George W. Bush’s 2003 SOTU: ‘16 Words’
Said President Bush, “The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.” This statement became known as the “16 words” on Iraq and uranium and critics cited it as a faulty premise for the invasion. Ambassador Joe Wilson wrote a July 2003 op-ed in The New York Times disputing Bush’s claim; a week later, Wilson’s wife, Valerie Plame, a covert CIA officer, was outed by columnist Robert Novak as a perceived punishment for disputing the president. The scandal led to a criminal investigation; Scooter Libby, then chief of staff to VP Dick Cheney, was ultimately convicted of a felony.
