November 11, 2003

Dr. David Kay
Special Advisor to the Director
Central Intelligence Agency
Washington, DC 20505

Dear Dr. Kay:

I have given careful consideration to your published statement about our October 26 story, "Search in Iraq Fails to Find Nuclear Threat: No Evidence Uncovered of Reconstituted Program." Together with the reporter, Barton Gellman, and his editors, I have reviewed the story in detail. We examined extensive reporting notes, including the full context of Mr. Gellman's interview with Brig. Gen. Meekin and the identities of, and information provided by, confidential sources who went unnamed in the story. I come away with renewed confidence in the evidence upon which the story relied. The Washington Post stands by the story without reservation.

I note that you directed your comments to our editorial page. You chose not to speak to the reporter before the story, nor to any editor afterward. I expect you know that Mr. Gellman sought an interview with you for months and sent a summary of his story's main points for comment to Bill Harlow, your spokesman, two days before publication. Capt. Harlow arranged for a more junior official to call with a prepared statement. The statement was not on the record, and it addressed few of the particulars you now raise immediately after the fact.

We are always ready to learn information relevant to a fair and accurate story, and to correct errors after the fact. Had we received them before publication, our story would have included your views and would have offered readers enough further details to weigh your assertions. These channels remain open to you.

There are two things in your letter that interest us as potential news, and we hope you will choose to elaborate on them. You said that your departed nuclear experts have been replaced with a much larger contingent of experts from Energy Department labs, and that you still have a basis to believe that Iraq may have sought aluminum tubes of "higher specifications" that, unlike the thousands of rocket tubes, were suitable and intended for centrifuges. Bart Gellman would like to pursue those points with you or your representative.

Please also feel free to contact me at any time as we continue to pursue our reporting of your very important work.

Sincerely,

Leonard Downie, Jr.
Executive Editor

cc
Capt. William Harlow - Director
Office of Public Affairs

Liz Spayd
Bart Gellman
Michael Getler