Timeline of the Iraq Uranium Imbroglio

Oct. 1, 2003 — -- Sixteen words in President Bush's January 2003 State of the Union speech have led to not one, but two of the Bush Administration's greatest political challenges since the war on terror began.

In that speech, which was used to argue for war on Iraq, the president said: "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa."

The White House has since apologized for making that claim.

First, there was a stir over how the false information made it into one of the president's most important speeches. CIA Director George Tenet and Deputy National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley shouldered much of the blame.

In September, the CIA asked the Justice Department to investigate the alleged leaking of a CIA officer's name to the press. The CIA officer is the wife of former ambassador Joseph Wilson who contributed to the stir over the false information in the first place.

Wilson had accused the Bush Administration of manipulating intelligence to exaggerate the threat from Iraq. The year before the president made his claim about Iraq, Wilson traveled to Niger and found the claim not credible.

He says the White House leaked the information about his wife to punish him for his criticism.

ABCNEWS has assembled a timeline to help readers understand the twists and turns of this imbroglio.

February 2002
The CIA dispatches then Ambassador Joseph Wilson to Niger to investigate claim of attempted uranium sale to Iraq, reportedly in response to questions from aides in Vice President Dick Cheney's office. Wilson spends eight days in Niger and concludes the allegations are "bogus and unrealistic." Wilson later says he reported this verbally to the CIA in a debriefing upon his return.

March 9, 2002
CIA reportedly sends cable that does not name Wilson but says Nigerian officials denied the allegations.

September 2002
The story that Iraq purchased uranium from Niger is published in a British dossier. The CIA "tried unsuccessfully … to persuade the British government to drop [the references]," according to a July 12, 2003, Washington Post report.

Late September 2002
CIA Director George Tenet and top aides make two presentations on Capitol Hill. They reportedly are asked about uranium purchase story. They say there was info that Iraq had attempted to buy uranium but there were doubts about its credibility. Tenet did not tell lawmakers that an envoy had been sent to Niger, according to a July 12, 2003, Washington Post report.