VIDEO: Feith Stands By False Claim That Iraq Had Links To Al Qaeda
VIDEO: Feith Stands By False Claim That Iraq Had Links To Al Qaeda
In an interview with CNN, former Undersecretary for Defense Doug Feith stood by the now-debunked claim that Iraq had a pre-war relationship with al Qaeda. Feith told Wolf Blitzer that former CIA Director George Tenet’s statement in October 2002 claiming there was a link is still “the best information on the subject.”
Pressed to defend his claim, Feith said, “I’ve not been in the government for the last year and a half — there may be some more intelligence on that subject.” Watch it:
Feith didn’t need to be in government to know that Tenet’s October 2002 statement has since been discredited. Subsequent analyses have debunked any relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda. For example:
Senate Intelligence Committee Report Found No “Material Or Operational Support.” Saddam Hussein “was distrustful of al-Qa’ida and viewed Islamic extremists as a threat to this regime, refusing all requests from al Qa’ida to provide material or operational support.” [Senate Phase II report, 9/8/06]
9-11 Commission Report Said No “Collaborative Operational Relationship” Existed Between Iraq and Al Qaeda. “We have seen no evidence that these or the earlier contacts ever developed into a collaborative operational relationship. Nor have we seen evidence indicating that Iraq cooperated with al Qaeda in developing or carrying out any attacks against the United States.” [9-11 Commission Final Report, 7/22/04]
Senate Intelligence Committee Report Found No “Established, Formal” Relationship Between Iraq and Al Qaeda. The Senate Intelligence Committee’s report said that there was no “established, formal” relationship between Iraq and Al Qaeda, nor proof that the two had collaborated in attacks. [Senate Phase I report, 7/9/04]
Full transcript:
BLITZER: Are you ready to acknowledge there were no WMD? Are you ready to acknowledge there was no connection between Saddam and al Qaeda?
FEITH: We did not find WMD stockpiles. We found WMD programs. And the Duelfer report, as I’m sure you know, was very clear on what we found in the WMD area. Although we did not find the stockpiles, we found he had the facilities, he had the personnel, he had the intention. It wasn’t the way the CIA described.
BLITZER: What about on the al Qaeda connection?
FEITH: On the al Qaeda connection, George Tenet on October 7th, 2002, wrote an unclassified letter to the Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee laying out the relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda.
BLITZER: So you believe there was a connection?
FEITH: I believe George Tenet.
BLITZER: But now you know that was false.
FEITH: No, I’ve never heard it was false.
BLITZER: To this day you believe he was working with al Qaeda?
FEITH: I believe that what George Tenet published in October of 2002 was the best information on the subject, and as far as I know — that is largely — I mean there may be — I’ve not been in the government for the last year and a half. There may be some more intelligence on that subject. I’m telling you from the time George Tenet published his findings on the Iraq/al Qaeda relationship, which was that they had a relationship for ten years and they talked about various things — bomb making and safe haven and other issues — that that was, the U.S. government’s best understanding of the subject. I never criticized that in public or in private.
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The only connections to al queda are right here in this administration. See 911truth.org and find out for yourselves. Amazing information coming forward and plenty of whistleblowers weighting in now.
Feith is another "brain dead zombie" if he's still trying to spin that big fat lie!
February 9th, 2007 at 6:54 pmTenacious Feith.
Hey, make sure you say "George Tenet" lots of times, his name is easier to remember than yours.
Slither away....
February 9th, 2007 at 6:55 pmCan't they just leave it alone? Just admit they got it horrendously wrong and take the consequences. It's called being an adult.
February 9th, 2007 at 6:59 pmFeith based delusion
Time to Lawyer up despot.
February 9th, 2007 at 7:00 pmDave, they work with their own set of rules. That's what sociopaths do.
February 9th, 2007 at 7:08 pmI imagine that Colin Powell should begin "singing" soon as well. Time for all of the "scapegoats" to come out of the closet to save themselves for obeying the despot.
February 9th, 2007 at 7:10 pmThere were Al Queda links. What, do you think Zarkawi was in Iraq sightseeing. Typical liberals...blind to all facts and reality.
February 9th, 2007 at 7:10 pmmendacious sack of sh+t. i just wonder how he and the rest live with themselves
February 9th, 2007 at 7:11 pmFeith: There is a connection between al Queda and the Iraqi government. I wrote both of those names on a piece of paper and the President drew a line between them with his blue crayon. There is a connection I tell you.
February 9th, 2007 at 7:14 pmOn the one hand, Feith was claiming that his 'intel manipulation operation' was really neccesary because the CIA wasn't providing good intel. Then on the other hand he was saying that Tenet's CIA provided proof which exhonerated Feith's bogus claims.
February 9th, 2007 at 7:15 pmFeith is such a cherry picker that he chose which facts from the CIA he would use or ignore to bolster his lies.
He likes to have his cake and eat it too.
Am I the only one who's noticed that firehead is an especially lame and unimaginative troll?
I remember when this blog attracted quality trolls. I guess as their right-wing positions become less and less defensible, they become less and less interesting.
February 9th, 2007 at 7:17 pmDave, they work with their own set of rules. That’s what sociopaths do.
Comment by Bluedog49
They don't even have to be sociopaths -- they had all the power, the media, the money. They did what they wanted to do, and made a profit while doing it.
February 9th, 2007 at 7:19 pmExecute the f*cking bastards who started this war. They are just as guilty as the Nazis for starting WWII, and should receive the same sentences. From Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumhead, Feith, Perle, Kristol, Wolfowitz on down should go to the gallows like their German predecessors. Hang them all, the sooner the better. We need another Nuremberg trial, they are ALL war criminals. To do less is to condone their crimes.
February 9th, 2007 at 7:20 pmAm I the only one who’s noticed that firehead is an especially lame and unimaginative troll?
I've come to the conclusion that he's a parody toll. It's the only logical explanation
February 9th, 2007 at 7:22 pmNo there weren't Al Qaeda links firecrotch ( by the way, your name is super lame). Saddam Hussein was a secular dictator that played muslim when it suited him. Bin Laden is a religious zealot. They were at odds with one another. The last thing Saddam wanted in his country is some fundamentalist whack jobs undermining his power. Not all brown people are on the same team. I know this might be too complicated to comprehend for a simpleton like yourself, but please try.
February 9th, 2007 at 7:24 pmFeith needs to go to Iraq as part of the surge. Dumbass filthy coward!!!!
February 9th, 2007 at 7:27 pmFirebutt: "There were Al Queda links. What, do you think Zarkawi was in Iraq sightseeing. Typical liberals…blind to all facts and reality."
Zarqawi was based in the Kurdish-controlled northern part of Iraq. The pentagon offered the Bush administration at least three opportunities to kill him, but were turned down each time. The Bush administration believed killing him would "undercut one of their rationals" for invading Iraq. This was reported in the Washington Post, dumbass. After being let off the hook three times by Bush, Zarqawi went on to personally behead a number of Americans. You're so fricking stupid, you don't even know which issues you shouldn't bring up.
February 9th, 2007 at 7:28 pmWe need another Nuremberg trial, they are ALL war criminals. To do less is to condone their crimes.
Comment by Uncle Ho
Hi, Uncle Ho!
Like my dad used to say (in private): Bring in the guilty SOB, and let's give him a fair trial!
February 9th, 2007 at 7:37 pmIt doesn't matter if it's true or not. Feith, Bush, Cheney, and the rest of the rotten bunch will keep repeating lies, and the sorry excuses for "news" outlets in this country will continue to repeat the lies.
That's what they do. It's worked for them so far; why stop now?
February 9th, 2007 at 7:37 pmBluedog49
Good to bump into you again...
Once again, you are pointing out the facts. Certain posters don't like that so please stop immediately. :-)
I'm not sure if Firehead is lying by omission or actually believes this stuff
Uncle Ho - I think it's going way too far to compare the current US Government to the Nazis. Yes the invasion of Iraq was wrong and we invaded for reasons that were lies. However, Bush and co are a million miles for the Nazis. For example, you're able to post a message accusing them of being Nazis.
February 9th, 2007 at 7:39 pmFeith IS and have always been a real prick. His bio/track record speaks volumes in warmongering game. He is one sick, whacko dude.
February 9th, 2007 at 7:41 pmfirehead sez:
That's amusing. Check here for a dose of actual reality, dolt.
February 9th, 2007 at 7:42 pmDoug's appearance is a sign they need to "keep repeating the lie." (h/t Goebbels)
Feith No More.
February 9th, 2007 at 7:43 pmDave, taking into account Firebutt's understanding of our constitution, I'm guessing he just doesn't have a clue. Thanks for your kind words.
By the way, when's Blair going to be standing before a judge anwering uncomfortable questions? He seems to have nine lives.
February 9th, 2007 at 7:43 pmHmm...my al-Zarqawi link is no-worky. :(
Here it is in plaintext:
http://kurtnimmo.com/?p=401
February 9th, 2007 at 7:44 pmYeah, Feith...Iraq had ties to al-Qaida, and I am HRH King George III of England, and I vant to knight zis potted plant...Arise, Sir Douglas Feith...OOPS! I didn't mean to drop dat sword on your head!!!!! Are you all right, Doug? Not having a head shouldn't concern you, Doug, you have your brains up your ass and that's where your erroneous thinking originates, anyway!
February 9th, 2007 at 7:45 pmDoug Feith = CUA (Completely USELESS American)
February 9th, 2007 at 7:46 pmFeith would look good with a helmet and M-16 in the middle of Iraq.
February 9th, 2007 at 7:48 pmUKBristolDave; the chief prosecutor at Nuremberg was US Supreme Court justice Robert Jackson. He said "The defendants here are not on trial because they lost the war, but because they started it."
February 9th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
Oh we're still around. We just have less and less to troll about. We need a new war or something.
February 9th, 2007 at 7:49 pmThere were Al Queda links. What, do you think Zarkawi was in Iraq sightseeing. Typical liberals…blind to all facts and reality.
Comment by firehead a.k.a. Rape-Public-Can
Zarkawi???!! thats your lame ass fall back drivel. You mean Zarkawi in Kurdish region occupied and controlled by USA since 91? That Zarkawi? Why does the US Army protect these terrorists?
February 9th, 2007 at 7:50 pmThe funding for the coup was stolen by DOD Comptroller Dov Zakheim in advance of 9/11. He stole $7 trillion and sent it to Israel.
Why do you think Cheney has no fear of Congress cutting off funding for the Crusade?
Arrest David Rockefeller - they all work for him.
It’s time to raise the level of discourse where the term “Conspiracy†is concerned:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/ intell/ library/ reports/ 2005/ franklin_indictment_04aug2005.htm
We’ve all been conditioned to snicker and ridicule when non-professionals offer theories about conspiracies. It’s time to talk about all of these theories and unravel the whole thing.
The Abramoff, AIPAC and Libby Trials are ALL THE SAME CONSPIRACY:
http://plungerspeaks.blogspot.com/
Cheney sent Ledeen to meet with Ambassador Mel Sembler in Italy to plant the forged Niger document.
COINCIDENTALLY…
Mel sembler heads up Scooter Libby’s Legal defense fund
AND
Despite the fact he’s a lifelong Republican, Sembler held a fundraiser for Lieberman in Palm Beach - in coordination with Rove and the WH.
Connect ALL the dots…
Lieberman is now assigned the task of protecting Chertoff.
How does McCain factor in?
A New Jersey-based investment banker deeply involved in fund-raising efforts for the 2004 Republican convention, Lewis Eisenberg, is signing on with Mr. McCain. Mr. Eisenberg is a former Goldman Sachs partner who served as chairman of the Port Authority board at the time of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
WHAT A COINCIDENCE!
It was Eisenberg who passed the $15 billion Asbestos Liability represented by the Twin Towers onto Larry Silverstein, the man who confessed publicly to having Building 7 “PULLED†by explosives – despite the fact that no plane struck it:
Pull the entire thread and don’t stop pulling.
The Asbestos liability belonged to Halliburton, having acquired it along with his acquisition of Dresser.
GW included the issue in his State of the Union speech in 2005:
“To make our economy stronger and more competitive, America must reward, not punish, the efforts and dreams of entrepreneurs. Small business is the path of advancement, especially for women and minorities, so we must free small businesses from needless regulation and protect honest job-creators from junk lawsuits. (Applause.) Justice is distorted, and our economy is held back by irresponsible class-actions and frivolous asbestos claims — and I urge Congress to pass legal reforms this year.â€
FULL CIRCLE.
Jay Rockefeller is going to "investigate?" Uh huh - sure he is.
February 9th, 2007 at 7:51 pmAhhh, that unique and exquisite sound of fingernails scraping against smooth rock...... trying desperately to keep from going over the edge of the abyss.............
February 9th, 2007 at 7:51 pmHiya Zooey; just how does that thing you asked me to sign up work? It's new to me. My cold is still hanging on but I'm much better than this time last week. How's yours?
February 9th, 2007 at 7:51 pmLike my dad used to say (in private): Bring in the guilty SOB, and let’s give him a fair trial!
Comment by Zooey
Right on, Zooey. Like my co-worker says (in private): We'll shoot them all right after a fair trial!
February 9th, 2007 at 7:53 pm"Why does the US Army protect these terrorists?"
Again, the record shows that the military wanted to kill Zarqawi. The Bush admin. wouldn't let them.
February 9th, 2007 at 7:54 pmRaven; how about the sound of fingernails scraping across a chalkboard?
February 9th, 2007 at 7:54 pmBluedog49
Mate, I give a nod (is the equivalent US phrase props?) as and when I think it's suitable. It's more than suitable here
Teflon Tony is doing my coupon in as well. The annoying thing is that he's getting in the mire for selling peerages in the House of Lords. Christ, it's part and parcel of British politics - all Governments do it but it's not legal. The fact that he mislead the House of Commons and took us all into a war with no justification and isn't going to get pulled (Brit phrase for being nicked...sorry, arrested) pains me. OK, what he did wasn't illegal (I believe) but the House should have a vote of no confidence. That would bring him crashing down.
Rest assured, Gordon Brown will be PM by the end of 2007.
Hell, I suppose it's the Al Capone principle. Get him for whatever you can.
February 9th, 2007 at 7:55 pmDave, I think it's fair to say that this crowd has stolen a few pages from their playbook, though.
February 9th, 2007 at 7:55 pmBluedog
Sorry bud, can you clarify who you mean by this crowd and their playbook please? I'm pretty sure I know what you mean but I don't want to fly off into a response and then have you thinking WTF is that Bristol numpty talking about?
Cheers
Dave
February 9th, 2007 at 7:59 pmComment by UKBristolDave — February 9, 2007 @ 6:59 pm
It's called having to face a War Crimes Tribunal for initiating a War of Aggression which has resulted in the needless and horrific deaths of nearly 3/4 of a million people.
These "adults" have so much innocent blood on their hands they cannot ever, ever afford to admit the truth.
February 9th, 2007 at 8:01 pmIt is outrageous that Feith is attempting to hide behind a semantic screen, claiming that OSP was not engaged in intelligence but in intelligence-criticism. No doubt they were. But it was not just criticism in the abstract nor did it occur in a vacuum. What they were doing was taking the intelligence products of various agencies back to the raw intelligence level and packaging that to support the administration's purported casus belli. So, yes they were involved in intelligence. Raw intelligence.
February 9th, 2007 at 8:06 pmFeith is a low-life cowardly neocon, American Enterprise Institute mouthpiece, and a right-wing lying son-of-a-bitch. I want his head on a stick and, at the very least, he should be put on trial. Isn't purposely misleading the government a crime especially when it directly leads to the death of 3100 americans and the maiming of more than 30,000 more? How many members of his family have served in Iraq? I would guess that the only place any member of his family has traveled in the MIddle East is Israel in order to pick-up his paycheck and receive new orders.
February 9th, 2007 at 8:08 pmIf you lie your way into a fight, you better be victorious. Unfortunately, the Cakewalk turned into a Quagmire. Now that the TRUTH matters, Bush and his neocon advisors are in trouble. Frank Rich thinks the Scooter Libby trial is the tip of the iceberg, and the real story of our attack on Iraq will not go down well with the American people. This Iraq war could have been scripted by the Iranians, since they and the Military Industrial Complex (aka Merchants of Death) are the big winners. The Losers.... taxpayers, the Military, and our standing in the World.
February 9th, 2007 at 8:08 pmWhat's really amazing is that they still feel like they go on public media and say this stuff without fear of being seriously challenged. If there was a journalist at CNN they would have wrapped the facts around Feith's neck and pulled hard.
February 9th, 2007 at 8:09 pmHiya Zooey; just how does that thing you asked me to sign up work? It’s new to me. My cold is still hanging on but I’m much better than this time last week. How’s yours?
Comment by Uncle Ho
Hi, Uncle Ho. I'm glad you're feeling better. I'm getting better, but I keep overdoing, so I haven't done myself any good.
Click on this link to go to a login page http://www.facebook.com/login.php
February 9th, 2007 at 8:10 pmPut in your email address, choose a password, and hit register. You can put up as much or as little information as you like. Let me know when you're set up, and I'll invite you to be on my friends list. :)
Briseadh na Faire
The only place that could try them, I believe, is the War crimes court in the Hague. As the US has not signed up to this then they have nothing to fear. I fear it's all about politics. How can you turn to the population of the US and say "we got it wrong, we invaded under false pretences, three thousands of our soldiers are dead, an untold amount of Iraqi civilians are dead, a new arms race has kicked off and we've put the cost of this on the nations credit card"? It's political suicide.
I keep forgetting. This isn't about being a good man and doing the right thing. It's about power.
Am I right about the Hague? It's 01:17 in the UK and I'm a bit tired.
February 9th, 2007 at 8:11 pmOr this, Uncle Ho. I may have messed up the link:
February 9th, 2007 at 8:20 pmhttp://thinkprogress.org/2007/02/07/tp-on-facebook/
Blitzer and Feith are both Israeli firsters!
PHASE II OF THE SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED.
COME ON THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE PENTAGON WAS GIVEN THIS JOB BY SENATOR PAT ROBERTS WHO WAS BEING PRESSURED BY CHENEY TO DELAY ANY INVESTIGATION OF THE FALSE PRE-WAR INTELLIGENCE.
THE DEMOCRATS AND THE RESPUBLICANS NEED TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THE INTELLIGENCE SNOWJOB THAT HAS RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF LIVES AND WHO KNOWS HOW MANY HAVE BEEN INJURED.
FEITH IS A PATHOLOGICAL LIAR!
UNLESS THEY NEED ANOTHER BLOWJOB TO INVESTIGATE
February 9th, 2007 at 8:36 pmUKBristolDave; Instead of the Hague, any war crimes tribunal should convene in Nuremberg, in the very same court room. Historic and ironic. UK has their own defendents to bring along(Tony Blair), no offense.
February 9th, 2007 at 8:37 pmZooey; thanks :). How do we keep from getting spammed/bothered by the trolls here on the other site? They are sure to try to muck things up just as the sun will rise. It's bad 'nuff having to deal with these scumbags on TP.
February 9th, 2007 at 8:41 pmIt’s bad ’nuff having to deal with these scumbags on TP.
Comment by Uncle Ho
I haven't had a single problem. They have a report feature (to facebook for banning, I would guess), and a block feature. So if you allow someone on your friends list, then it goes sour, you can block them.
February 9th, 2007 at 8:47 pmUncle Ho
No offence taken. Rather, your comments are welcome. I would not have the audacity to come onto a US site and comment on US politics without being able to take comments about the UK.
I actually think Blair is worse than Bush. Blair really believes God wants him to do what he does. I still think Bush fakes it. Blair lied to the House of Commons (45 minute Iraq speech - google it), ignored the will of his population and invaded anyhow. I was part of the 1 million+ who marched against the war.
I don't think any court can convict them though. Bush and Blair have another fate waiting for them. History will judge them and it will judge them badly. Although they might not be punished in their lifetimes, both of their names will be forever associated with lies, incompetence and pointless slaughter. For men with their egos, this must seem like a fate worse than death.
February 9th, 2007 at 8:53 pmHiya Spudge: where you been? Good to hear from you.
Catch you later guys, movietime on tv. tomorrow 'kay.
February 9th, 2007 at 8:55 pmIt's a new sport: Xtreme lying.
February 9th, 2007 at 8:57 pmHey , and look how good the "clearing the vipers out of baghdad", as our favorite meth addict tranny pretending to be a lawyer jew soldier so affectionately called it, is going...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070209/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_security_plan
"Iraq - Iraqi commanders are urging the Americans to go after Sunni targets as the first focus of the military push to secure Baghdad, displaying a sectarian tilt that is delaying full implementation of the plan to drive gunmen from the streets, U.S. officers say.
American officers, interviewed at the sprawling Camp Victory base at the western edge of the capital, also acknowledge they are finding little in their initial searches of Baghdad neighborhoods — suggesting either they received faulty intelligence or that the massive publicity that preceded the operation gave militants time to slip away."
So it looks like the Iraqi government is trying to get us to go soft on the Shia death squads.. nice to see freedom flourishing in Iraq. At least, the freedom to democractically operate Iranian backed death squads is flourishing. (And in the end, isnt the the only kind of freedom people like Whitey Aphromite are worried about?)
And I think its also funny how they excepted the insurgents to just bunker down and fight it out alamo style. Hell no, you idiots were rambling about the surge for so long, they packed up thier guns and moved somewhere safer... all these raids are going to do is going to create animosity in the raided neighborhoods, and those neigbors will be eager collaborators with the insurgents when they return because of the indignity they've suffered. Imagine trying to treat a cancer that has intelligence and knows how to move throughtout your body to evade radiation attack. Thats a rough equivalent of what georgie thinks he can handle. But hes wrong.. dead wrong.. sad is, the ones who will be dying for his dead wrongness is more iraqi civilians and american soldiers, the majority of whom want us to leave soon..
February 9th, 2007 at 9:10 pmIt doesn't really matter WHAT Feith SAYS he believed, if evidence can be shown that he manipulated the evidence in the first place. Sooner or later, all dots will be connected and all ties, links, and connections made. He'll go down with the others.
February 9th, 2007 at 9:19 pmThe blood pressure on these clowns must be rising by the minute and going through the roof. Place your bets, folks. Truth, or dare-
Nice act fellas! Like one AIPAC Neocon would put another on the spot! I wonder if they got to the subject of Fieth's connection to Israeli spying here in the US?
February 9th, 2007 at 9:28 pmSo,
The IG report comes out that Feith's Office of Special Plans was providing the White House with false intelligence to promote the illegal war against Iraq.
And now Feith is back in the news.
I hope he's got a good lawyer. Cause he's gonna need one to keep his ass outa jail.
Troubled
February 9th, 2007 at 9:43 pmIf we had an Attorney General, he'd be tried for war crimes.
February 9th, 2007 at 9:49 pmYes, Saddam was linked to Al Quaeda in the same way that the moon is linked to green cheese!!
Strawman arguements? Feith is another one of those straw brained cons.
February 9th, 2007 at 9:57 pmThe guy is also a war-profiteer.
Feith’s private business dealings have also raised eyebrows in Washington. In 1999, his firm Feith & Zell formed an alliance with the Israel-based Zell, Goldberg & Co., which resulted in the creation of the Fandz International Law Group. According to Fandz’s web site, the law group “has recently established a task force dealing with issues and opportunities relating to the recently ended war with Iraq. ... and is assisting regional construction and logistics firms to collaborate with contractors from the United States and other coalition countries in implementing infrastructure and other reconstruction projects in Iraq.
February 9th, 2007 at 10:12 pmFeith either needs a jail sentence or a mental institution.
February 9th, 2007 at 10:34 pm...Hang him...
...and his masters...
...and co-conspirators...
NOW!
February 9th, 2007 at 11:22 pmDescribed by General Tommy Franks as either "the dumbest f***king guy on the planet" (according to Franks' autobiography) or "the f***ing stupidest guy on the face of the Earth"
February 9th, 2007 at 11:46 pmI tend to agree.
"There is absolutely no evidence that Iraq was supporting al
Qaeda ever," Clarke declared March 21 on CBS' 60 Minutes.
This view totally overlooks extensive connections between
Baghdad and bin Laden. Just ask Richard Clarke.
Yet, he told the September 11 Commission about Abdul Rahman Yasin,
the al Qaeda operative indicted who federal prosecutors
indicted for mixing the chemicals in the bomb that rocked
the World Trade Center, killed six, and injured 1,042 people
on February 26, 1993.
"He was an Iraqi," Clarke observed. "Therefore, when the
explosion took place, and he fled the United States, he went
back to Iraq." While Clarke believes Baghdad did not
orchestrate that attack, he concedes that Hussein embraced
this assassin.
"The Iraqi government," Clarke continued, "didn't cooperate
in turning him over and gave him sanctuary, as it did give
sanctuary to other terrorists."
"Last week, Day One confirmed he [Yasin] is in Baghdad," ABC
correspondent Sheila MacVicar reported June 27, 1994. "Just
a few days ago, he was seen at [his father's] house by ABC
News. Neighbors told us Yasin comes and goes freely."
Vice President Dick Cheney told National Public Radio last
January 22: "We've discovered since [Iraq's liberation]
documents indicating that a guy named Abdul Rahman Yasin,
who was a part of the team that attacked the World Trade
Center in '93, when he arrived back in Iraq was put on the
payroll and provided a house, safe harbor and sanctuary."
A January 23, 1999,Washington Post article appeared in which Clarke defended the Clinton administration's August 20, 1998, cruise-missile strike on the El Shifa pharmaceutical plant in Khartoum, Sudan. That
mission avenged al Qaeda's demolition of U.S. embassies in
Kenya and Tanzania that August 7, which killed 224
individuals and injured more than 5,000. The Post quoted
Clarke as "sure" that Iraqi experts there produced a
powdered VX nerve gas component. According to the Post,
Clarke "said that intelligence exists linking bin Laden to
El Shifa's current and past operators, the Iraqi nerve gas
experts and the National Islamic Front in Sudan."
Meanwhile, Palestinian terrorist Abu Abbas made news March 9 by dying of natural causes in U.S. military custody in Iraq. Green
Berets captured him last April 14 in Baghdad, where he had
lived under Hussein's protection since 2000. After
masterminding the 1985 Achille Lauro cruise ship hijacking,
in which U.S. retiree Leon Klinghoffer was murdered, Abbas
slipped Italian custody. How? ''Abu Abbas was the holder of
an Iraqi diplomatic passport,'' Italy's then-premiere
Bettino Craxi announced then. So, Rome let him split for
Yugoslavia, and beyond.
Critics of Operation Iraqi Freedom ignore these and many
February 9th, 2007 at 11:55 pmmore ties among Saddam Hussein, al Qaeda, Palestinian
zealots, and other Islamofascist mass murderers. Why?
Acknowledging these contacts would concede a major casus
belli behind Coalition efforts.
"I have to deal with the F__king stupidest guy on the face of the earth almost every day" [refering to Douglas Feith: Pentagon's undersecretary for policy]
February 10th, 2007 at 12:55 am- Commander Tommy Franks - Plan of Attack
Still waiting for you liberals to comment on William Arkin?
February 10th, 2007 at 1:25 amhttp://blog.washingtonpost.com/earlywarning/2007/02/demonization_and_responsibilit.html#more
Still waiting for you liberals to comment on William Arkin?
Comment by michael — February 10, 2007 @ 1:25 am
February 10th, 2007 at 9:03 am
Sooo then, you must be suggesting that Al Qaeda was in posession of the WMDs that were to become the 'smoking gun in the form of a shroom cloud'.
February 10th, 2007 at 10:02 amRiiiight, no wmds . . . then well, it was taking out Saddam . . . no . . .
making Iraq beautiful by forcing a different gov. . . . no . . . it was because Iraq had ties to terrah.
Hell, there's been so many reasons, for so long, I've forgotten some.
The justification for their invasion has been a moving target from day one.
Still is.
This is so dishonest. Saddam Hussein's government had contacts with al-Qaeda going back a decade. That doesn't mean they were working together on things, but they did have contacts. Here's Tenet's statement:
The only one of these that has been "discredited" is the 2nd to last one, about training of al-Qaeda in areas of poison and gases. That is, there has been no credible information to show that it is true.
With that said, what is wrong with what Feith said? Nothing. Think Progress is deliberately playing semantics ("links" vs "connection" vs "contacts") to play Gotcha.
And isn't it funny that it has been claimed that Feith's group came up with the poisons and gases intel - yet the director of the CIA was the one up there back in October 2002 noting it for the Senate.
February 10th, 2007 at 10:48 amFeith, craven coward, adopts the "as far as I know" defense....real courageous there, International Policy Warrior Man
February 10th, 2007 at 3:40 pmIt takes a real man (or woman) to stand up and say he was wrong. There are no real men associated with the Bush Administration. Just a lot of yes men who refuse to be accountable for their actions.
There is the spin of the Bush Adminstration and there is the truth. The truth has taken quite a battering over the last six years, but I am hopeful that the truth will prevail.
February 11th, 2007 at 12:54 pmWhy isn't this creature in Prison?
February 17th, 2007 at 7:13 am[...] Saddam and al Qaeda by hiding behind CIA Director George Tenet. Feith notes that Tenet wrote a letter to the Senate Intelligence Committee on Oct. 7, 2002 suggesting such a [...]
April 7th, 2007 at 12:48 pm