MWL,

And it's all old news - not important.

Actually, it is old news.  The material was procured in the period 1979 through 1982, and "remains in Iraq, under the control of the IAEA...in the same form as it was received".

So was this the stuff Saddam was trying to buy in Africa?

He did buy some of the yellow cake from Niger, but this was not the alleged transaction disputed by Joe Wilson.  The IAEA and Joe Wilson knew about the yellow cake Iraq received from Niger on February 8, 1981 and March 18, 1982.  Iraq sent a letter to the IEAE notifying them of the first batch, but did not notify them of the second batch.  I would chalk this up to being lazy.  The purchase of the yellow cake you're referring to never happened.  I think the American Government forced the Iraqi's to sell the yellow cake to Canada because they wanted to get it out of the Middle East.  Here's my source.

http://www.iraqwatch.org/un/IAEA/s-1997-779-att-1.htm

Hook'em Horns