Niger Uranium Letter Linked to Italian Security Service (Sismi)
Larry Franklin, Michael Ledeen Possibly Involved In False Documents

A report today from the UK based independent has linked Pentagon official Larry Franklin and Michael Ledeen, scholar and contributing editor to the National Revue, to the false documents saying Iraq was trying to buy Niger uranium. Franklin recently pled guilty to passing on classified documents to Israel.

Timeline:

Mid 1980: Right wing Republicans release a story accusing Billy Carter of accepting $50,000 from the Libyan government. The accusation was never proven and Ronald Reagan won the '80 election handily. The source of the story was the Italian security service (Sismi) and an un-named associate of Michael Ledeen.

Jan 2001: Prior to George Bush taking office a break-in at the Niger embassy in Rome was reported. Nothing was apparently taken.

Oct 2001: A month after 9/11 a report from Sismi reached the CIA indicating Iraq was seeking to buy uranium from Niger. The CIA sent ambassador Joe Wilson to check out the story and Wilson publicly reported the information false. Wilson's wife Valerie Plume CIA identity was later leaked to the media.

Dec 2001: Michael Ledeen, a specialist on Italy with ties to Israel, flew to Rome in the company of an Iranian arms dealer, two Office of Special Plans officials and Larry Franklin. While in Rome the group met with Sismi.

Months later the "uranium documents" were bought and published by an Italian journalist. The seller was a Roman businessman linked to Sismi. Vincent Cannistraro, former CIA head of counter terrorism operations believes the documents were produced in the US and "funneled through the Italians."

When in Rome...Chet