"There were ties between Al Qaeda and Iraq"
A Statement From Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld on ties between Al Qaeda and Iraq for all those who think there were none.
A question I answered today at an appearance before the Council on Foreign Relations regarding ties between Al Qaeda and Iraq regrettably was misunderstood.
I have acknowledged since September 2002 that there were ties between Al Qaeda and Iraq.
This assessment was based upon points provided to me by then CIA Director George Tenet to describe the CIA's understanding of the Al Qaeda-Iraq relationship.
Today at the Council, I even noted that "when I'm in Washington, I pull out a piece of paper and say 'I don't know, because I'm not in that business, but I'll tell you what the CIA thinks,' and I read it."
The CIA conclusions in that paper, which I discussed in a news conference as far back as September, 2002, note that:
* We do have solid evidence of the presence in Iraq of al Qaeda members, including some that have been in Baghdad.
* We have what we consider to be very reliable reporting of senior level contacts between Iraq and Al Qaeda going back a decade, and of possible chemical and biological agent training.
* We have what we believe to be credible information that Iraq and al Qaeda have discussed safe haven opportunities in Iraq.
* We have what we consider to be credible evidence that al Qaeda leaders have sought contacts in Iraq who could help them acquire weapons of mass destruction capabilities.
* We do have one report indicating that Iraq provided unspecified training relating to chemical and/or biological matters for al Qaeda members.
I should also note that the 9/11 Commission report described linkages between Al Qaeda and Iraq as well.
posted by David at 5:08 AM
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>>I should also note that the 9/11 Commission report described linkages between Al Qaeda and Iraq as well.
CITE. Just saying something, doesn't necessarily make it so.
This week Rumsfeld said there is no evidence. Just another long line of flip flops of inconsistancy. Last night in the debate, Dick Cheney said there was no link, and denied he ever said there was!
But consider this:
There were IRA terrorists in the USA for the past twenty years. Does that mean the USA was purposely supporting terrorists?
The British government tried to get the US to deport these people. The US courts did their best to deter this action. Does that mean the USA was purposely supporting terrorists?
The IRA was funded, got bombs and weapons from many Americans. Does that mean the USA was purposely supporting terrorists?
Under Reagan, Oliver North traded weapons to terrorists who killed 250 marines in their sleep. The money was used to fund the Contras to fight the government in Nicaragua. Does that mean the USA was purposely supporting terrorists?
Maybe the folks on this website think that repeating things over and over enough times will make it true...
Ask yourself if ever during the run-up to war you believed that Iraq had anything to do with 9/11. If so, you have been deceived and the person most responsible for your being among the misled is Dick Cheney. He denied it last night, but this morning NPR played four different excerpts from Cheney speeches where he clearly made the connection as a support for going to war.
Ties between Al Qaeda and Iraq have been shown to be weak at best and there's been no evidence of Iraq involvement with 9/11. But you believed it. Why? Because Dick Cheney kept on deceiving you.
I have never stated Iraq was involved in 9/11. I have stated and do believe that there were links between Iraq and al Qaeda.
>>I have never stated Iraq was involved in 9/11. I have stated and do believe that there were links between Iraq and al Qaeda.
There are links between N & S Korea, but that don't mean squat. You gonna support killin' all the folk who got any kinda links with Al Qaeda? If so, that's a whole lotta folk you gotta kill.
This post is insane and an outright lie. The CIA itself recently dismissed the tie in front of Congress. Give it up.
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