94th in continuing blog series on the administration push to war. Things continue to heat up behind the scenes, at the New York Times, at the Washington Post and in the administration, about Joseph Wilson’s abortive mission to Niger.
June 22-30, 2003:

 

 
June 22, 2003 (Sunday) – The London Independent newspaper runs an article with a headline about a “retired American diplomat” who went to Africa.  Wilson says he knows at this time that the story is spinning out of control. He is impelled to go public partly by an increasing likelihood that if he does not break the story himself, someone else will. (Wilson’s book, 332)

 

June 22, 2003 (about) – Wilson tells Washington Post reporter Richard Leiby, in an interview at Wilson’s home, about his upcoming New York Times op-ed.

According to Bob Woodward’s statement, later published in the Post:

“Though neither Wilson nor Wilson’s wife’s name had surfaced publicly at this point, Pincus had published a story the day before, Sunday, June 22, about the Iraq intelligence before the war. I testified that I had read the story, which referred to the CIA mission by “a former senior American diplomat to visit Niger.” Although his name was not used in the story, I knew that referred to Wilson.” 

 

Same day -- The White House announces that the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) will provide assistance to protect mass graves. This move allows the CPA to control the hunt and examination of mass graves, which presumably might otherwise include the thousands of Iraqi soldiers reportedly killed by U.S.-U.K. air strikes over the “highway of death” in Gulf War I.

 

June 23, 2003 – Bob Woodward has a phone conversation with Libby, during which he has notes with him about Wilson’s wife:

“I also testified that I had a conversation with a third person on June 23, 2003. The person was I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, and we talked on the phone. I told him I was sending to him an 18-page list of questions I wanted to ask Vice President Cheney. On page 5 of that list there was a question about “yellowcake” and the October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate regarding Iraq’s weapons programs. I testified that I believed I had both the 18-page question list and the question list from the June 20 interview with the phrase “Joe Wilson’s wife” on my desk during this discussion. I testified that I have no recollection that Wilson or his wife was discussed, and I have no notes of the conversation.”

 

Same day – Lewis Libby has a discussion with Judith Miller in which he mentions to her that Wilson’s wife works at the “bureau” (CIA). (Libby trial testimony)

 

June 24, 2003 – The Government Accountability Office (GAO) publishes an early study on the use of contractors in military operations. The study will prove prophetic:

“Of the four services, only the Army has developed substantial guidance for dealing with contractors.

• DOD’s acquisition regulations do not require any specific contract clauses or language to cover possible overseas deployments or changes in deployment locations for contract workers. Of 183 contractor employees planning to deploy with an Army division to Iraq, for example, some did not have deployment clauses in their contracts. This omission can lead to increased contract costs as well as delays in getting contractors into the field.”

“Neither DOD nor the services have a single point that collects information on contracts to support deployed forces. As a result, DOD could provide us no information on the total cost of contractor support to deployed forces. However, based on the information and contracts we obtained during our review, we estimate that the costs of contractor support to deployed forces will exceed $4.5 billion for the period fiscal years 2000 through 2005.”

“DOD has not fully included contractor support in its operational and strategic plans. As early as 1988, DOD was aware of the need to identify contractors providing essential services but has done little to do so in the ensuing 15 years. In 1991, DOD instructed its components to identify essential services provided by contractors and develop plans to ensure the continuation of those services should contractors become unavailable. However, we found that DOD components have not conducted the directed reviews to identify those contracts providing essential services.

We also found little in the way of backup plans in operational plans or as separate documents, finding only one written backup plan among the locations we visited, which included the Balkans and several Persian Gulf countries.”      

      

Because the Iraq war is very recent at this time, and because much of the information needed for the study is classified, the GAO is unable to focus on Iraq. However, the study is broadly prophetic, as indicated problems persist and worsen regarding Iraq contracting.

 

June 27, 2003 – Bob Woodward interviews Lewis Libby, again with notes in his possession about Wilson’s wife:
 

“I testified that on June 27, 2003, I met with Libby at 5:10 p.m. in his office adjacent to the White House. I took the 18-page list of questions with the Page-5 reference to “yellowcake” to this interview and I believe I also had the other question list from June 20, which had the “Joe Wilson’s wife” reference.” “I have four pages of typed notes from this interview, and I testified that there is no reference in them to Wilson or his wife. A portion of the typed notes shows that Libby discussed the October 2002 [NIE] on Iraq’s alleged weapons of mass destruction, mentioned “yellowcake” and said there was an “effort by the Iraqis to get it from Africa. It goes back to February ’02.” . . . the time of Wilson’s trip to Niger.”

      “When asked by Fitzgerald if it was possible I told Libby I knew Wilson’s wife worked for the CIA and was involved in his assignment, I testified that it was possible I asked a question about Wilson or his wife, but that I had no recollection of doing so. My notes do not include all the questions I asked, but I testified that if Libby had said anything on the subject, I would have recorded it in my notes.”

 

June 30, 2003 (about) – Joseph Wilson emails his op-ed to the New York Times “EARLY THE WEEK IT APPEARED (AROUND THE END OF JUNE),” according to his emailed response to questions. Some time during the week he discusses it with David Shipley, according to his email. Wilson does not know who else at the Times may have seen the op-ed or known of it.