Tyler Drumheller
Encyclopedia
Tyler Drumheller is the former chief of the CIA
covert operations in Europe
, who has said that the CIA had credible sources discounting some weapons of mass destruction claims
before the 2003 Invasion of Iraq
. He received and discounted documents central to the Niger
yellowcake forgery
prior to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He has also stated that senior White House officials dismissed intelligence information from his agency which reported Saddam Hussein
had no WMD
program.
According to Drumheller, the CIA, with the help of a friendly intelligence service, recruited Iraq
i Foreign Minister Naji Sabri
in Europe during the late summer of 2002. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11927856/ Sabri told the CIA in September that Saddam had no major active weapons of mass destruction programs; they had no fissile material
and biological weapons
were almost non-existent, although he claimed that there were chemical weapons
. This information was then transmitted to the White House, but it was ignored in favor of the information coming from a source known as Curveball
.
On September 6, 2007, Sidney Blumenthal
, reporting at salon.com, supported Drumheller's account: "Now two former senior CIA officers have confirmed Drumheller's account to me and provided the background to the story of how the information that might have stopped the invasion of Iraq was twisted in order to justify it."
Drumheller retired from the CIA in 2005 after a 26-year career there.
Tyler played rugby at the University of Virginia
.
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
covert operations in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, who has said that the CIA had credible sources discounting some weapons of mass destruction claims
Iraq disarmament crisis
The issue of Iraq's disarmament reached a crisis in 2002-2003, when U.S. President George W. Bush demanded a complete end to what he alleged was Iraqi production of weapons of mass destruction and that Iraq comply with UN Resolutions requiring UN weapons inspectors unfettered access to areas those...
before the 2003 Invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. He received and discounted documents central to the Niger
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
yellowcake forgery
Yellowcake forgery
The Niger uranium forgeries are forged documents initially revealed by Italian Military intelligence. These documents seem to depict an attempt made by Saddam Hussein in Iraq to purchase yellowcake uranium powder from Niger during the Iraq disarmament crisis....
prior to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He has also stated that senior White House officials dismissed intelligence information from his agency which reported Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
had no WMD
Weapons of mass destruction
A weapon of mass destruction is a weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans and/or cause great damage to man-made structures , natural structures , or the biosphere in general...
program.
According to Drumheller, the CIA, with the help of a friendly intelligence service, recruited Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i Foreign Minister Naji Sabri
Naji Sabri
Naji Sabri Ahmad Al-Hadithi served as the Iraqi Foreign Minister under Saddam Hussein in the lead-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq.-Background:...
in Europe during the late summer of 2002. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11927856/ Sabri told the CIA in September that Saddam had no major active weapons of mass destruction programs; they had no fissile material
Fissile
In nuclear engineering, a fissile material is one that is capable of sustaining a chain reaction of nuclear fission. By definition, fissile materials can sustain a chain reaction with neutrons of any energy. The predominant neutron energy may be typified by either slow neutrons or fast neutrons...
and biological weapons
Biological warfare
Biological warfare is the use of biological toxins or infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi with intent to kill or incapacitate humans, animals or plants as an act of war...
were almost non-existent, although he claimed that there were chemical weapons
Chemical warfare
Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons. This type of warfare is distinct from Nuclear warfare and Biological warfare, which together make up NBC, the military acronym for Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical...
. This information was then transmitted to the White House, but it was ignored in favor of the information coming from a source known as Curveball
Curveball (informant)
Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi , known by the Central Intelligence Agency cryptonym "Curveball", is an Iraqi citizen who defected from Iraq in 1999, claiming that he had worked as a chemical engineer at a plant that manufactured mobile biological weapon laboratories as part of an Iraqi weapons of mass...
.
On September 6, 2007, Sidney Blumenthal
Sidney Blumenthal
Sidney Blumenthal is a former aide to President of the United States Bill Clinton and a widely published American journalist, especially on American politics and foreign policy....
, reporting at salon.com, supported Drumheller's account: "Now two former senior CIA officers have confirmed Drumheller's account to me and provided the background to the story of how the information that might have stopped the invasion of Iraq was twisted in order to justify it."
Drumheller retired from the CIA in 2005 after a 26-year career there.
Tyler played rugby at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
.
External links
- http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/04/21/60minutes/main1527749.shtmlInterview with 60 Minutes60 Minutes60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
] - Video of CBS interview
- Interview with MSNBC Hardball
- Select Committee on Intelligence Report
- Mystery flights (TV program includes interview with Drumheller)
- A Dispatches report on Extraordinary Rendition, broadcast on Channel 4Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, June 11, 2007 (Also includes an interview with Tyler Drumheller)