For those unfamiliar with the chronology of the forged Niger documents scandal, la Republica lays it out. Here are the highlights from de Gondi’s translation along with additional background details and links that I’ve added:

· Rocco Martino, a former intel agent in Italy’s SID (secret service) tried to sell the documents to reporter Elizabetta Burba of the right-wing Italian magazine Panorama who was instructed by her boss to give photocopies to the US Embassy in Rome instead of buying them. La Republica notes the involvement of Antonio Nucera, who still worked in SISMI (the revamped version of SID).
· Martino has a shady background: a failed cop fired for misconduct from the SID; arrested for extortion and stolen checks in 1985 and 1993, respectively; SISMI informant until 1999 – known as a double agent; established a security agency in Luxembourg where he “passed Italian intelligence to the French and vice versa”.
· In 1999, Martino discovered that the French were concerned about possible trafficking from an abandoned uranium mine in Niger. He hooked up with Nucera, whose intel background included looking into such trafficking, to investigate.
·

The division had had some success in contrasting Saddam’s agents in Africa. According to an agent, in 1999 the division had managed to get their hands on the Niger cipher book and a telex from the Niger ambassador in Rome Adamou Chékou announcing the mission of Wissam Al Zahawie, Iraqi ambassador to the Holy See, as a representative of Saddam Hussein.

At the same time in the port of Trieste authorities confiscated a shipment of marangin steel which could be used in the construction of centrifuges for the separation of Uranium. Martino insisted on having whatever he could get to put together a dossier to sell to the French.

· Martino and Nucera, along with an informant in the Niger Embassy, Zakaria Yaou Maiga, began compiling a false dossier to sell to the French. This resulted in the break in at the embassy which, we now know, resulted in the theft of embassy letterhead. The dossier was rejected by French officials. · SISMI, following 9/11 and under pressure by Berlusconi, was determined to prove to the US that it was a useful partner in Bush’s new war on terror and, reportedly, the false dossier was given to Britian’s MI6. SISMI denied this and pointed to Martino as the conduit.

de Gondi’s translation concludes with these questions and this quote:

Yet this leaves many unanswered questions open. Why did the SISMI then pass the documents on to Castelli? And why didn’t the SISMI immediately denounce Rocco Martino to the various agencies?

“Autumn 2001. Pollari’s SISMI has a crack-pot dossier put together by Rocco Martino and Antonio Nucera. He shows it to the CIA while Rocco Martino passes it on to Richard Dearlove of the M16 in London. It’s only the beginning of the Great Italian Deceit.”

Note: I realize that there are many twists, turns and allegations of the involvement of others in the forged Niger documents scandal. What I have provided here is only de Gondi’s summary of the la Republica article which focuses on Italy’s involvement up until autumn 2001. There remain many unanswered questions and connections. La Republica will feature its second installment tomorrow. I hope those of you who are able to read Italian will provide any additions or corrections. Thanks. - catnip

An October 23, 2005 UPI article added this speculation, which I have previously written about:

There is one line of inquiry with an American connection that Fitzgerald would have found it difficult to ignore. This is the claim that a mid-ranking Pentagon official, Larry Franklin, held talks with some Italian intelligence and defense officials in Rome in late 2001. Franklin has since been arrested on charges of passing classified information to staff of the pro-Israel lobby group, the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee. Franklin has reportedly reached a plea bargain with his prosecutor, Paul McNulty, and it would be odd if McNulty and Fitzgerald had not conferred to see if their inquiries connected.

We can only hope that Fitgerald’s diligent investigation will get to the bottom of this for all of us.

For reaction to this UPI story in the blogosphere, check out what Josh Marshall and Jane Hamsher are saying.

Update [2005-10-24 17:29:57 by catnip]:: BTer rom wyo has crossposted de Gondi's diary here at Booman Tribune.