Condi Calling al-Zarqawi A Connection Between Saddam And Osama

[DrFunkenstein]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US administration restated its case that Iraq had strong links to Al-Qaeda following Vice President Dick Cheney's latest statement that Saddam Hussein's regime had given sanctuary to Osama bin Laden's group.

The administration has persisted in saying there were close links between Iraq and Al-Qaeda even though the official investigation into the September 11, 2001 attacks said in its final report there was "no collaborative operational relationship between Iraq and Al-Qaeda."

"You don't have to have a collaborative operational control in order to aid terrorists," national security advisor Condoleezza Rice told NBC television when questioned about Cheney's remarks.

She said it was a publicly known that Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi, who Rice described as "the face of terror in Iraq today" had "operated freely in Baghdad" and probably ordered the assassination of a US government aid advisor in Jordan last year.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1514&e=19&u=/afp/us_iraq_attacks_rice

In June 2002, U.S. officials say intelligence had revealed that Zarqawi and members of al-Qaida had set up a weapons lab at Kirma, in northern Iraq, producing deadly ricin and cyanide.

“Here we had targets, we had opportunities, we had a country willing to support casualties, or risk casualties after 9/11 and we still didn’t do it,” said Michael O’Hanlon, military analyst with the Brookings Institution.

The Pentagon drew up a second strike plan, and the White House again killed it. By then the administration had set its course for war with Iraq.

The Pentagon drew up still another attack plan, and for the third time, the National Security Council killed it.

Military officials insist their case for attacking Zarqawi’s operation was airtight, but the administration feared destroying the terrorist camp in Iraq could undercut its case for war against Saddam.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4431601/

[hatrack]

1. It depends on what the meaning of "Collaborative Operational Control" is

Can anyone explain why this biped is NSA? Anyone?

[Swami Love]

8. Why this biped is NSA

Because this biped is an African American women,

and thus it is not very "PC" to criticize her too roundly.

Thus she can be a more effective mouthpiece for the Machievellian machinations of the 'cons.

[hatrack]

9. A Soviet specialist - maybe a Holy Roman Empire expert would work

I'm sure whoever it was certainly couldn't do any worse than Condi.

[enki23]

2. then rumsfeld is the connection in a collaborative link btwn...

saddam and bush.

[BayouBengal07]

3. Get that MSNBC article out.

"In June 2002, U.S. officials say intelligence had revealed that Zarqawi and members of al-Qaida had set up a weapons lab at Kirma, in northern Iraq, producing deadly ricin and cyanide."

Yes, Northern Iraq- the Kurdish controlled no-fly-zone area!

[A_Possum]

7. Details details!

why should we bother with a little detail like that when we're connecting SADDAM with AL-QAEDA!?:eyes:

[Guaranteed]

4. OK, so what does that say about your Saudi buddies, Condi? nt

[chemenger]

5. I see Ms. Godzilla has reappeared

after falling off of the radar screen for awhile.

[DrFunkenstein]

12. Re-Read This Great WP Article About Rice - Reveals So Much Of The BS

Rice was one of the most outspoken administration voices arguing that Saddam Hussein posed a nuclear danger to the world. As administration hard-liners worked to build support for war throughout the fall and winter, Rice often mentioned the fear that Hussein would develop a nuclear weapon, saying on CNN on Sept. 8: "We don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud."

Rice claimed publicly that the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research, or INR, did not take issue with other intelligence agencies' view that Iraq was rebuilding its nuclear program. "What INR did not take a footnote to is the consensus view that the Iraqis were actively trying to pursue a nuclear weapons program, reconstituting and so forth," she said on July 11, referring to the National Intelligence Estimate.

Speaking broadly about the nuclear allegations in the NIE, she said: "Now, if there were doubts about the underlying intelligence to that NIE, those doubts were not communicated to the president, to the vice president, or to me."

In fact, the INR objected strongly. In a section referred to in the first paragraph of the NIE's key judgments, the INR said there was not "a compelling case" and said the government was "lacking persuasive evidence that Baghdad has launched a coherent effort to reconstitute its nuclear weapons program."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A51224-2003Jul26?language=printer

[Generator]

6. Scum fucking traitors!

"Military officials insist their case for attacking Zarqawi’s operation was airtight, but the administration feared destroying the terrorist camp in Iraq could undercut its case for war against Saddam."

That's right, folks I remember posting this awhile ago. Bush let the terrorists go on being terrorists so he would have a reason for war. With enemies like these who needs enemies huh?

[maine_raptor]

10. The Plot Sickens

Note the last part of this sentence;

"Military officials insist their case for attacking Zarqawi’s operation was airtight, but the administration feared destroying the terrorist camp in Iraq could undercut its case for war against Saddam."

Someone before me posted that al-Zarqawi's camp was in Northern No-Fly Zone, ie Kurdish Iraq.

Could it be that the REAL reason Bush did not attack those camps was that he did not want to piss off the Kurds before the invasion. This would make more sense than any "undercutting". Bush's thrust for War in Iraq shows that he did not care about the "case", he was going in anyways.

[moondust]

11. Ah yes, northern Iraq.

IIRC it was widely reported that Saddam had no control over what was going on up there.

"Baghdad has no jurisdiction in the ethnic Kurd controlled region of Northern Iraq. In fact, the region is in the US sphere of influence. 'But the picture is neither complete nor conclusive. Ansar al-Islam has its bases in the Kurdish-controlled area of Iraq, beyond the control of Saddam Hussein.'" (NYT, 14 Febrauary 2003)

http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO302B.html

[Romulus]

13. that photo creeps me out

but sums things up:

Smirky neocons in the corner, and Colin pushed over to the side there . . .

[DrFunkenstein]

16. But Still Standing There

You nailed it exactly why I picked that photo.

[Bluebear]

14. Well aren't they happy happy happy in that photo

[seabeyond]

15. the guy needed medical care after afghanistan and got it

in iraq. the terrorist though as stated was northern iraq out of saddams comtrol. they had opportunity three times to get this man, but the highest up (bush?) chose not to because that would interfer with their quest with war against saddam. so they allowed this man to be free for their wants. they could have taken down that terrorist org in the north anytime and chose not to. the people got away by the time the soldiers got to that area. so as much as they want to argue this, they are all stinky with it.

there is another connection. once saddam felt he was going to be attack, he sided with palestine. in past had never cared for their plight but seeing an opportunity to get jihad and support from the area. he started paying suicider bombers family money. again this dipping hand towards terrorist was purely created from bush aggression to saddam.

[nyhuskyfan]

17. I'm pretty sure he's connected with neither...

His organization was separate from Al Qaeda and operated in areas of Iraq that Saddam didn't control. So both ends of that link are pretty much bunk.

[npincus]

18. Americans have been given so many reasons to vote this guy out of office

it they elect him, they truly deserve him. However, the REST of us have to suffer, as well as the planet.

I personally don't know how I'll manage if it comes to that. It is too surreal that these immoral, unprincipled TRAITORS have so much support from the public. Do these people know how to read?

Anyway, forgive the rant, but I'm only human! I will fight like hell to get Bush & co.OUT!

Rant over (till next time).