Pat Tillman killed by Americans

[RickSp]

Quote by: dilligras The myth that Saddam had no links to Al-Qaeda is just that. Have you never heard of Abu Abbas, mastermind of the Achille Lauro hijacking who murdered Leon Klinghoffer and threw him and his wheelchair overboard? Are you totally ignorant of Khala Khadr al-Salahat, the man that made the bomb for Pan Am Flight 103, or Abdul Rahman Yassin, one of the conspirators in the '93 WTC bombing? How about Abu Nidal, who Christopher Hitchens says was operating out of an Iraqi government office when he interviewed him? Ever heard of him? Saddam was well known to provide shelter for all of them, and Zarqawi, who was recently killed while acting as head of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, was well known to be in Iraq before we set foot there. But you never knew any of that?

Really tired. Saddam's secret police killed Abu Nidal after providing him with sanctuary for some years. Abu Abbas retired in Iraq but never used it for a major base of observations. And Saddam did not have any meaningful links to AlQaeda. All the Bush and Cheney lies have been debunked. Compared to Iran, Saudi, or Syria, Iraq's support for terrorism was trivial.

The only one who has given AlQaeda an established base in Iraq is George Dubya Bush. You must be so proud.

[dilligras]

Quote by: RickSp Really tired. Saddam's secret police killed Abu Nidal after providing him with sanctuary for some years. Abu Abbas retired in Iraq but never used it for a major base of observations.

C'mon now, don't you always believe what Saddam tells you--like when he said he had destroyed all his WMD's? If so, then you must agree that ol' Abu committed suicide by shooting himself in the head four times, oui?

And Saddam did not have any meaningful links to AlQaeda. All the Bush and Cheney lies have been debunked.

I don't know to what lies you refer, but how do you define the word 'meaningful', when describing the many known contacts between Iraqi officials and Osama? Do you require a chain-of-command flow chart for all terrorists and their affiliations, with the relationship's "meaningfulness" rated on a 10 scale?

Post 9/11, such niceties approach the boundaries of insanity, and resemble nothing so much as a death wish; derived from a blissful ignorance of the harsh realities of our current struggles against those who would use a cult of oppression to gain our submission to their rule.

Saddam's links to Al-Qaeda and support of terrorist tactics is well known to those who operate without partisan blinders.

SUPPORT OF TERRORIST TACTICS:

Remember the 2nd intifada?

Between March 11, '02 and March 20, '03 Saddam paid to have 28 martyrs (homicide bombers) injure 1209 people, and kill 223 more. Eight of them were Americans, minding their own business.

I seem to recall the State Department came out with a report called, "Patterns of Global Terrorism," that said that the Abu Nidal Organization, the Arab Liberation Front, Hamas, the Kurdistan Worker's party, the Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization and the Palestinian Liberation Front all operated offices or bases in Hussein's Iraq. This placed Saddam in direct violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 687, which prohibited him from giving safe harbor to or otherwise supporting terrorists.

Well, upon looking, 1997 is the latest year I can find here .

Iraq During 1997, Baghdad continued to rebuild its intelligence network, which had been heavily damaged during the Gulf war and which it had previously used to support international terrorism. Press reports citing oppositionist and refugee sources stated that the regime has infiltrated the UN refugee camps and Iraqi communities in Europe and the Middle East. Iraqi oppositionists have claimed publicly that the regime intends to silence them and accused Baghdad of planning to assassinate Iraqi exiles. However, there is no available evidence to indicate that Iraq's agents participated directly in terrorist attacks during 1997. The last known such attack was against former President Bush in 1993. In October, several gunmen attacked the World Health Organization headquarters in Baghdad with handgrenades, causing property damage but no casualties. The Iraqi Government blamed the attack on Iranian agents. Iran denied any involvement. A rocket attack 2 January 1998 on the headquarters of the United Nations (UNSCOM) inspectors in Baghdad did not cause damage because the rocket did not explode. No group claimed responsibility for the attacks. Iraq continues to provide safehaven to a variety of Palestinian terrorist groups, including the ANO[Abu Nidal Organization], the Arab Liberation Front (ALF), and the former head of the now defunct 15 May Organization, Abu Ibrahim, who masterminded several bombings of US aircraft. Iraq also provides bases, weapons, and protection to the MEK, a terrorist group that opposes the current Iranian regime.

Of course, this being from historically the most lefty-infested government trough of all will have little sway over your dogged insistence on sticking to the code pinkie talking points version of events.

So how about something from your lovely MSM? In order for it not to take an entirely anti-American spin, it would necessarily have to come from the previous era of Democrat monarchy.

As luck would have it, an 'Anonymous' poster has already done the search for us:

Bin Laden and Iraq
By Anonymous
FrontPageMagazine.com | July 14, 2003

I decided to look back to 1999 to see what links there may have been between Saddam and OBL. I found hundreds of articles. Here are condensed summaries of some of the more relevant ones. I wonder why no one is talking about these articles and links today. - - - - - The Herald (Glasgow, Scotland), December 28, 1999. Iraq tempts bin Laden to attack West Exclusive. By: Ian Bruce, Geopolitics Editor. THE world's most wanted man, Osama bin Laden, has been offered sanctuary in Iraq if his worldwide terrorist network succeeds in carrying out a campaign of high-profile attacks on the West ... Now we are also facing the prospect of an unholy alliance between bin Laden and Saddam. The implications are terrifying. "We might be looking at the most wanted man on the FBI's target list gaining access to chemical, biological or even nuclear weapons courtesy of Iraq's clandestine research programmes." The U.S. intelligence community has been squeezing bin Laden's finances steadily for several years. His personal fortune of anything up to £500m has been whittled down to single figures ... - - - - - U.S. Newswire, December 23, 1999. Terrorism Expert Reveals Why Osama bin Laden has Declared War On America; Available for Comment in Light of Predicted Attacks. ... (author Yossef) Bodansky also reveals the relationship between bin Laden and Saddam Hussein and how the U.S. bombing of Iraq is "strengthening the hands of militant Islamists eager to translate their rage into violence and terrorism." .... - - - - - The Observer. December 19, 1999. Sanctions reviewed in West as Saddam wields sword of Islam The Iraqi dictator has rejected a UN deal to lift sanctions. The Western blockade, far from toppling the regime, has bolstered it. He's ditched the sunglasses and taken up the Koran to harness the fervour of fundamentalists. By: Jason Burke, in Baghdad ... This time last year the U.S. claimed that another delegation had met Osama bin Laden, the alleged terrorist mastermind and tried to woo him to Iraq. Senior officials claim that the Islamisation programme is an attempt to defuse the threat of Islamic militancy rather than encourage it ... - - - - - United Press International. November 3, 1999, Wednesday, BC cycle. WASHINGTON -- The U.S. government has tried to prevent accused terror suspect Osama bin Laden from fleeing Afghanistan to either Iraq or Chechnya, Michael Sheehan, head of counter-terrorism at the State Department, told a Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee ...

- - - - -
To be cont......



.

[Gods_Mercenary]

Iraq was not a paticularly prominent terrorist state, these pop up when the government isn't sufficiently powerful to suppress the terrorists. I don't think anyone accuses Saddam of being weak. Iraq was the wrong target.

[dilligras]

cont from my previous post.....

Akron Beacon Journal (Ohio). October 31, 1999. Sunday 1 STAR EDITION. BIN LADEN SPOTTED AFTER OFFER TO LEAVE By: From Beacon Journal wire services DATELINE: JALALABAD, AFGHANISTAN: ... The Taliban has since made it known through official channels that the likely destination is Iraq. A Clinton administration official said bin Laden's request "falls far short" of the UN resolution that the Taliban deliver him for trial.... - - - - - The Kansas City Star. March 2, 1999, Tuesday. International terrorism, a conflict without boundaries By Rich Hood ... He (bin Laden) has a private fortune ranging from $250 million to $500 million and is said to be cultivating a new alliance with Iraq's Saddam Hussein, who has biological and chemical weapons bin Laden would not hesitate to use. An alliance between bin Laden and Saddam Hussein could be deadly. Both men are united in their hatred for the United States and any country friendly to the United States.... - - - - - Los Angeles Times. February 23, 1999, Tuesday, Home Edition. SECTION: Metro; Part B; Page 6; Letters Desk. HEADLINE: OSAMA BIN LADEN Where is Osama bin Laden (Feb. 14)? That should be the U.S.'s main priority. If as rumored he and Saddam Hussein are joining forces, it could pose a threat making Hitler and Mussolini seem like a sideshow.... - - - - - National Public Radio (NPR) MORNING EDITION (10:00 AM on ET) February 18, 1999. THOUGH AFGHANISTAN HAS PROVIDED OSAMA BIN LADEN WITH SANCTUARY, IT IS UNCLEAR WHERE HE IS NOW. ANCHORS: BOB EDWARDS REPORTERS: MIKE SHUSTER ... There have also been reports in recent months that bin Laden might have been considering moving his operations to Iraq. Intelligence agencies in several nations are looking into that. According to Vincent Cannistraro, a former chief of CIA counterterrorism operations, a senior Iraqi intelligence official, Farouk Hijazi(ph), sought out bin Laden in December and invited him to come to Iraq. Mr. VINCENT CANNISTRARO (Former Chief of CIA Counterterrorism Operations): Farouk Hijazi, who was the Iraqi ambassador in Turkey ... known through sources in Afghanistan, members of Osama's entourage let it be known that the meeting had taken place. SHUSTER: Iraq's contacts with bin Laden go back some years, to at least 1994, when, according to one U.S. government source, Hijazi met him when bin Laden lived in Sudan. According to Cannistraro, Iraq invited bin Laden to live in Baghdad to be nearer to potential targets of terrorist attack in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. There is a wide gap between bin Laden's fundamentalism and Saddam Hussein's secular dictatorship. But some experts believe bin Laden might be tempted to live in Iraq because of his reported desire to obtain chemical or biological weapons. CIA director George Tenet referred to that in recent testimony.... - - - - - Agence France Presse. February 17, 1999. Saddam plans to use bin Laden against Kuwait, Saudi: opposition Iraq's President Saddam Hussein plans to use alleged terrorist Osama bin Laden's network to carry out his threats against Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, an Iraqi opposition figure charged on Wednesday. "If the ... Jaber, a member of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), said Iraq had "offered to shelter bin Laden under the precondition that he carry out strikes on targets in neighbouring countries." ... Islamic fundamentalist bin Laden, who has gone missing from his base in Afghanistan, would never seek refuge in secular Iraq on ideological grounds. "I think bin Laden would keep quiet or fight to the death rather than seek asylum in Iraq," the London-based dissident, who asked not to be named, told AFP last week..... - - - - - Deutsche Presse-Agentur. February 17, 1999, Wednesday, BC Cycle Opposition group says bin Laden in Iraq DATELINE: Kuwait City An Iraqi opposition group claimed in a published report Wednesday that Islamic militant Osama bin Laden is in Iraq from where he plans to launch a campaign of terrorism against Baghdad's Gulf neighbours. The claim was made by Bayan Jabor, spokesman for the Teheran-based Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI). Bin Laden "recently settled in Iraq at the invitation of Saddam Hussein in exchange for directing strikes against targets in neighbouring countries," Jabor told the Kuwaiti newspaper al-Rai al- Aam ... Taleban leaders in Afghanistan, where he had been living, said they lost track of him. Media reports have speculated he sought refuge in Chechnya, Somalia, Iraq, or with a non-Taliban group in Afghanistan. Jabor, who was interviewed in Damascus, Syria, said Iraq began extending invitations to bin Laden six months ago, shortly after the United States bombed his suspected terrorist training camps in Afghanistan after linking him with the August 7 bombings of U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and in Dar-es-Salam, Tanzania. The United States indicted Bin Laden for the embassy bombings and has offered a five million dollar reward for information leading to his capture. Bin Laden's disappearance has coincided with stepped up threats by Iraq against neighbours Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Turkey for allowing the United States and Britain to use their air bases to carry out air patrols over two "no-fly" zones over northern and southern Iraq .... - - - - - Associated Press Worldstream. February 14, 1999. Taliban leader says whereabouts of bin Laden unknown ... Analysts say bin Laden's options for asylum are limited. Iraq was considered a possible destination because bin Laden had received an invitation from Iraqi President Saddam Hussein last month. And Somalia was a third possible destination because of its anarchy and violent anti-U.S. history .... - - - - - San Jose Mercury News (California). February 14, 1999 Sunday MORNING FINAL EDITION U.S. WORRIED ABOUT IRAQI, BIN LADEN TIES TERRORIST COULD GAIN EVEN DEADLIER WEAPONS U.S. intelligence officials are worried that a burgeoning alliance between terrorist leader Osama bin Laden and Iraqi President Saddam Hussein could make the fugitive Saudi's loose-knit organization much more dangerous ... In addition, the officials said, Palestinian terrorist Abu Nidal is now in Iraq, as is a renowned Palestinian bomb designer, and both could make their expertise available to bin Laden. "It's clear the Iraqis would like to have bin Laden in Iraq," said Vincent Cannistraro, a former head of counterterrorism operations at the Central Intelligence Agency ... Saddam has even offered asylum to bin Laden, who has expressed support for Iraq. ... (in) late December, when bin Laden met a senior Iraqi intelligence official near Qandahar, Afghanistan, there has been increasing evidence that bin Laden and Iraq may have begun cooperating in planning attacks against American and British targets around the world. Bin Laden, who strikes in the name of Islam, and Saddam, one of the most secular rulers in the Arab world, have little in common except their hatred of the United States ... More worrisome, the American officials said, are indications that there may be contacts between bin Laden's organization and Iraq's Special Security Organization (SSO), run by Saddam's son Qusay. Both the SSO and the Mukhabarat were involved in a failed 1993 plot to assassinate former President George Bush ... "The idea that the same people who are hiding Saddam's biological weapons may be meeting with Osama bin Laden is not a happy one," said one American official.... - - - - - Associated Press Worldstream. February 13, 1999; Saturday 14:32 Eastern Time Bin Laden said to have left Afghanistan, whereabouts unknown ... It is very unlikely bin Laden could remain in Afghanistan without Taliban officials knowing his whereabouts. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has offered asylum to bin Laden, who has expressed support for Iraq. U.S. officials believe bin Laden masterminded the Aug. 7 bombings of its embassies in Kenya and Tanzania ... Bin Laden urged devout Muslims to attack U.S. and British interests in retaliation for their joint assault on Iraq. U.S. officials demanded that the Taliban hand over bin Laden, who has been indicted in a U.S. court on murder charges in connection with the bombings. But the Taliban had refused. - - - - - The Bulletin's Frontrunner. January 4, 1999, Monday. Defiant Saddam Looks To Provoke U.S. ... Time also reported, "For now, the White House will respond to each provocation by counterattacking the offending battery." Saddam Reaching Out To bin Laden. Newsweek (1/11, Contreras) reported, "U.S. sources say (Saddam) is reaching out to Islamic terrorists, including some who may be linked to Osama bin Laden." ... (Osama bin Laden was) calling for all-out war on Americans, using as his main pretext Washington's role in bombing and boycotting Iraq." In a Newsweek interview, bin Laden said that "'any American who pays taxes to his government," is a legitimate target." Newsweek reported, "The idea of an alliance between Iraq and bin Laden is alarming to the West," although "Saddam may think he's too good for such an association." However, "Now that the United States has made his removal from office a national objective....

- - - - -to be cont......

[dilligras]

The White House Bulletin. Copyright 1999. Bulletin Broadfaxing Network, Inc. In a Newsweek interview, bin Laden said that "'any American who pays taxes to his government," is a legitimate target." Newsweek reported, "The idea of an alliance between Iraq and bin Laden is alarming to the West," although "Saddam may think he's too good for such an association." However, "Now that the United States has made his removal from office a national objective, he.... - - - - - United Press International. January 3, 1999, Sunday, BC cycle. UPI Focus: Bin Laden 'instigated' embassy bombings ... (The Taliban) government in Afghanistan says the Saudi does not have the money to finance projects in the country. Newsweek also reported that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein has been making new overtures to bin Laden in an attempt to rebuild his intelligence network and to create his own terror network....

Now, you should take a moment to consider, before starting your pee-pee dance, hand in the air, frantically trying to get the teacher's attention, in order that you may again point to the obvious roll to starboard in my references.

Notice that the author is not giving any opinion, because the entire "article" is nothing but excerpts from mainstream sources.

But I'm sure they only lie during a Dem B-B-Q, eh, pilgrim?[/sarcastic Duke]

Of course there are hundreds of other articles and sources of evidence giving lie to your foolish claims, but I only include this next because it comes from a staunch Democrat, Judge Gilbert S. Merritt of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, who happened to be in Iraq on a judicial-assistance mission for the ABA.

Through an unusual set of circumstances, I have been given documentary evidence of the names and positions of the 600 closest people in Iraq to Saddam Hussein, as well as his ongoing relationship with Osama bin Laden. I am looking at the document as I write this story from my hotel room overlooking the Tigris River in Baghdad. One of the lawyers with whom I have been working for the past five weeks had come to me and asked me whether a list of the 600 people closest to Saddam Hussein would be of any value now to the Americans. I said, yes, of course. He said that the list contained not only the names of the 55 ''deck of cards'' players who have already been revealed, but also 550 others. When I began questioning him about the list, how he obtained it and what else it showed, he asked would it be of interest to the Americans to know that Saddam had an ongoing relationship with Osama bin Laden. I said yes, the Americans have, so far as I am aware, have never been able to prove that relationship, but the president and others have said that they believe it exists. He said, ''Well, judge, there is no doubt it exists, and I will bring you the proof tomorrow.'' So today he brought me the proof, and there is no doubt in my mind that he is right. The document shows that an Iraqi intelligence officer, Abid Al-Karim Muhamed Aswod, assigned to the Iraq embassy in Pakistan, is ''responsible for the coordination of activities with the Osama bin Laden group.'' The document shows that it was written over the signature of Uday Saddam Hussein, the son of Saddam Hussein. . . . That is the story of the ''Honor Roll of 600,'' and why I believe that President Bush was right when he alleged that Saddam was in cahoots with Osama and was coordinating activities with him. It does not prove that they engaged together in any particular act of terror against the United States. But it seems to me to be strong proof that the two were in contact and conspiring to perform terrorist acts. Up until this time, I have been skeptical about these claims. Now I have changed my mind. There is, however, one big problem remaining: They are both still at large and the combined forces of the free world have been unable to find them. Until we find and capture them, they will remain a threat — Saddam with the remnants of his army and supporters in combination with the worldwide terrorist organization of Osama bin Laden.

Sorry, no link because I rcvd it in an email.......I just thought it was interesting perspective from someone who once professed his own skepticism, just as you do now.

Finally, there is this from the Guardian:

Saddam link to Bin Laden

By Julian Borger in Washington
Saturday February 6, 1999
The Guardian

Saddam Hussein's regime has opened talks with Osama bin Laden, bringing closer the threat of a terrorist attack using chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, according to US intelligence sources and Iraqi opposition officials. The key meeting took place in the Afghan mountains near Kandahar in late December. The Iraqi delegation was led by Farouk Hijazi, Baghdad's ambassador in Turkey and one of Saddam's most powerful secret policemen, who is thought to have offered Bin Laden asylum in Iraq. .........snip......... Analysts believe that Mr Hijazi offered Mr bin Laden asylum in Iraq, most likely in return for co-operation in launching attacks on US and Saudi targets. Iraqi agents are believed to have made a similar offer to the Saudi maverick leader in the early 1990s when he was based in Sudan. Although he rejected the offer then, Mamoun Fandy, a professor of Middle East politics at Georgetown University, said Bin Laden's position in Afghanistan is no longer secure after the Saudi monarchy cut off diplomatic relations with, and funding for, the Taleban militia movement, which controls most of the country. Mr Fandy said senior members of the Saudi royal family told him in recent weeks that they had received assurances from the Taleban leader, Mullah Mohamed Omar, that once the radical Islamist movement secured control over Afghan territory, Bin Laden would be forced to leave. "It's a matter of time now for Osama." He said Bin Laden would have a strong ideological aversion to accepting Iraqi hospitality, but might have little choice.

Of course, all this has been 'debunked' as Bush/Cheney lies. :rolleyes:




As you were.

[RickSp]

Yawn. Kinda sad. Still ranting about WMD, and the fictious stories about Osama and Saddam being buddies. And you believe it all. Not surprising I suppose after all your rants about the MSM, believing any crap posted in the wing-nut blogs. Enjoy your fevered fantasies. The rest of us have moved on.

[ByaKya]

Quote by: dilligras Of course, all this has been 'debunked' as Bush/Cheney lies. :rolleyes: .

If you already knew this fact, then why did you post this ? are you spamming? you really are going from hilarious to annoying

[dilligras]

Quote by: RickSp Yawn. Kinda sad. Still ranting about WMD, and the fictious stories about Osama and Saddam being buddies. And you believe it all. Not surprising I suppose after all your rants about the MSM, believing any crap posted in the wing-nut blogs. Enjoy your fevered fantasies. The rest of us have moved on.

Oh.....I see now. "Moving on" is what you do when you can no longer spin your story in the face of the facts, is that it?

I always wondered what they were getting at with that, 'moveon.org' name.

[dilligras]

Quote by: ByaKya If you already knew this fact, then why did you post this ? are you spamming? you really are going from hilarious to annoying

Go away, kid, quit botherin' me. [/W.C. Fields]

[RickSp]

Quote by: dilligras Oh.....I see now. "Moving on" is what you do when you can no longer spin your story in the face of the facts, is that it? I always wondered what they were getting at with that, 'moveon.org' name.

No, your delusions get boring. Three years ago, some might have believed you. Twenty five thousand American dead and wounded later with no WMD and no AlQaeda ties to Saddam, the lies just look foolish.

[Gods_Mercenary]

Although your massive articles taking up space do annoy us when you don't put them in links.

[dilligras]

Quote by: Gods_Mercenary Although your massive articles taking up space do annoy us when you don't put them in links.

Actually, there is only one long 'article', which is linked to in post #382. It was too long to fit in one post, so it takes up three. The article is actually a listing of other articles mentioning Saddam's ties to Bin Laden in 1999 (before Bush made any statements about it).......as a convenience, here it is again:

Bin Laden and Iraq
By Anonymous
FrontPageMagazine.com | July 14, 2003

I wouldn't normally have bothered to locate as much stuff as I did to prove my position, but this is a particularly disturbing myth that has persisted despite literally reams of well-documented proof to the contrary.



Anyway, sorry for the annoyance.



Carry on.

[dilligras]

And do yourself a favor and find a new sig line--that one is pretentious and nonsensical.

The antonym for objectivity is subjectivity, not relativity, which has no semantical relation to objectivity so far as I know, other than the similarity of the last few letters.

Of course I don't know everything, no matter what you've heard to the contrary, so perhaps you are being as cute as you think.



Carry on....

[ByaKya]

Quote by: dilligras Actually, there is only one long 'article', which is linked to in post #382. It was too long to fit in one post, so it takes up three. The article is actually a listing of other articles mentioning Saddam's ties to Bin Laden in 1999 (before Bush made any statements about it).......as a convenience, here it is again: Bin Laden and Iraq By Anonymous FrontPageMagazine.com | July 14, 2003 I wouldn't normally have bothered to locate as much stuff as I did to prove my position, but this is a particularly disturbing myth that has persisted despite literally reams of well-documented proof to the contrary. Anyway, sorry for the annoyance. Carry on.

REAMS of well documented BS is more like it. ROFL.
frontpage mag articles and opinions that have been long debunked years ago.
The sentate report came out and said there is NO connection between al qaeda and Iraq. you are a whole 2 years behind the senate, and 3 years behind the left wing. But its ok, its only been 6 or so months that most people are waking up to the fact that al qaeda had no connection what so ever with iraq.

[Zeebadee]

Quote by: dilligras Actually, there is only one long 'article', which is linked to in post #382. It was too long to fit in one post, so it takes up three. The article is actually a listing of other articles mentioning Saddam's ties to Bin Laden in 1999 (before Bush made any statements about it).......as a convenience, here it is again: Bin Laden and Iraq By Anonymous FrontPageMagazine.com | July 14, 2003 I wouldn't normally have bothered to locate as much stuff as I did to prove my position, but this is a particularly disturbing myth that has persisted despite literally reams of well-documented proof to the contrary. Anyway, sorry for the annoyance. Carry on.

" Doubts Cast on Efforts to Link Saddam, al-Qaida"
Doubts Cast on Efforts to Link Saddam, al-Qaida

"WASHINGTON - The Bush administration's claim that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had ties to al-Qaida - one of the administration's central arguments for a pre-emptive war - appears to have been based on even less solid intelligence than the administration's claims that Iraq had hidden stocks of chemical and biological weapons.

Nearly a year after U.S. and British troops invaded Iraq, no evidence has turned up to verify allegations of Saddam's links with al-Qaida, and several key parts of the administration's case have either proved false or seem increasingly doubtful.

Senior U.S. officials now say there never was any evidence that Saddam's secular police state and Osama bin Laden's Islamic terrorism network were in league. At most, there were occasional meetings. "

"Moreover, the U.S. intelligence community never concluded that those meetings produced an operational relationship, American officials said. That verdict was in a secret report by the CIA's Directorate of Intelligence that was updated in January 2003, on the eve of the war.

"We could find no provable connection between Saddam and al-Qaida," a senior U.S. official acknowledged. He and others spoke on condition of anonymity because the information involved is classified and could prove embarrassing to the White House"

More?? Ok. Bush himself, during an interview, appearing with Blair

" Q One question for you both. Do you believe that there is a link between Saddam Hussein, a direct link, and the men who attacked on September the 11th?

THE PRESIDENT: I can't make that claim. "
President Bush Meets with Prime Minister Blair

And another:

"Iraq's Alleged Al-Qaeda Ties Were Disputed Before War

A declassified report released yesterday by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence revealed that U.S. intelligence analysts were strongly disputing the alleged links between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda while senior Bush administration officials were publicly asserting those links to justify invading Iraq." Iraq's Alleged Al-Qaeda Ties Were Disputed Before War - washingtonpost.com

And it goes on and on.....

"Saddam had no links to al-Qaeda

THERE is no evidence of formal links between former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda leaders before the invasion of Iraq by the US in 2003, a long-awaited declassified US Senate report has revealed.

The finding, contained in a 2005 CIA report released by the Senate's Intelligence Committee, is a major embarrassment for President George Bush and casts more doubt on the reasons why the so-called "Coalition of the willing" went to war."
Saddam had no links to al-Qaeda - World - theage.com.au

Even bush himself has admitted there was no evidence of the links to Al Qaeda. Are you calling your dear leader a liar?

[ByaKya]

Quote by: Zeebadee " Doubts Cast on Efforts to Link Saddam, al-Qaida" Doubts Cast on Efforts to Link Saddam, al-Qaida "WASHINGTON - The Bush administration's claim that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had ties to al-Qaida - one of the administration's central arguments for a pre-emptive war - appears to have been based on even less solid intelligence than the administration's claims that Iraq had hidden stocks of chemical and biological weapons. Nearly a year after U.S. and British troops invaded Iraq, no evidence has turned up to verify allegations of Saddam's links with al-Qaida, and several key parts of the administration's case have either proved false or seem increasingly doubtful. Senior U.S. officials now say there never was any evidence that Saddam's secular police state and Osama bin Laden's Islamic terrorism network were in league. At most, there were occasional meetings. " "Moreover, the U.S. intelligence community never concluded that those meetings produced an operational relationship, American officials said. That verdict was in a secret report by the CIA's Directorate of Intelligence that was updated in January 2003, on the eve of the war. "We could find no provable connection between Saddam and al-Qaida," a senior U.S. official acknowledged. He and others spoke on condition of anonymity because the information involved is classified and could prove embarrassing to the White House" More?? Ok. Bush himself, during an interview, appearing with Blair " Q One question for you both. Do you believe that there is a link between Saddam Hussein, a direct link, and the men who attacked on September the 11th? THE PRESIDENT: I can't make that claim. " President Bush Meets with Prime Minister Blair And another: "Iraq's Alleged Al-Qaeda Ties Were Disputed Before War A declassified report released yesterday by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence revealed that U.S. intelligence analysts were strongly disputing the alleged links between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda while senior Bush administration officials were publicly asserting those links to justify invading Iraq." Iraq's Alleged Al-Qaeda Ties Were Disputed Before War - washingtonpost.com And it goes on and on..... "Saddam had no links to al-Qaeda THERE is no evidence of formal links between former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda leaders before the invasion of Iraq by the US in 2003, a long-awaited declassified US Senate report has revealed. The finding, contained in a 2005 CIA report released by the Senate's Intelligence Committee, is a major embarrassment for President George Bush and casts more doubt on the reasons why the so-called "Coalition of the willing" went to war." Saddam had no links to al-Qaeda - World - theage.com.au Even bush himself has admitted there was no evidence of the links to Al Qaeda. Are you calling your dear leader a liar?

REAMS of well documented proof, REAMS of it.
ROFL

[dilligras]

Zeebadee~~

Your links go to lefty blogs and the WaPo, and the one to the White House pretends to show the President refuting all links between Saddam and Al-Qaeda, when a close reading will make it obvious that the question did not refer to Al-Qaeda in general, but rather the specific 19 men involved in the 9/11 attacks, whom nobody has ever claimed were directly linked to Saddam. Which makes it nothing more than a strawman, n'est pas?

And more importantly, all your links are from the post-Clinton era..........as I mentioned, you won't find the MSM making the same claims now that they did then, as my links proved.

I challenge you use those same sources to find a single article--just one--from before Bush was elected that claims there were no links between Saddam and Bin Laden.

Just one.



.

[ByaKya]

Quote by: dilligras I challenge you use those same sources to find a single article--just one--from before Bush was elected that claims there were no links between Saddam and Bin Laden. Just one.

What else you want him to find? the holy grail? how about he just finds osama bin laden for you?

Whatever the case, the president himself says no connection between iraq and al qaeda. Its over. the senate report said There is NO connection whatsoever. None. NONE.
ZERO CONNECTION.