Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:
Wilson Not Recommended By His Wife?
Ambassador Joe Wilson’s (search) attorney denies that his client’s wife, the outed CIA agent Valerie Plame (search), recommended Wilson for the trip to Niger to investigate claims that Iraq wanted to buy uranium, saying that any assertions to the contrary are “defamatory.” But that denial flatly contradicts bipartisan findings by the Senate intelligence committee. According to the committee’s report, a CIA officer told investigators that Plame, “offered up [Wilson’s] name.”
And, in February 2002, Plame wrote a memo to CIA officials saying, “my husband has good relations with both the [prime minister] and the former Minister of Mines (not to mention lots of French contacts), both of whom could possibly shed light on this sort of activity.” What’s more, Plame herself told investigators she was the one that informed Wilson he had been picked for the job, telling him “there’s this crazy report” on Iraq trying to buy uranium from Niger.
Blair in Unfair Talks with IOC?
The mayor of Paris is accusing British Prime Minister Tony Blair (search) and other British officials of cheating to win their bid to host the 2012 Olympics. Bertrand Delanoe (search) says Britain beat out France and other countries through “corruption,” insisting, “I’m not saying they came close to crossing the line — [I’m saying] they crossed the line completely. … The victory was won by means other than Olympic ones.”
Specifically, Delanoe says Blair violated Olympic rules by lobbying members of the International Olympic Committee. He says France now has the “moral right” to host the games. But the IOC says Britain hasn’t violated any rules. British officials call Delanoe’s accusation “sour grapes.”
Islamic Terrorists Not to Blame?
An Australian Muslim cleric says allegations that Islamic terrorists are responsible for last week’s deadly attacks in London are not only premature, but flat out wrong, insisting that Muslims don’t have the capability to carry out such an attack, and anyone who believes otherwise is “giving them superhuman powers.”
Sheikh Mohammed Omran (search), quoted by Australian newspapers, says those responsible for last week’s attacks got help from British police, who knew about possible attacks beforehand, but, “let them happen” anyway. In fact, he says, “None of [the terrorist attacks] since 2001 has been done without help inside the [local] government.”
Went Against Company Policy
Remember last week, we told you that despite company policy the BBC (search) called the explosions in London last week “terror attacks”? Well, the BBC has now thought better of it. According to London’s Daily Telegraph, the BBC has changed the term “terrorists” to “bombers” for its online coverage of the attacks.
— FOX News’ Michael Levine contributed to this report
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