Blowing My Own Trumpet

I just hope nobody hears it!

The other day, Josh Marshall asked his readers at Talking Points Memo for any instances of journalists asking Bush officials about the Italian connection to the NigerGate memos. There were none, because the US press was too far behind the story as usual.

But Italy's La Repubblica had already run a series of stories on the forgeries, and an Italian journalist asked Berlusconi about the matter in relation to his conversations with Bush. I picked up Berlusconi's reply and translated it from Italian:

"Bush himself confirmed to me that the USA did not have any information from Italian agencies."

Then I sent a copy though to Josh Marshall, who published my translation on his website.

Today, in the White House press gaggle, a reporter asked Scott McLellan a direct question about the forgeries, twice using my translation of Berlusconi's quote:

Q After his meeting with the President on Monday, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was asked whether the Italian government had provided the United States with intelligence on alleged Iraqi purchases of uranium, or from Niger. Berlusconi replied, “Bush, himself, confirmed to me that the U.S.A. did not have any information from Italian agencies.” Does the White House stand by that statement?

MR. McCLELLAN: Stand by what — say the statement again.

Q Berlusconi replied — he replied in Italian, this is a translation, “Bush, himself, confirmed to me that the U.S.A. did not have any information from Italian agencies.”

MR. McCLELLAN: I think I addressed that question yesterday. I responded to that. You’ve got to go back and look at exactly what I said.

Q So your answer is, “yes”?

MR. McCLELLAN: I’m sorry? I addressed that question yesterday. I responded to it.

Q So the answer is, “yes”?

MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, if you’re talking about — because there have been some Italian reports about a meeting that took place here at the White House, and I pointed out yesterday that there were no documents provided relating to Niger and uranium at that meeting, much less –

Q Not just –

MR. McCLELLAN: — much less was it even discussed.

Q — no, not just at the meeting –

MR. McCLELLAN: And in terms of going back to the issue of Niger and uranium, I mean, we briefed on that and we talked about the basis for the statement in the remarks. And it was based on the National Intelligence Estimates and the British intelligence.

McLellan has now dodged this direct question two days in a row. You have to wonder why.

Meanwhile, Marshall today has part two of his series on The Italian Connection.

Justin Raimondo also has a good run-down at antiwar.com.