THIS WRAPUP OF INTELLIGENCE leading up to the war contains the following nugget:

The intelligence officials offered a tantalizing coda for conspiracy-mongers. They said the “crude forgery” received by U.N. weapons inspectors suggesting the Iraqis were trying to buy uranium from Niger as part of their nuclear program was originally put in intelligence channels by France. The officials wouldn’t speculate on French motives.

What, the French trying to discredit the United Nations weapons inspectors?

Now, why would they want to do that?