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To: J_F_Shepard who wrote (8022)	6/10/2006 1:34:33 AM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 14758

Ooops: Times Accidentally Bolsters Bush's Iraq Argument Andy McCarthy The Corner There's good stuff in the Times this morning, too. Like this gem tucked in the middle of John Burns's report on Zarqawi (italics are mine): <<< [U.S. spokesman] Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV ... told reporters at a briefing that United States commanders had identified the man most likely to take over as Al Qaeda's leader in Iraq, an Egyptian militant who uses the nom de guerre Abu al-Masri. General Caldwell said Mr. Masri had been in Iraq since 2002, and had played a major role in organizing suicide bombings around Baghdad. >>> "But wait a minute," you say. I thought you guys at the Times said there were no terrorists in Iraq until the Americans brought them there." It's a good time to remember that there were long-standing ties between Iraq and al Qaeda before we invaded in 2003, and that Zarqawi himself was in Iraq (and had contacts with Iraqi Intelligence) well in advance of the invasion. Steve Hayes summarized some of the intelligence in his important book, The Connection. As he wrote, drawing from a CIA senior executive memorandum dated February 21, 2003: Close al Qaeda associate al Zarqawi has had an operational alliance with Iraqi officials. As of October 2002, al Zarqawi maintained contacts with the IIS [Iraqi Intelligence Service] to procure weapons and explosives, including surface-to-air missiles from an IIS official in Baghdad.... Zarqawi was setting up sleeper cells in Baghdad to be activated in case of a U.S. occupation of the city.... http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MWE4YTUxNWRiYjBjOTM3MzNjYjFhZWJiOTQ2NWU3YTA= nytimes.com amazon.com

To: J_F_Shepard who wrote (8022)	6/10/2006 2:28:46 AM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 14758

Here's 9/11 Commission Chair Thomas Kean during the press conference for the release of the commission'a final report: There is "no question in our minds that there was a relationship between Iraq and al Queda." 9/11 Commissioner and Former Democratic Sen. Bob Kerrey: Iraq-al Qaeda Docs "Tie [Saddam] into a Circle that Meant to Damage the United States" You can cling to the liberal lie that Saddam had no ties to terrorists if you wish. And you can play all the word games with "collaborative operational relationship" you want. The Gulf War Cease Fire Agreement was unequivocal - Saddam was required to sever ALL TIES to ALL terrorists, both domestic & foreign. In the real world it is known that Saddam financed, trained & harbored terrorists, including al qaeda. The evidence supporting that is overwhelming. 9/1 Commissioners statements Message 20339152 Message 22292305 Gulf War Cease Fire Agreement dalebroux.com UN Resolution 1441 - NOTE that this final warning to Saddam is irrevocably tied to the Gulf War Cease Fire Agreement as was EVERY SINGLE UN RESOLUTION THAT SADDAM REPEATEDLY VIOLATED. un.int The Saddam Fedayeen also took part in the regime's domestic terrorism operations and planned for attacks throughout Europe and the Middle East. In a document dated May 1999, Saddam's older son, Uday, ordered preparations for "special operations, assassinations, and bombings, for the centers and traitor symbols in London, Iran and the self-ruled areas [Kurdistan]." Preparations for "Blessed July," a regime-directed wave of "martyrdom" operations against targets in the West, were well under way at the time of the coalition invasion. Think about that last sentence. Message 22275573 Saddam Targeted American Assets For Terrorism Message 22332997 Saddam Targeted American Assets For Terrorism: Case Closed Message 22340774 Message 22341584 Papers reveal Iraq-al Qaeda ties — again Message 22344918 The Connection Message 22367590 The Saddam Files: Why Make IEDs In 2000? Message 22372874 Saddam Paid "Arab Fedayeen" Message 22376701 In Saddam's Archives So Iraqi intelligence conducted "covert offensive operations" involving "poisons" as well as explosives, carried out "sabotage and assassination" outside of Iraq, and trained agents in "the use of terror techniques" abroad. Not bad for a single eight-page document. http://www.siliconinvestor.com/readmsg.aspx?msgid=22268851 Iraq Papers: Al-Qaeda In Iraq In 2002 In Recruitment Drive Message 22268948 Declassified Truth Message 22272068 ABC News Says Hussein May Have Worked With Terrorists, bin Laden, Runs Disclaimer Message 22272076 DISCLAIM THIS Message 22272091 ...A Persistent Vegetative State Message 22272097 Saddam's Philippines Terror Connection Message 22275573 IIS [Iraqi intelligence] report on Kurdish activities, mention of Kurdish reporting on Al Qaida, reference to Al Qaida presence in Salman Pak. http://www.siliconinvestor.com/readmsg.aspx?msgid=22287641 ABCNews: Released Documents Show Exploration of bin Ladin/Hussein Alliance Message 22288235 More on Saddam and bin Laden Message 22291781 "Blessed July" - One of the Saddam documents details orders for an extensive terrorist operation. Message 22294321 Those Saddam documents are coming out, and there are strong suggestions--not surprisingly to some of us--that the notion that he had nothing to do with al Qaeda is a myth. Message 22294361 A representative of the Communist Party urged that the Iraqi Government be prepared to conceal elements (‘anasir) of the organization al-Qa’ida in the district of Salman Pak, in addition to elements of the Turkish Workers’ Party and the Mujahidin Khalq Iraniyya, and that they are studying the use of chemical weapons. Iraq will (use them?) in case a military strike is directed toward them. http://www.siliconinvestor.com/readmsg.aspx?msgid=22302964 The New York Times finally acknowledges the Saddam documents--if only to dismiss them. Message 22305228 When Cynicism Meets Fanaticism - Critiquing the critique of the war in Iraq. Message 22313463 Newly released documents provide more evidence of Saddam's terror ties. Message 22321354 INCREDIBLE ARTICLE Message 22328027

To: J_F_Shepard who wrote (8022)	6/10/2006 2:29:38 AM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 14758

Let me know if you need even more irrefutable evidence to disabuse you of the liberal myths you cling so mightily to.

To: J_F_Shepard who wrote (8022)	6/10/2006 5:02:10 AM
From: Sully-	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 14758

Al Qaeda's Pre-War Ties to Iraq By Daniel McKivergan WorldwideStandard.com Jun 8 2006 Zarqawi and other al Qaeda terrorists had connections to Iraq before coalition forces invaded in March 2003. As the co-chairman of the September 11 Commission, Governor Thomas Kean, stated, "there was no question in our minds that there was a relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda." Or consider this, from the memoir of the former commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, General Tommy Franks, American Soldier: <<< One known terrorist, a Jordanian-born Palestinian named Abu Musab Zarqawi who had joined al Qaeda in Afghanistan -- where he specialized in developing chemical and biological weapons -- was now confirmed to operate from one of the camps in Iraq. Badly wounded fighting coalition forces in Afghanistan, Zarqawi had received medical treatment in Baghdad before setting up with Ansar al Islam. And evidence suggested that he had been joined there by other al Qaeda leaders, who had been ushered through Baghdad and given safe passage into northern Iraq by Iraqi security forces....[p. 332] And while many al Qaeda leaders had been killed [in Afghanistan], others had sought sanctuary in Iraq. [p. 403] >>> According to the September 11 report: <<< With the Sudanese regime acting as intermediary, Bin Laden himself met with senior Iraqi intelligence officer in Khartoum in late 1994 or early 1995. Bin Laden is said to have asked for space to establish training camps, as well as assistance in procuring weapons, but there is no evidence that Iraq responded to this request... [but] the ensuing years saw additional efforts to establish connections. (p.61) In March 1998, after Bin Laden's public fatwa against the United States, two al Qaeda members reportedly went to Iraq to meet with Iraqi intelligence. In July, an Iraqi delegation traveled to Afghanistan to meet first with the Taliban and then with Bin Laden. Sources reported that one, or perhaps both, of these meetings was apparently arranged through Bin Laden's Egyptian deputy, Zawahiri, who had ties of his own to the Iraqis. (p.66) Similar meetings between Iraqi officials and Bin Laden or his aides may have occurred in 1999 during a period of some reported strains with the Taliban. According to the reporting, Iraqi officials offered Bin Laden a safe haven in Iraq. Bin Laden declined, apparently judging that his circumstances in Afghanistan remained more favorable than the Iraqi alternative. The reports describe friendly contacts and indicate some common themes in both sides' hatred of the United States. But to date we have seen no evidence that these or the earlier contacts ever developed into a collaborative operational relationship. Nor have we seen evidence indicating that Iraq cooperated with al Qaeda in developing or carrying out any attacks against the United States. (p.66) >>> In addition, a June 25, 2004 New York Times article, "Iraqis, Seeking Foes of Saudis, Contacted bin Laden, File Says," reported on the contents of a mid-1990s Iraqi intelligence document believed to be authentic. According to the article, <<< bin Laden "had some reservations about being labeled an Iraqi operative." the Iraqi regime agreed to bin Laden's request to rebroadcast anti-Saudi propaganda. bin Laden "requested joint operations against foreign forces" in Saudi Arabia. The U.S. had a strong troop presence in Saudi Arabia at the time. following bin Laden's departure from Sudan, Iraq intelligence began "seeking other channels through which to handle the relationship." the Iraqi Intelligence service believed "cooperation between the two organizations should be allowed to develop freely through discussion and agreement." a Sudanese official in 1994 told Uday Hussein and the director of Iraqi Intelligence that bin Laden was willing to meet in Sudan. >>> And there are many more examples. To be continued… weeklystandard.com 9-11commission.gov