Tuesday, October 28, 2008

De-Linking Iraq and 9-11

Downing Street Memo. “…Military action was now seen as inevitable. Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy.…”

“We have no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved with the 11 September attacks.” (George W. Bush, 9/2003)

“We don't know.” (Vice-President Dick Cheney when pressed on whether there was a link between Iraq and 11 September during a CNBC interview, September 2003.)

BBC: Looking back at what the administration said.

“I’ve not seen any indication that would lead me to believe that I could say that.” (Donald Rumsfeld responding at a Pentagon news conference, when he was asked about a poll that indicated nearly 70% of respondents believed the Iraqi leader probably was personally involved.)

“We have never claimed that Saddam Hussein had either direction or control of 9/11.” (Condoleezza Rice, ABC Nightline)

Bush acknowledges al-Qaeda not in Iraq until after we invaded, and says "So what?" YouTube

9/11 Commission finds no collaborative relationship between Iraq and 9/11 Washington Post

Five years after invasion, Joint Forces Command report finds no connection between Iraq and al-Qaeda, and no WMD's. CNN

National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell stated Bush administration manipulated Iraq Intel ‘because they didn’t like the answers.’ Think Progress.