Cheney won't back down on Saddam-Qaeda link (despite 9/11 panel findings)

[rawstory]

As seen on the liberal alternative to Drudge, http://www.rawstory.com


Cheney Won't Back Down on Saddam-Qaeda Links -Aides

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vice President Dick Cheney, who took the lead in pushing the idea of long-standing links between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda, has no intention of backing down despite a finding to the contrary by the Sept. 11 commission, aides said on Wednesday.

Administration officials stood by Cheney, who critics accuse of using faulty intelligence about alleged weapons of mass destruction and Iraqi links to al Qaeda to push the nation to war.

A White House official said Cheney's assertion, which he repeated this week, that the ousted Iraqi leader had long-established ties to al Qaeda, were based on "facts."

"Hell no!" another administration official said when asked if Cheney would retract his statements after the commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks found no evidence that Iraq aided al Qaeda attempts to strike the United States.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5442262&src=rss/topNews§ion=news

###

WELL, if there's one thing you'd can't accuse this guy of, it's going off-message...

[lovedems]

1. I think it is a sad case that he actually believes his own lies.

While the "experts" at faux news find it fit to diagnose Al Gore as a lunatic, they ought to be looking into medication for Cheney. I think he is losing his mind.

[number6]

3. medication for Cheney.

eom :smoke:

[saigon68]

40. PRESIDENT CHENEY = BAG OF FART

Wind nothing but WIND

[Minstrel Boy]

7. You give him too much credit.

He is a cynical, sinister, blood-soaked hypocrite.

[lovedems]

8. I figured that goes without saying!

:P

But I think the dude is seriously deranged. He is becoming a threat to himself and definately to others. Let's face it, he's nuts. :D

[DarkPhenyx]

2. Probably still believes the Earth is flat...

...and the center of the universe.

[zbird]

4. Well, I suppose....

1. The US sponsored bin Laden.

2. The US aided Saddam.

3. Therefore, bin Laden (al Queda) and Iraq have long-standing ties.

[Lisa]

5. is it possible that HE'S the link?

He, Rummy, and the Bush Family are the only people I can think of who would be rubbing shoulders with oil-rich dictators AND Saudi fundamentalists.

[rawstory]

6. That's genius!

No kidding. That would be so hardly unsurprising.

[oblivious]

25. "I know they were in cahoots, cos I put em together, dammit!"

[sam sarrha]

9. if Chaeny says it is true they will recall the history books and rewrite

them:freak:

[lancdem]

10. Wonder if Cheney's people are losing it

what kind of a response is "Hell no"? You hardly ever see profanity in stories like this.

[elfin]

11. Because he has planted "intel"

which will come to light and exonerate him and all neo cons. He's just waiting for the right moment. But the media is rousing from its slumber - it won't work.

[moondust]

12. Cheney can believe whatever he wants.

On his own time, on his own dime.

[Rose Siding]

13. Bush defended this in the presser yesterday

by citing abu nidal (which operated in the north OUT of saddam's control, in the no-fly zone) and Zawari, who Bush didn't kill on any one of the 3 chances he had (the one who, according to the CIA, had a leg removed in Bagdad but then it grew back by the time he was killed 4 or 5 months ago but now he's alive and responsible for all the attacks)

Almost seems like Bush doesn't know what he's talking about.

[LittleApple81]

14. Almost? You are too generous. Have you watched his press conferences? n/t

[Rose Siding]

15. Oh, dear

I hoped the sarcasm would be apparent. sorry

[funnymanpants]

27. fact correction

abu nidal operated with Saddam's help. However, it went defunct in the early 90's, at the same time that Saddam gave up supporting any terrorists because he didn't want to give the US a reason to attack him.

Zawari (I think?) operated in the northern part of Iraq along with some other group who the Bush's liked to bring up in supporting the lie that Iraq sponsored terrorists.

abu nidal was a regional group.

Apparently, there were mid-level talks between Saddam and Osama. They came to nothing, exactly as experts said all along. Cheney is citing these meetings as his facts.

But it is one thing to meet with someone once, and another to actively fund and support. If we are going to count guilty anyone who once met with Al-Quaida to futher their own goals, then the US would be even more guilty than Iraq.

[Geo55]

16. Joseph Goebbels

is smirking in the ethers at this very moment

[Kahuna]

17. Good. Thank you Cheney for being an unrepentant liar..

You will help us win in November.

[Eloriel]

18. The he should be forced to serve up some of those "facts" n/t

[drscm]

19. Who cares about the truth? All they want to do is win, lies or not! eom

eom

[Tellurian]

20. Isn't it about that time, when a host of republicans meet with the Prez,

the VP, Rummy, Asscroft and say...You all are facing criminal indictments.
We are appointing a Special Prosecutor in the morning.
I suggest you all seek private counsel,
and it would be good, if you all consider resignation,
for a start.

[Geo55]

23. Stop

yer gettin' me all tingley

[Tellurian]

24. Oh, Rhett...you say that all the tahyme..

We must get rid of these charlatans before they killlll us awl!

You grab their feet and I'll..I'll..I'll, grab a guun!

[leesa]

21. This is good news because it will augment the contrast between the two

It will draw attention to the issue.

[young_at_heart]

22. Will fellow Republicans back him up?

How many lies will it take before the Senate and House members get a spine? Surely a few of them miss our former country!

[gate of the sun]

26. he can't admit he was lying can he?

double speak, double talk and you better believe it....if you want to be a good american.

[Oilwellian]

28. There's a poll on AOL

Asking if we believe Al Qaeda had significant ties with Iraq and 55% answered yes. Americans are in serious denial.

[gauguin57]

29. i think mister cheney should

eat our shorts.

I'm too angry to say much more. I might get in trouble.

[Tight_rope]

36. Speak your mind....this is DU not Congress! n/t

[Catherine Vincent]

30. Cheney's a stubborn bastard...and looks every bit of it.

[funnymanpants]

31. Cheney technically not lying--just misleading

Yes, there were mid-level meetings between Saddam's government and Al-Quaida, but nothing came of them.

The experts claimed all along that Saddam would never actively support Al-Quaida and have been proven rights in spades.

Cheney is up to the pre-war tricks of mis-representing information. A meeting does not equal support. After all, if we guilt means any contact with Al-Quaida, the US is more guilty than Iraq for supporting the Mujahadeen (sp?) in Afghanastan.

Some of Cheney's assertions are deliberately misleading:

"'We have solid evidence of the presence in Iraq of al Qaeda members, including some that have been in Baghdad,'" Tenet said in an Oct. 7, 2002 letter to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence."

Before the war, this evidence was never presented, probably because like the WMD claims, it was too weak. Further, presence means nothing. Before 2001, there were lots of Al-Quaida members in the US. Does that mean the US sponsors terrorism?

In additon, we have now invaded Iraq and have a clearer picture of what went on in the late 90's. We know that nothing has surfaced showing Saddam funded or supported any terrorist group. So what Tenet said in 2002 doesn't really matter much. It is the job of the US, who invaded a country illegally claiming that there was a huge threat, to give evidence of that threat. Evidence does not consist of something Tenet said in 2002. It consists of documents and witnesses.

Then there's this quote:

"Sen. Clinton was quoted as saying three days later: "He (Saddam) has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members," according to the list compiled by Cheney's office."

Hillary Clinton is hardly an expert and got the same bogus intelligence that Cheney used to manipulate the country into war. That she said something means nothing, especially since, as I pointed out above, the facts show there was not Saddam-Al-Quaid link.

The bottom line is that it is outrageous and criminal to invade a country premptivley--in fact, premptive war was ruled completely unacceptable by judges ruling on Hitler's motivations for WW2.

If you can't even produce evidence that shows Saddam *might* have been a threat, then the criminal act becomes even more severe. Quoting US senators and incompetent CIA heads hardly counts as evidence.

[calimary]

32. There MUST be a pony. Under all that horse shit. There MUST be a pony!

I'm staying right here and I'm gonna keep digging. I just KNOW there's a pony under there somewhere! Can't have all that horse shit unless there's a pony in there! There just MUST be a pony!!!!

[NickB79]

37. LOL

That is awesome.

[Manix]

33. ....once a liar, always a liar!!

..give this evil bastard a cell right beside Saddam.

[daleo]

34. Cheney kind of reminds me of McCarthy

"In an address in 1950 to a Republican women's club in Wheeling, W. Va., Senator Joseph McCarthy (Republican of Wisconsin) claims to have a list of a great many "known Communists" employed by the state department:

I have here in my hand a list of 205--a list of names that were known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist party and who are nevertheless are still working and shaping the policy in the State Dept.
When asked by a reporter to produce his list, McCarthy replied: "That was just a political speech to a bunch of Republicans. Don't take it seriously.""

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/article_display.cfm?HHID=494

[Tight_rope]

35. One Lie a Day Will Keep Jail Away! "NOT"!

It's the only thing that I could think of. :spank:

[Razoor]

38. so cheney still lies even when theres no credible evidence between the 2?

I still cant beleive he is still lying about it even when the 9/11 comission found theres no credible links between saddam and osama.
oh well keep lying cheney thats the only thing you know how to do well.

[Malva Zebrina]

39. someone should leak the testimony he gave with Bush

to the panel--that oughta settle it.

They both would deserve it

He is insane obviously. and so is Bush