Cheney: Was There ‘A Link Between Iraq And Al Qaeda? Seems To Me Pretty Clear That There Was’»

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/03/17/cheney-iraq-al-qaeda-again/

Cheney: Was There ‘A Link Between Iraq And Al Qaeda? Seems To Me Pretty Clear That There Was’»



Before the Iraq war began, Dick Cheney was among the most prominent messengers of the false claim that Saddam Hussein had a relationship with al Qaeda. For example, he said it was “pretty well confirmed” that a 9/11 hijacker met with Iraqi intelligence officials before 9/11.

Over the past five years, numerous intelligence reports have conclusively proved that there was no Iraq/al Qaeda relationship. A Senate Intelligence Committee report stated in Sept. 2006 that Saddam and Osama bin Laden were not collaborators, but rather enemies.

More recently, a study commissioned by the Defense Department to look into the Iraq/al Qaeda ties “showed no connection between the two.” But Dick Cheney still isn’t convinced. Speaking at a press conference in Iraq today, Cheney shot down the new report. He acknowledged that — while no “operational link” has been found between Iraq and al Qaeda — it’s “pretty clear” there is a link:

CHENEY: Well, this is no operational link. But there was, as I recall from looking at it, extensive links with Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Egyptian Islamic Jihad was the organization headed by Zawahiri, and he merged EIJ with Al Qaeda when he became the deputy director of Al Qaida, Osama bin Laden’s number two. Now, was that a link between Iraq and Al Qaeda? Seems to me pretty clear that there was.

But it’s a question — I would urge you to go read the report. I know ABC reported on it. If you dig into the report in depth, I think you may find that there was an extensive relationship with a broad range of terrorist groups, that he was a state sponsor of terror. And I don’t think there’s any doubt about that.

To refresh everyone’s memories about Zarqawi, he operated in a region of Iraq before the war that was independent of Saddam and completely outside his control.

During the press conference, Cheney again cited a throughly-debunked Weekly Standard article written by his own biographer Stephen Hayes as laying out the best case of an Iraq/al Qaeda connection. “It was the Weekly Standard that dealt with this subject,” Cheney said.

Though Cheney urged reporters to “go read the report,” reporters will have a difficult time doing that. According to ABC News, the new Pentagon report “won’t be emailed to reporters and it won’t be posted online.” So you’ll just have to take Dick Cheney’s word for it.

Full transcript at link~

[peace13]

1. He looks pretty pink for a guy....

who's full of *hit!!

[Mountainman]

2. It looks like one of those deals where he tells the news agency what to write then quotes the news

agency to support his lie.

[tanyev]

3. And it seems to you that Iraq was a successful endeavor.

STFU, Dick.

[bushmeister0]

4. Zarqawi is straw man even in death

Thomas Ricks reported on 10 April 06:

"The U.S. military is conducting a propaganda campaign to magnify the role of the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, according to internal military documents and officers familiar with the program. The effort has raised his profile in a way that some military intelligence officials believe may have overstated his importance and helped the Bush administration tie the war to the organization responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Some senior intelligence officers believe Zarqawi's role may have been overemphasized by the propaganda campaign, which has included leaflets, radio and television broadcasts, Internet postings and at least one leak to an American journalist. Although Zarqawi and other foreign insurgents in Iraq have conducted deadly bombing attacks, they remain 'a very small part of the actual numbers,' Col. Derek Harvey, who served as a military intelligence officer in Iraq and then was one of the top officers handling Iraq intelligence issues on the staff of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told an Army meeting at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., last summer."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/09/AR2006040900890_pf.html

[bushmeister0]

5. ATimes on how US used Zarqawi to justiy leveling Fallujah

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/FJ15Ak02.html

[The Wielding Truth]

6. Anyone who believes any Repub. at this point is a fool.

Their lies will NOT change the truth. Pathological.Isn't that what the Republicons are?

[wilt the stilt]

7. I wish two things to Dick Cheney

alzheimer's and then a heart attack

[Rex]

8. Keep lying you bastard, I hope Congress makes you pay for every

lie you utter. Worthless piece of shit.

[Broadslidin]

9. And to realize, pitiful political pipsqueaks like Palosi, coddle this cock-sure crook....

:nuke: :patriot: :nuke:

[Aviation Pro]

10. Oh, go have a coronary.....

....you fetid shitsack of a pustulated colon.

[earthboundmisfit]

11. Karma, oh Karma -

PLEASE KICK IN SOON for this husband of a bitch!

[Brigid]

12. Poor Dick.

Looks like he's about to blow a gasket there, doesn't he? :rofl:

[Ikonoklast]

13. Fuck Off And Die, Shitstain.

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