Bush Administration Forced to Back Away from Claims About Al-Qaeda Nuclear Threats

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The Bush administration has stepped away from a high- profile assertion about Al-Qaeda nuclear threats, thanks to Greenpeace's uncovering of the truth. In his 2002 State of the Union address, President Bush stated that U.S. operatives had uncovered "diagrams of American nuclear power plants" in Afghanistan's rugged mountain caves. "Our discoveries in Afghanistan confirmed our worst fears," continued President Bush, describing Al-Qaeda nuclear and chemical warfare ambitions. However, an investigation by Greenpeace has forced the White House to back away from this claim.

In response to inquiries by Greenpeace, Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Commissioner Edward McGaffigan stated in a February 4 letter that he had testified numerous times over the past two years, and had told numerous administration officials that he "was aware of no evidence" that plant diagrams had been found in Afghanistan. The NRC is the federal agency tasked with maintaining security at the nation's plants.

Sources at the National Security Council said on Monday night that the President's statements came from information collected by the intelligence community rather than from actual diagrams found in Afghan caves.

The story was reported in today's New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Boston Globe. Greenpeace Nuclear Policy Analyst Jim Riccio is available for interviews. He has appeared on numerous television and radio interview shows and is a fifteen-year veteran of advocacy groups, having been quoted by major newspapers across the country.