Today the panel investigating the 9/11 attacks announced that it found no credible evidence that there was a link between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda prior to the attacks:
"There have been reports that contacts between Iraq and al-Qaida also occurred after bin Laden had returned to Afghanistan, but they do not appear to have resulted in a collaborative relationship," the report said. "Two senior Bin Laden associates have adamantly denied that any ties existed between al-Qaida and Iraq."
Well, duh. I mean, that's pretty much been ironclad for a while now, right? Er, well except in the mind of Dick Cheney, who was still
pushing that line on Monday, which stirred up a hornet's nest in the White House press room yesterday as the gaggle grilled Scott McLellan on the administration's continued refusal to clarify this position [via
TPM]:
Q Can I ask about Vice President Cheney, because yesterday he repeated what is a very controversial claim. He said that Saddam Hussein had long-established ties with al Qaeda. Does the President believe that Saddam Hussein had long-established ties with al Qaeda?
MR. McCLELLAN: We certainly talked about the ties with terrorism between the -- between the regime that was removed from power, and we talked about those ties prior to the decision to remove that regime from power. So that was well-documented. Secretary Powell went before the United Nations and talked about some of those ties to terrorism, as well. And Zarqawi is certainly a senior al Qaeda associate who was in Iraq prior to the decision to go in and remove the regime from power.
Q There's also al Qaeda in the United States. That does not mean the United States is cooperating with those members of al Qaeda. Just by the presence of someone does not mean there's a cooperation.
MR. McCLELLAN: But, remember, we're talking about an oppressive regime that was in power in Iraq that exercised control over that country. And go back and look at what we documented, Norah. We documented all this, and I think that's what the Vice President was referring to.
Q So today you're saying the President does agree there were long --
MR. McCLELLAN: We stand by what we've said previously, in terms of the regime's ties to terrorism, yes. And I think that's what the Vice President was referring to.
Q The President said there were no ties in the run up to the war.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, Helen, that's a mischaracterization. There were clear ties to terrorism between the regime --
Q He said there were no ties with al Qaeda.
MR. McCLELLAN: -- certainly supporting suicide bombers in the Middle East.
Q Are you repudiating what the President said?
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I think you're talking about September 11th.
What a bunch of jackasses. Admitting there were no ties between Saddam and al-Qaeda would remove one of the pillars of justification for the Iraq war, which would leave the entire weight of justification leaning on... well, not much really. We can't have that - I mean, otherwise people would think that we shouldn't have gone into Iraq the way we did.
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.
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