Pentagon: No Saddam-Al Qaeda Link

Meanwhile, Cheney Repeats Assertions Of Terror Group's Ties In Iraq

(AP)  Saddam Hussein's government did not cooperate with al Qaeda prior to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the U.S. Defense Department said in a report based on interrogations of the deposed leader and two of his former aides.

Meanwhile, Vice President Dick Cheney repeated his assertions of al Qaeda links to Saddam's Iraq, contending that the terrorist group was operating in Iraq before the March 2003 invasion led by U.S. forces and that terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was leading the Iraqi branch of al Qaeda. Others in al Qaeda planned the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

"He took up residence there before we ever launched into Iraq, organized the al Qaeda operations inside Iraq before we even arrived on the scene and then, of course, led the charge for Iraq until we killed him last June," Cheney told radio host Rush Limbaugh during an interview Thursday. "As I say, they were present before we invaded Iraq."

However, a declassified Pentagon report released Thursday said that interrogations of Saddam and two of his former aides as well as seized Iraqi documents confirmed that the terrorist organization and the Saddam government were not working together before the invasion.

The Sept. 11 Commission's 2004 report also found no evidence of a collaborative relationship between Saddam and Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network during that period.

Democratic Sen. Carl Levin, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, had requested that the Pentagon declassify the report prepared by acting Defense Department Inspector General Thomas F. Gimble. In a statement Thursday, Levin said the declassified document showed why a Defense Department investigation had concluded that some Pentagon prewar intelligence work was inappropriate.

The report, which had been released in summary form in February, said that former Pentagon policy chief Douglas J. Feith had acted inappropriately but not illegally in reviewing prewar intelligence. Levin has claimed that Feith's intelligence assessment was wrong and distorted but nevertheless formed part of the basis on which President George W. Bush took the country to war.

Although Feith's assessment in mid-2002 offered several examples of cooperation between Saddam's government and al Qaeda, the report said, the CIA had concluded months earlier that no evidence supported the existence of significant or long-term relationships.

[j-whitman]

Hamiltongrad,,, The burden is on this President,, So far he's totally failed in the entire Mid-East... His Christian Zionism istn't what the region needs.

[randalds]

Saddam Hussein's government did not cooperate with al Qaeda, but al Qaeda was in Iraq and operated out of Iraq, so is Iraq to blame? This is the new problem, how do you blame an entire country and attack the terrorist contained within it? Is it fair to go to war with a country if its government claims ignorance?
Posted by tbweb at 08:52 AM : Apr 07, 2007

"Did not cooperate'? Saddam hated bin Laden's guts and the feeling was mutual. Abu Masub al-Zarqawi was in extreme Northern Iraq before the war, but he was not associated with al-Qaeda then and he was in the no-fly zone and out of Saddam's reach. That's because he knew Saddam would have had him shot on sight. Saddam was a secular dictator and didn't want to share power with any religious fanatics. He had terrorists killed just as often as he had Shiites killed, maybe more so as he hated them more.

[inventagod]

Calling the Bu$h oil-grab a 'war' does not make it one.
Congress never called it a war...
The UN never called it a war...
Only the PNAC traitors have called it that.

[starleo146]

George Bush, D*i*c*K Cheney, Karl Rove, Alberto Gonzales, they are all a government to themselves.They shun the Congress, CIA, FBI, and the people of this country they couldn't care less what we think Why do you think they passed a bill they could never be tried for war crimes the republican majority did that what kind of man elected in this country would walk up and vote for such a bill. I don't know how to clean it all up I have become so distrustful of all politicians, who is paying all this money to people to be the next president? As soon as we stop that maybe part of the problem will be solved, then get rid of the lobbyist.cheney's insistance with Rush is joke.

[plainjean]

*** Cheney on the Rush Limbaugh Show. Isn't that like hearing Herman Goering on Radio Berlin say about January 1945? Limbaugh fancies himself to be an intellectual, when in reality he and all the rest of those conservative radio shock jocks are nothing more than DEMAGOGUES! Go get em Katie and CBS. Don't let them off the hook.

[inventagod]

This issue speaks loudly for the entire Bu$h administration, the Liar's Parade just keeps going and going and...

[tbweb]

The real problem with this issue is the same as all the others, the world is not black and white, the world is many shades of grey. This new terrorist enemy knows no state, country or flag in the context that traditional enemies were identified. This means traditional governments can keep their hands clean while financing and supporting several bands of terrorist who roam the planet with their destructive deeds. Saddam Hussein's government did not cooperate with al Qaeda, but al Qaeda was in Iraq and operated out of Iraq, so is Iraq to blame? This is the new problem, how do you blame an entire country and attack the terrorist contained within it? Is it fair to go to war with a country if its government claims ignorance?

[zootallures2]

Levin and Feith, heh? First I wanna know which one eats shrimp or cheese burgers?

[zootallures2]

But a Shuttle mission dedicated to them buy Ronald Reagan might indicate a link between space aliens and Al Qaeda.

Cheney told that to UFO. He also talks to them Zetas ya know.

[pakaal]

"Feith's intelligence assessment was wrong and distorted but nevertheless formed part of the basis on which President George W. Bush took the country to war."

C'mon. Rumsfeld and Cheney created Feith's office precisely because they didn't like the intelligence they were getting from the CIA and Pentagon. The sentence shouldn't say it was wrong and distorted BUT it formed the part of the basis for war, the sentence should say it was wrong and distorted AND SO it formed part of Bush's basis for war. Distorting the intelligence was the goal of Feith's office, and they achieved that goal perfectly - at the cost of thousands of brave American lives from 2003 to today.

[mh4cbs1]

CBS:

Corpoate Broadcasting System,

Why can't you just SAY that Cheney is LYING? Why can't you just tell the truth, that Cheny LIED before the Invasion and he has LIED ever since, and he is STILL lying.

Your corporate pro-Bush propaganda is pathetic, and it is one reason why 3,250 troops are DEAD. Yes, you let the Bush gang get away with their pre-invasion Lies. You Cheerleaded Bush into WAR. The blood of our troops is on CBS hands as well.

[mh4cbs1]

Has this disgusting sick murderous thug of a vice president have no shame??

He continues his LIES that scared and confused most Americans to the point he was able to carry out his NeoCon PNAC plan to Invade Iraq (with the help of spineless Democrats, who knew he was lying but didn't want to cast a vote for peace).

IMPEACH these SOBs! Then JAIL and THROW AWAY THE KEY.

Why do these PATHETIC DEMOCRATS let Cheney and Bush run our coutnry into the ground. Lying us into an Invasion of a Nation that was NOT a threat is the HIGHEST of High Crimes and Misdomeaners.

I am so sick and tired of these Republicat Corporate-owned politicians. We need a major house cleaning. I'm voting Green Party, to h*ll with these clowns, it's Vietnam all over again - nothing changes.

[pepperp1]

More of Cheney fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance see below list!

No WMD
No Saddam 911 Link
No Niger Saddam uranium purchase
One al Qeada in Iraq before the war
No immanent threat
Mission was not accomplished
It has taken years not weeks
Bombs not flowers welcomed our soldiers
American Taxpayer not Iraq oil revenues is footing the bill
It is about oil
Water boarding is not quaint
Global Warming is real
EPA is obligated to establish standards
Support our troops unless they get hurt
Cheney did divulge identify of a covert CIA officer
Libby did lie and obstruct justice
No Alcohol was involved except for that 1 beer at lunch
WH was involved in US attorney firings
AND TODAY A Wisconsin Democrat prosecuted during the 06 election and darling of the republican anti dem corruption commercials conviction was thrown out today and she ordered released from federal prison, prosecutor was a loyal Bushy ?

And so on%u2026%u2026%u2026%u2026

[inventagod]

News flash!
The Pentagon today told the truth.
The Vice-President, however, continued to lie.

May we begin impeachment proceedings now?

[hhkeller]

Someone should investigate the NeoCon/Aipac connections to this war. Were our representatives lobbied heavily in order to destabilize the middle east. Can a single lobby group affect policy and policy makers so much?

[realpatriot1]

Superpetr898 can't enlist, the Israeli Army isn't part of the "Coalition of the willing".

You didn't think Superpatr898, or whatever he calls himself today is American, did you?

[forthepeaple]

A declassified Pentagon report released Thursday concludes that there was no direct cooperation between Saddam Hussein's regime and al Qeada. But *** Cheney, apparently, remains convinced there was. ONLY IN HIS AND BUSHES HEAD!!!! ALSO RUMSFELDS HEAD..THEY SHOULD BE HANGED FOR TREASON AGAIST OUR COUNTRY...FOR THE MURDERS OF OUR KIDS.

The Washington Post on Friday said the report, which had been issued in summary form in February, drew on "captured Iraqi documents" and "interrogations of Saddam Hussein and two former aides" which "all confirmed" that Saddam and al Qaeda were not working together prior to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. THERE HAVE BEEN ALOT OF US SAYING THIS EXECT THING FOR A LONG TIME NOW, SO WERE ARE THE ONES THAT LOVE THERE BUSH CRIME FAMILY.THIS SHOULD KILL THEM..SEEING CHENEY WINEING LIKE A BABY.

EVERYONE THAT WANTS TO STILL BELEIVE IN THIS CRIME FAMILY SHOULD BE MADE TO TALK TO ALL THE MOTHERS AND FATHERS AND WIFES OF THE TROOPS THAT HAVE GIVEN THERE LIVES FOR NOTHING, I AM SO SORRY FOR ALL OF YOU, I AM VET TO AND I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW I WILL DO MY BEST TO GET THEM ALL, ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, THEY WILL ALL PAY FOR THERE MURDEREST WAYS..

AND I HOPE EVERYONE NOW RELISES THAT THIS GOVERNMENT IS NOT FOR AMERICA. AMERICA IS BROKE WE OWE CHINA 3 TRILLION DOLLARS THAT WE BORROWED FOR THIS WAR.. WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR OUR CONGRESS TO PUT A AND TO IT..

[j-whitman]

Superpatr898 (Lieberman) --

ENLIST & SERVE YOUR COUNTRY OR QUIT RUNNING YOUR MOUTH & SPREADING HATE,, FEAR & IDIOTIC SUPPORT OF A FAILED PRESIDENT

[zoroastor]

I was actaully there briefly, supermoron. THe closest you have come is the wildly inaccurate editorial by Deroy Murdock.

[zoroastor]

Inconsistencies in the stories of the defectors led some U.S. officials, journalists, and investigators to conclude that the Salman Pak story was inaccurate. One senior U.S. official said that they had found "nothing to substantiate" the claim that al-Qaeda trained at Salman Pak.[9][10] The credibility of the defectors has been questioned due to their association with the Iraqi National Congress, an organization that has been accused of deliberately supplying false information to the US government in order to build support for an invasion of Iraq.[11] "The INC%u2019s agenda was to get us into a war", said Helen Kennedy of the New York Daily News.[12]

The DIA told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in 2006 that after Operation Desert Storm, "fabricators and unestablished sources who reported hearsay or thirdhand information created a large volume of human intelligence reporting. This type of reporting surged after September 2001 and continued well after the capture of Salman Pak." Yet the DIA's postwar exploitation of the facility found "no information from Salman Pak that links al-Qa'ida with the former regime."