Bush says Zarqawi Killed Berg; Cites Saddam 'Ties'

Reuters ^ | May 15, 2004 | Caren Bohan

[Peach]

Bush Says Zarqawi Killed Berg, Cites Saddam 'Ties' U.S. Military Bars Some Iraq Interrogation Methods

By Caren Bohan MEQUON, Wis. (Reuters) - President Bush on Friday blamed al Qaeda supporter Abu Musab al-Zarqawi for beheading American Nicholas Berg and cited him as an example of Saddam Hussein's "terrorist ties" before the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

Bush's revival of accusations linking Saddam to terrorism comes as the president faces growing doubts among Americans over his Iraq policy.

At a fund-raising lunch in Bridgeton, Missouri, Bush said Zarqawi was an example of the threat posed by the ousted Iraqi leader. "We knew he (Saddam) had terrorist ties. The person responsible for the Berg death, Zarqawi, was in and out of Baghdad prior to our arrival, for example," Bush said.

A video of Berg's beheading was posted this week to an Islamist Web site. The grisly film included a statement, signed off with Zarqawi's name, that urged Muslims to take revenge for Iraqi prisoners abused by U.S. soldiers at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison. The CIA on Thursday said Zarqawi was probably the one who beheaded Berg.

American doubts over Bush's Iraq policy have been fueled by the Abu Ghraib scandal, uncertainties over the planned June 30 transfer of sovereignty to Iraqis and a violent insurgency. Furthermore, the United States has failed to find alleged unconventional weapons in Iraq that were the heart of Bush's case for going to war.

Although Bush administration officials had raised the possibility Saddam helped al Qaeda plan the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, Bush eventually said there was no evidence. Bush has previously cited Zarqawi as a link between Saddam and al Qaeda.

The president, in his stops in two battleground states for this November's presidential election, sought to reassure Americans his Iraq policy was on track.

Bush said in Bridgeton the transfer of sovereignty could provide hope for Iraqis, although his administration has been criticized for lacking a clear plan.

"They're glad to be rid of Saddam," he said. "And they obviously want to run their own country. If I were them I'd want to run my own country too."

Speaking later at commencement ceremonies at Concordia University in Wisconsin, Bush said the Abu Ghraib scandal had consequences that WENT "well beyond the walls of a prison," but he did not elaborate.

He said the scandal "cannot diminish the honor and achievement of more than 200,000 military personnel who have served in Iraq."

Before setting off for the Midwest, Bush met at the White House with foreign ministers from the Group of Seven major industrial nations plus Russia. The seven are the United States, Britain, Italy, Canada, France, Germany and Japan.

The theme was mending fences with countries such as France and Germany, which bitterly opposed the war. Bush hopes to enlist their help with the Iraq sovereignty transfer.

"He (Bush) talked about putting aside past differences and all of us working together to help the Iraqi people realize a brighter future," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. (Additional reporting by David Morgan and Steve Holland)

© Reuters 2004. All Rights Reserved.

[Peach]

Just click bookmark on this page. It will go to your "Links" and stay there.

If you need more info, let me know.

[Peach]

I had thought for some time as you do, Quilla.

I've since changed my mind. The fact that Saddam had such links with AQ is irrefutable and goes back over a decade. Such facts are easily provable.

If President Bush is waiting, he's waited too long (imo). He has lost a lot of support for the war and people are just turned off by it now. He's let the Democrats have the talking points for too long.

If he'd been talking about Saddam's links with OBL right along, Americans would have been cheering every bit of good news for 2 years, instead of ingesting all the bad news from the media and grousing about the war. That kind of optimistic view from Americans would be helping our soldiers and discouraging our enemies.

I'm so discouraged about this because I feel the only way for the president to turn around support for the war in Iraq is to bolster support for it. The only way to bolster support at this point is to find WMD - and I don't think we will as they are elsewhere, Syria for example. So the only other way to bolster support, and it's a truthful way to go about it, is to make Americans understand how Saddam supported terrorism in general and AQ specifically.

[xzins]

Although Bush administration officials had raised the possibility Saddam helped al Qaeda plan the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, Bush eventually said there was no evidence. Bush has previously cited Zarqawi as a link between Saddam and al Qaeda.

The president refers to direct, provable links that Saddam assisted in 9/11.

The administration has consistently upheld indirect and circumstantial links. This statement by the President verifies that.

[Peach]

Oh, I agree.

But he's let the Democrats have the talking points that there is no links, and very few Republicans contradict that, to their detriment, I believe.

Instead of saying there is no absolute proof at this point, they should discuss some of the things mentioned here.

AT THE LEAST, Saddam knew 9/11 was coming. My belief is he helped in some way.

[tiamat]

Bush has MY vote, and *I'm* a gal!

[TomGuy]

If President Bush is waiting, he's waited too long (imo). He has lost a lot of support for the war and people are just turned off by it now. He's let the Democrats have the talking points for too long.

The Bush Admin has always seemd too slow to react to situations. It allows the Dems to gain political points.

Clinton had his people on-air and in front of cameras even before the bad news hit the wires. Thus, he managed to spin it before it could become an issue [in most cases].

The Prison photos scandal could have been quelled on day 1, if GWB/Rumsfeld had issued a statement that investigations started in January, only a 1/2 dozen are involved, arrest have been made, etc. But the Admin's PR team have allowed this molehill to fester for 2 weeks now and become an infected puss blister. Democrats refer to it as their 'silver bullet.'

The same is true with the Iraq War. GWB is now losing it on the PR front. Kennedy and Co are making it another VietNam. Where are the GWB people out EVERY DAY telling the good that is being done?

If GWB can't get out in front of these kinds of 'problems,' [and you can bet the Dems have more 'situations' lined up to hit the Admin with in the coming weeks], we could very possibly see a President Kerry-Annan in January.

[txrangerette]

Good Saturday Mornin' to ya...

WMD was the ultimate nightmare
scenario after 9-11. The Bush
team totally believed that. We
saw the enemy go for mass kills.
Don't forget how many thousands
ESCAPED the WTC. All were meant
to die.

We KNEW Saddam had capability to
kill even more massively if left
alone to do it. We knew he had
terror links, if not 9-11 itself.
I recall team Bush stressing the
fear of WMD going from Saddam to
terrorists to hit us. Also the
U.N. was wimping out & we used a
WMD rationale on them.

Using simply "terrorist links",
back then, was dicey, IMO. Look
how many other regimes that fit!

Now, it makes more sense to show
Iraq as riddled with terrorists,
and from years ago until now. It
is a fact, & a threat, no matter
where the WMD went. They kill our
soldiers, decent Iraqis, Coalition
forces, contractors, diplomats...
the list goes on. Nick Berg shows
they want to behead ALL OF US.

Their weapon was a knife, not
WMD. We must adjust to it, Peach,
by our use of rhetoric.

[woofie]

I think Quilla is correct ....the campaign in most of America is just now starting ...You wait till you see the whites of their eyes, before you unload the ammunition.

Monsoor Ijaz was recently quoted as saying those who think there is no connection between Iraq nd AlQaeda are simply wrong... A lot of Americans believe that..Its the media and the left that are obsessed with the idea that "Bush lied" about this.

I tried to post this article last night and the web site was having problems. I saw it at DU where those people were having a fit about it. If Bush can make the case that he was right to have gone into Iraq because it is the key in the WoT he will win.

[Peach]

If Bush can make the case that he was right to have gone into Iraq because it is the key in the WoT he will win.

I agree 100%. It is one reason you will see me post these links and slam the pertinent threads consistently.

I've written the administration about this matter as well as House and Senate Intelligence Committees - Republicans only (LOL).

My fear is the administration has waited too long and is too timid regarding this matter, and intimidated by the media's obsessive desire to prove the president wrong.

It's getting very close to the time for the president to take the gloves off and lay out his case, using different and stronger language than he's used in the last year.

[bitt]

which article did you try to post? I am getting confused...
:)

[Peach]

I agree with you completely, TomGuy.

I know the administration has to get through the liberal filter in the media, but surely when we have the House, Senate and Executive Branch, press conferences could be held that more clearly state our case.

That is my major disappointment with the administration - on the PR front they have not done as good a job as freepers could do! LOL

[woofie]

The article I tried to post was "Bush says Zarqawi Killed Berg; Cites Saddam 'Ties'"

[Peach]

Woofie tried to post this article (the article that started this thread). But last night the FR forum was experiencing problems which made it difficult to post articles.

[massadvj]

Conservative/Libertarian purists have absolutely no political sense when it comes to winning and keeping elected office.

Agreed. But then, why would "winning" be important if the resulting government expanded socialism and international meddling at a rate far greater than the Demons would have done?

The nice thing about being a constitutionalist is understanding that freedom is derived from within, not something conferred upon you by government.

True freedom is having the clarity of thought not to invest yourself emotionally in the outcome of an election. You will never find authenticity in your life by transferring your hopes and dreams to others who are likely more corrupted by power than you are.

This is not a sporting event. We're talking about the future of human civilization here, and you folks all rally around your candidate based on party affiliation without regard for right or wrong.

Myself, I already feel like the cartoon character Pogo, who uttered the famous line "We have met the enemy and he is us."

[bitt]

thanks, I was roaming thru the former list...sure wish there was a charismatic, spirited GOP guy who is ready to go out and start swinging...who from the 2000 elections aftermath could we nominate to start rousing the Right Rabble?

Hey - who wants to start a club? The Right Rabble.

[Cultural Jihad]

I've seen that calendar but have a question. How do we know it was printed in advance of 9/11?

http://www.guymalone.com/calendarplane.htm
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2001/9/27/124953.shtml

[Quilla]

I realize that continued American support for the war in Iraq is important. Keeping my support is a moot point as my friends, my family, and I support our military's fight wholeheartedly. Consider how the American public is inundated with propaganda from the pointedly leftist media - hit with a 24/7 barrage of anti-war comments and commentary - it is amazing that support is as high as it is. On rare occasions, the President will succumb to some of these attacks, issue an apology or explanation, and still the barrage continues from the left, and the right attacks him for even addressing the issue in the first place.

President Bush, as you know, does not dictate policy as a result of polling data. We are fighting a war on two fronts (with a military greatly diminished by Clinton/Gore), hunting the murderers of 3000 Americans, maintaining relationships with our allies, learning just who are not our allies, dealing with an ineffective and corrupt UN, protecting our homeland (and thwarting unknown numbers of terrorist attacks), searching for weapons of mass destruction, dealing with domestic issues (education, abortion, gay marriage, etc.), and campaigning for re-election. IMHO, this administration has a incredibly full plate and is operating admirably. I can only hope and pray that a majority of Americans realize this in November.

[woofie]

I can understand that you'd be afraid Bush has waited too long ...we have been arguing this since the war started..but remember Kerry is still the "presumptive" nominee. I think Bush has been really smart by holding his card tight to his vest

[Cultural Jihad]

http://www.snopes.com/rumors/thecoup.htm

[Peach]

Thanks for those links!