bush discusses Iraq with the press pool:

“THE PRESIDENT: First of all, you know, I'm hopeful we won't have to go war, and let's leave it at that.

QUESTION: But if we do, though, what --

THE PRESIDENT: Until Saddam Hussein makes up his mind to disarm -- see, it's his choice to make. See, you need to ask him that question, not me.

QUESTION: But the White House is drawing up plans to pay for the war, if we come to that. So why --

THE PRESIDENT: Well, let's leave it at if, for a while then, until it happens.”

Jan. 6, 2003 – Bush discusses Iraq in a photo op with Cabinet members:

“THE PRESIDENT: Well, I thought that was an interesting statement on his part. When you combine that with the fact that his declaration was clearly deficient, it is discouraging news for those of us who want to resolve this issue peacefully.

He has the obligation to disarm. For the sake of peace, he must disarm. The United Nations has clearly said that. It is in our nation's interest that he disarm. He is a threat to the American people. He's a threat to our friends and neighbors in the Middle East. He is a person who has used weapons of mass destruction. And so, therefore, the world has said to Saddam, you won't have any weapons of mass destruction, get rid of them. And thus far, it looks like he hasn't complied.”

Jan. 6, 2003 – The IAEA’s Iraq Nuclear Verification Office (INVO), through Director Jacques Baute, raises the Niger uranium issue and requests details of the purported transaction from the U.S. A U.S. agency [deleted] begins to review reporting and analysis on the suspect Iraq-Niger agreement. (Libby trial document DX64.7, previously)

January 2003 -- “[blacked out] January 2003, [blacked out agency] issued a report [ blacked out] that noted that the presence of uranium is common in the port of Cotonou, Benin, as this is the terminus of the normal shipping route from Niger. [blacked out] claimed [blacked out] information related to discussions between Iraq and Niger dating from 1999 on a proposal to ship uranium.” (Libby trial document DX64.8)

At this point, they’re still following up on that purported sighting of Niger uranium in Cotonou, Benin. Apparently at least one reference to the uranium dates from 1999; the question is whether there has been any more recent activity indicating commerce.

January 2003 – The Pentagon forms the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA), headed by retired U.S. Army Lt. General Jay M. Garner, to coordinate the reconstruction of “post-war Iraq.”

This move exposes the obvious fraudulence of administration claims that war is not already a foregone conclusion.