By Mike Nartker
Global Security Newswire

WASHINGTON — U.S. President George W. Bush suggested today that he was ultimately responsible for his January State of the Union address, which included the now-disputed claim that Iraq sought to obtain uranium from Africa (see GSN, July 29).

Earlier this month, the White House acknowledged that the claim should not have been included because evidence used to support it — documents that purported to show an attempted Iraqi purchase of uranium from Niger — were fraudulent.  Since then, CIA Director George Tenet and deputy national security adviser Stephen Hadley have publicly taken responsibility for the address and the claim.

Today, however, Bush indicated that he was assuming responsibility for the State of the Union address and defended the U.S. intelligence used to develop it.

“I take personal responsibility for everything I say, of course.  Absolutely,” Bush said during a press conference outside the White House.  “I also take responsibility for making decisions on war and peace.  And I analyzed a thorough body of intelligence, good, solid, sound intelligence that led me to come to the conclusion that it was necessary to remove [former Iraqi President] Saddam Hussein from power,” he said.

National security adviser Condoleezza Rice has also come under increasing criticism for failing to take more responsibility for the inclusion of the Africa uranium claim in the State of the Union.  Hadley has said that he and Rice received memos from the CIA in early October 2002 saying U.S. intelligence on the claim was weak.  Yesterday, U.S. Representative Henry Waxman called on Rice to explain whether she had read those memos and to release them (see related GSN story, today).

Bush offered strong support today, however, for his national security adviser.

“Dr. Condoleezza Rice is an honest, fabulous person, and America is lucky to have her service.  Period,” Bush said.

During the press conference, Bush brushed aside questions concerning criticism of his administration’s handling of U.S. prewar intelligence on Iraq’s WMD efforts, saying instead:  “You know, look, in my line of work, it’s always best to produce results, and I understand that.”

Bush did note, however, the importance of producing evidence of such programs, which he said was needed to “placate the critics and cynics about [the] intentions of the United States.”

“I’m confident that our search will yield that [evidence] … that Saddam had a weapons program,” Bush said.

It will take time to produce such evidence though, he warned.  “It’s going to take time for us to gather the evidence and analyze the mounds of evidence, literally the miles of documents that we have uncovered,” Bush said.

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