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In late October 2005, left of center Italian Newspaper ''La Repubblica'' published a three-part series which alleged that the Italian Intelligence Service SISMI played a large role in obtaining the the forged Niger Documents and distributing them to Western Governments. Rocco Martino, formerly a dishonest policeman as well as a former SISMI double agent, is identified as the documents source, and he pitched them to SISMI, who in turn handed them over to the CIA station head in Rome. The documents were reportedly identified by the Italian embassy's intelligence personnel as probable forgeries and were refused. The ''La Repubblica'' expose then claims that SISMI Director Nicolò Pollari, at the behest of Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, did an end run around the CIA and delivered the documents by hand in Washington D.C. to White House [[National Security Council]] (NSC) staff.
If this expose is true, it has stark implications for many people in the Bush Administration as they vocally blamed the CIA for the false claims of Iraq's acquisition of Niger Uranium, and [[George J. Tenet]] accepted the blame. Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee [[Pat Roberts]] would also be cast in a dark hue, as either an accomplice or unknowing dupe, since he vehemently attacked the Agency at the same time.
*See: Walter Pincus and Dana Milbank, "[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45901-2003Jul11.html Bush, Rice Blame CIA for Iraq Error: Tenet Accepts Responsibility for Clearing Statement on Nuclear Aims in Jan. Speech]", ''Washington Post'', July 12, 2003.
A good translation of the ''La Repubblica'' series was done by a blogger, "[http://nuralcubicle.blogspot.com/ Nur al-Cubicle]", and has been mirrored at [http://www.shadow-media.org/blog/ Shadow-Media dot org]:
#Carlo Bonini and Giuseppe d'Avanzo, "Berlusconi Behind Fake Yellowcake Dossier", ''La Repubblica'', October 23, 2005.
#*[http://nuralcubicle.blogspot.com/2005/10/berlusconi-behind-fake-yellowcake.html Part One - Nur al-Cubicle]
#*[http://www.shadow-media.org/blog/2005/11/la_repubblica_niger_intelligen.html Part One - Shadow Media]
#Carlo Bonini and Giuseppe d'Avanzo, Yellowcake Dossier Not the Work of the CIA", ''La Repubblica'', October 25, 2005.
#*[http://nuralcubicle.blogspot.com/2005/10/yellowcake-dossier-not-work-of-cia.html Part Two - Nur al-Cubicle]
#*[http://www.shadow-media.org/blog/2005/11/la_repubblica_niger_intelligen_1.html Part Two - Shadow Media]
#Carlo Bonini and Giuseppe d'Avanzo, "Nigergate: The Great Nuclear Centrifuge Scam", ''La Repubblica'', October 26, 2005.
#*[http://nuralcubicle.blogspot.com/2005/10/nigergate-great-nuclear-centrifuge.html Part Three - Nur al-Cubicle]
#*[http://www.shadow-media.org/blog/2005/11/la_repubblica_niger_intelligen_2.html Part Three - Shadow Media]
==Related SourceWatch Resources==
*[[Bush administration leaks: The Lies that Led to War]]
*[[Bush's 16 words]]
