Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=7/11/03

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=CONGRESS / IRAQ (L)

NUMBER=2-305341

BYLINE=DEBORAH TATE

DATELINE=CAPITOL HILL

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: U-S lawmakers are calling for a full investigation into who was responsible for faulty intelligence about Iraq's weapons program that President Bush used in part to justify the war to topple Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Correspondent Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

TEXT: At issue is President Bush's State of the Union address last January in which he said Iraq had sought significant quantities of uranium in Africa.

In a rare about-face this week, the White House acknowledged the information was incorrect. The move followed reports that the Central Intelligence Agency warned the administration last year that documents alleging Iraq had tried to buy uranium from Niger were false.

Traveling in Africa, Mr. Bush and his National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice both said that U-S intelligence agencies had cleared the State of the Union address.

Congressional Democrats, who for weeks have been calling for an independent probe into whether the administration manipulated intelligence to justify the war, stepped up their attacks Friday.

Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois is a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee:

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The credibility of our president is on the line, and I believe he should move forward as quickly as possible to call for a full investigation. We should be able to point to those people responsible for putting that misleading language into the State of the Union address. They should be held accountable, and they should be dismissed.

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At least one Republican agrees. Senator John McCain of Arizona, a staunch supporter of the president's policy in Iraq, told C-N-N that there should be an investigation to find out who was responsible and have that person fired.

Democrats who are seeking their party's nomination for president are particularly critical of the situation.

In a written statement, Senator Bob Graham of Florida, the former chairman of the Intelligence Committee, said, as he put it, "Mr. President, stop trying to pass the buck. You made the baseless claim, you should take responsibility."

C-I-A Director George Tenet is expected to face tough questions about the matter during a scheduled appearance before the Senate Intelligence Committee in closed session next week. (Signed)

NEB/DAT/RH