'05 Bin Laden Intel Declassified

(AP)  President Bush declassified intelligence Tuesday asserting that Osama bin Laden ordered a top lieutenant in early 2005 to form a terrorist cell that would conduct attacks outside Iraq — and that the United States should be the top target.

Frances Fragos Townsend, the White House homeland security adviser, said the intelligence bolsters the Bush administration's contention that al Qaeda wants to use Iraq as a staging area to launch terrorist attacks around the world, including the United States.

In January 2005, bin Laden tasked al Qaeda operative Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was in Iraq, to organize the cell, Townsend said. Al-Zarqawi, the former leader of al Qaeda's Iraq operations, was killed there in June 2006 by a U.S. air strike.

"We know from the intelligence community that al-Zarqawi welcomed the tasking and claimed he already had some good proposals," Townsend said.

She said that in the spring of 2005, bin Laden instructed Hamza Rabia, a senior operative, to brief al-Zarqawi on al Qaeda planning to attack sites outside Iraq, including the United States. She did not disclose where in the United States those attacks were being plotted.

Around the same time, Abu Fajah al-Libi, a senior al Qaeda manager, suggested that bin Laden send Rabia to Iraq to actually help al-Zarqawi plan the external operations, Townsend said. It is unclear whether Radbia went to Iraq, she said.

She said the information was declassified because the intelligence community has tracked all leads from the information.

Townsend disclosed the information to The Associated Press and other news agencies in advance of Mr. Bush's commencement speech Wednesday at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Mr. Bush is expected to emphasize the continuing threat of terrorism and recount steps taken by his administration to prevent attacks.

[toldyouso21]

Bush 2001: "we will find Bin Laden, we will hunt him to the ends of the earth and we will bring him to justice--dead or alive."

Bush 2003" (after Iraq war was started) "I don't know where Bin Laden is and frankly, I don't spend that much time thinking about him"

Bush 2004: continual commercials of 9/11 and Bin Laden prior to elections

Bush 2004: Bin Laden spotted with hunting party of Dubai royalty--operatives told to stand down

later, operative unit dismantled by Bush and defunded

2005: Democrats demand refunding and reassembling of unit to hunt Bin Laden--resisted by Bush and Republicans

Summer 2006: Unit re-funded and assembled --Bush furious

2006: Commercials resume about 9/11 and attacks by Bin Laden

9/11/06: Bush to 9/11 families:"We have not given up our hunt of Bin Laden, I promise you that we will bring him to justice and that he remains the number 1 priority for my admin"

2 weeks later 2006: (interview with Fred Barnes) Bush to Barnes: "Honestly, Bin Laden is just not a priority in the war on terror"

Continual commercials until loss of election 11/06.

ON 9/11/01 --INSTEAD OF BUSH READING "MY PET GOAT" HE SHOULD HAVE READ "THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF"

[firststate]

Multitasking is beyond clueless leader. When he started his irrational invasion of Iraq, maybe he meant to continue going after Bin Laden, but it slipped his mind. If he'd dealt with al-Qaeda and Bin Laden, all this al-Qaeda in Iraq bushshit needn't have happened because al-Zarqawi wouldn't have been in Iraq. The newly released intel tries to show an Iraq/al-Qaeda connection, but it fails just as surely as dumbya's war has. Al-Qaeda weren't in Iraq until we allowed them in. It seems he didn't secure their borders, either.

Saddam wouldn't abide al-Qaeda and was a buffer, keeping Iran in check, but bubba had a hard for Saddam and refused to allow reason to outweigh his obsession. The result is like the drunk who started wrestling an alligator on a bet. The guy got a firm grasp on the gator only to realize he didn't know what to do with it, next. Dumbya grasped Iraq, getting rid of Saddam and he had no idea what his next move should be.

After 3,431 members of our military have been killed and the moron is still trying to convince anyone at all that Iraq was somehow involved with al-Qaeda and 9/11 instead of trying to find a sane way out of his irrational mess. Our commander-incompetent needs a reality check, but his associates either share his delusions or have motives like the PNAC's new American empire, or the nut cases wanting to start Armageddon.

[mikealford3]

This information coming out is no more trustworthy than anything else coming from the White House. This is just another convienent excuse for Bush to use for invading Iraq. None of the previous reasons have come true, therefore Bush is creating another lie to cover up the many other lies he has told.

[realpatriot1]

Wasn't George "WMD is a slam dunk"Tenant still running the CIA in 2005? It must be 100% true then.

Could we be trying to build a case for something that's coming just in time to pull Bush's marshmallows out of the fire?

[boatdocster]

Interesting... Iraq was a safer place for its residents (yes, I know Sadam was bad and ran secret police groups) but at least they could go to school and to the market.

No US troops were getting killed when Sadam was in charge. 9/11 was not done by IRAQI's!!

No Weapons!!!

Now Bush has created so much chaos that Bin Laden wants to move in. If Bush had gone after Bin Laden from the start, this would have been over a long time ago.

Why are US service men and women dying in Iraq!?!?

http://action.priceofoil.org/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=6978&t=wide.dwt

[mbcsmith]

Al Quaida in Iraq is a serious threat to the U.S. However, the LIBS in Congress want to SURRENDER! No thanks. FUND THE TROOPS NOW!

[micma-2009]

Bush on Bin Laden:



"The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him." %u2014Washington, D.C., Sept. 13, 2001



"I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority." %u2014Washington, D.C., March 13, 2002



"So I don't know where he is. You know, I just don't spend that much time on him, Kelly, to be honest with you." 3/13/2002




"Uhh Gosh, I.. don't think I ever said I'm not worried about Osama bin Laden. It's kind of one of those, uhh, exaggerations." 10/13/2004

[harp1963]

Bush, Cheney, and all their trained monkeys in the administration are a bunch of liars. Read what a life long Republican who served several Republican Administrations, sucessfully ran large companies, and has a impeccable reputation for honesty and integrity had to say about George Bush, Osoma Bin Ladin 9/11, and Iraq. He was at Bush's 1st Cabinet Meeting in the first term and many more.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/09/60minutes/main592330.shtml


"Men desire authority for its own sake that they may bear a rule, command and control other men, and live uncommanded and uncontrolled themselves" (St. Thomas More, A Dialogue of Comfort).

[omega39-2009]

Thank you Mr. President for keeping our country safe despite the constant undermining, lying, and smearing coming from our classless Dems in our DO-NOTHING CONGRESS with their 27% approval rating and their close pals in our corrupt liberal MSM wolfpack...........let freedom ring.
Posted by perception5

Perception5, are your parents sending you to Jesus Camp this summer? I hear they have a life size cutout of Dubbya that the children pray to, you should fit right in.

[micma-2009]

Bush on Bin Laden:



"So I don't know where he is. You know, I just don't spend that much time on him, Kelly, to be honest with you."
- George W. Bush, 3/13/2002


"Uhh Gosh, I.. don't think I ever said I'm not worried about Osama bin Laden. It's kind of one of those, uhh, exaggerations."
- George W. Bush, 10/13/2004