[Seeker]

Bush Distances from Cheney on Saddam-9/11 Link (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&ncid=578&e=2&u=/nm/20030917/ts_nm/iraq_usa_dc)

Now, I know I been purtty focused on my new job the last six months, and haven't seen much of the news, but I thought Bush had told us that there was a link between SaDamn and 9/11. I was sure I heard Bush say something to that effect. Maybe it was just that I heard it stated as truth so many tomes on Right-Wing radio that I thought Bush had said it.

Bush Distances from Cheney on Saddam-9/11 LinkBy Steve Holland

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush (news - web sites) distanced himself on Wednesday from comments by Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) that left the impression he saw a possible link between Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) and the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.


"We've had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved in Sept. 11," Bush told reporters as he met members of Congress on energy legislation.


Democrats have accused the administration of creating the "false impression" at the heart of a widespread belief held by Americans that Saddam had a personal role in the attacks.


A recent poll by the Washington Post said 69 percent of Americans believed there was a Saddam link to the Sept. 11 attacks although no evidence of such a link has surfaced.


Cheney, interviewed on Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," left open the possibility of a Saddam link to the attacks.


Cheney said on Sunday "It's not surprising" the public would believe Saddam was involved in the attacks, blamed on the al Qaeda network of Osama bin Laden (news - web sites), who has repeatedly praised the attacks.


"We don't know," Cheney said. "We've learned a couple of things. We learned more and more that there was a relationship between Iraq (news - web sites) and al Qaeda that stretched back through most of the decade of the '90s."


Bush said Cheney was right about suspicions of an Iraq-al Qaeda link, citing the case of Jordanian Abu Musab Zarqawi, a leader of an Islamic group in northern Iraq called Ansar al-Islam believed to have links to al Qaeda.


The United States believes Zarqawi received medical treatment in Baghdad and helped orchestrate the assassination of a U.S. diplomat in Jordan.


"There's no question that Saddam Hussein had al Qaeda ties," Bush said.

[agricola]

once again:

Ansar al-Islam existed during the time of Saddam, and continues to exist, within Iraqi Kurdistan - that area of Iraq outside the control of Saddam since the 1991 uprising, especially near to the border with Iran. These areas are (and were) controlled by groups like the PUK and KDP (the pershmerga who assisted US forces during that part of the campaign were from these groups). If the AaI are connected to anyone, it is Iran.

[Sergeant Bob]

Just because the area was not under the control of Hussien does not necessarily mean he didn't have ties to Ansar al-Islam. Not saying he did, just saying it's a possibility. He didn't have control of Gaza or the West Bank, but he certainly had ties to Palistinian terrorists, at least in openly rewarding homicide bombers (defacto paying them to blow up Isrealis).

[Mark Tyson]

Kurdish groups helped US forces to dispatch a few of those camps during the main campaign. A lot of Kurds both abroad and at home support the US.

[Hkmp5sd]

Bush said there were links between Saddam and Al Qaeda. He said from the beginning there were no absolute links between Saddam and 9/11. No way would bin Laden chance a major security leak by letting Saddam know about the attack beforehand. Besides, if Bush had proof Saddam was involved in 9/11, he wouldn't have even asked the UN for a "by your leave" before attacking Iraq.

Even with that, polls up until yesterday show that around 60% of the US citizens do believe there is a link with Saddam and 9/11.

[Tamara]

Coincidentally, roughly the same number that believe in astrology. ;)

[CMichael]

Now, I know I been purtty focused on my new job the last six months, and haven't seen much of the news, but I thought Bush had told us that there was a link between SaDamn and 9/11. I was sure I heard Bush say something to that effect. Maybe it was just that I heard it stated as truth so many tomes on Right-Wing radio that I thought Bush had said it.

That is not accurate. Pres. Bush said there are links between Iraq and Al Qaida and that is true. However, there is no evidence of direct links regarding 9 11 between Iraq and Al Qaida, however, I wouldn't be surprised for a moment if Hussein helped Al Qaida plan this operation.

For some reason neither Hussein or UBL seem too forthcoming.