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Britain insists Al-Qaeda operated in Saddam's Iraq
Middle East Online ^ | June 17, 2004 | Staff

Posted on 06/17/2004 12:36:46 PM PDT by MadIvan

Downing Street insists Saddam created permissive environment for Al-Qaeda terrorists in Iraq.

LONDON - Saddam Hussein allowed Al-Qaeda-linked groups to operate in Iraq, Britain insisted on Thursday despite an official US inquiry conclusion that there was no evidence linking the regime and the extremist network.

Saddam created a "a permissive environment" for terrorists, a spokesman for Prime Minister Tony Blair said, while not claiming a direct connection.

"The prime minister has always said Saddam created a permissive environment for terrorism and we know that the people affiliated to Al-Qaeda operated in Iraq during the regime," the spokesman said.

"The prime minister always made it clear that Saddam's was a rogue state which threatened the security of the region and the world."

A report released Wednesday by the US national inquiry commission into the September 11, 2001 attacks said there was no "credible evidence" Iraq had helped Al-Qaeda stage its attacks on the United States.

There was also no sign of any "collaborative relationship" between Baghdad and the network, it said.

The findings contradict previous statements by a series of top US figures, notably Vice President Dick Cheney.

Blair backed the US-led war to remove Saddam last year, insisting that the regime posed a danger due to its stocks of illegal weaponry, but did not use any Al-Qaeda links as direct justification.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events; United Kingdom; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: alqaeda; alqaedaandiraq; iraq; terror; uk
Another blow against the 9/11 commission. Sorry that there wasn't a better source reporting this.

Regards, Ivan


Latest: England 3, Switzerland 0

1 posted on 06/17/2004 12:36:47 PM PDT by MadIvan
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To: Denver Ditdat; Judith Anne; Desdemona; alnick; knews_hound; faithincowboys; hillary's_fat_a**; ...

Ping!


2 posted on 06/17/2004 12:37:05 PM PDT by MadIvan (Ronald Reagan - proof positive that one man can indeed change the world.)
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To: MadIvan

Thanks, Ivan! The press and the commission are a disgrace.


3 posted on 06/17/2004 12:42:12 PM PDT by Miss Marple
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To: MadIvan
despite an official US inquiry conclusion that there was no evidence linking the regime and the extremist network.

Keep repeating the lie, and by November most people will believe it.

4 posted on 06/17/2004 12:42:19 PM PDT by Lunatic Fringe (John F-ing Kerry??? NO... F-ING... WAY!!!)
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To: MadIvan
Of course AQ was in contact, and probably in coordination with Saddam! Only the delusional anti-war left thinks otherwise. It's interesting that the 9-11 Commission came out with what amounted to a brief statement denying this contact, just as Stephen Hayes' book giving evidence of such contact is about to hit the bookstores.

Hey, Ivan, noting the flag, are you working for the international Red Cross now? ;-)

5 posted on 06/17/2004 12:42:30 PM PDT by My2Cents (Well.....there you go again.)
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To: MadIvan

I seriously hope this is no surprise to anyone.


6 posted on 06/17/2004 12:42:37 PM PDT by Desdemona
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To: MadIvan; WhistlingPastTheGraveyard; Peach; backhoe

Ping!!


7 posted on 06/17/2004 12:42:46 PM PDT by cgk
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To: MadIvan

I think there were 15 pages by the 9-11 commission that linked terror and al Qaeda to Iraq and Saddam.

The issue is the Democrats and press jumped on the one line in one thousand that misrepresented the facts by saying there was no exact 9-11 link.

There are terrorist links everywhere and the report doesn't deny this, it just states no proven 9/11 link and that wasn't the reason we are there in Iraq.

We are there because of all the terror links, death, torture and monies given to finance terror and terror acts by Saddam.

Libs won't get this, so just tell them we went in for Saddam having no fashion sense ane they will want his head on a plate.


8 posted on 06/17/2004 12:47:32 PM PDT by A CA Guy (God Bless America, God bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
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To: A CA Guy

"The issue is the Democrats and press jumped on the one line in one thousand that misrepresented the facts by saying there was no exact 9-11 link."


Thats exactly what they did with David Kay's reports.


9 posted on 06/17/2004 12:48:41 PM PDT by cripplecreek (you tell em i'm commin.... and hells commin with me.)
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To: cripplecreek

It's too easy to point out and this all works to the advantages of conservatives.

The press and liberals are proven to be lying for political advantage and that is going to come back and permanently bite them in the future.

I think that is happening on a significant level to the press and Democrats now, so this isn't going to do damage OUR way.


10 posted on 06/17/2004 12:56:27 PM PDT by A CA Guy (God Bless America, God bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
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To: MadIvan

Well, as Steven Hayes said on Britt Hume the other evening, there is enough proof of a linkage to fill an entire book--and he has done so. ("The Connection")


11 posted on 06/17/2004 12:58:20 PM PDT by MizSterious (First, the journalists, THEN the lawyers.)
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To: MadIvan
Another blow against the 9/11 commission. Sorry that there wasn't a better source reporting this.

Since most of the Brit press is just as bad as ours there probably will not be a better story.

One would have to read the actual report to find out the "missing" truth that they DID put in their summary.

BTW Iraq and Al Queada was not really their mandate, Bush and Blair have NEVER said Iraq was behind 9/11.

It's that old "bush says he never beat his wife" type question.

12 posted on 06/17/2004 1:22:28 PM PDT by Mister Baredog ((Part of the Reagan legacy is to re-elect G.W. Bush))
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To: MadIvan
"A report released Wednesday by the US national inquiry commission into the September 11, 2001 attacks said there was no "credible evidence" Iraq had helped Al-Qaeda stage its attacks on the United States."

Yes, the exact same verbiage that Maddie Not-so-Bright used in describing why the Clinton administration never made a move against UBL. Does anyone wonder anymore what clintonista Gorelick's function is on this commission?

13 posted on 06/17/2004 1:24:26 PM PDT by A Citizen Reporter
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To: MadIvan

Throwing fodder for Kerry's campaign.
Hiding Gorelick within this group of in charge examiners the one person most responsible for turning our intelligence system inoperative are the hallmark of this commission.
Democrats masterly hid within their ranks a key person from having to answer, under oath, how she dismantled and made our intelligence ineffective.


14 posted on 06/17/2004 1:49:48 PM PDT by hermgem
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To: MadIvan
The findings contradict previous statements by a series of top US figures, notably Vice President Dick Cheney.

This is absolutely false. There is not contradiction, and the President made exactly this point to the press today.

This source is discrediting itself.

15 posted on 06/17/2004 1:56:49 PM PDT by Imal (Bill Clinton was the man who brought the dignity of The Jerry Springer Show to the U.S. presidency.)
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To: A Citizen Reporter
"A report released Wednesday by the US national inquiry commission into the September 11, 2001 attacks said there was no "credible evidence" Iraq had helped Al-Qaeda stage its attacks on the United States."

Saddam clearly did have links with AQ, and al-Zaquarwi having a serious operation to remove his wounded and mangaled leg in Bagdad proves it. It appears WJC has taught the Dims how to master the art of lying. Using this same methodology I could prove Joe Montana, John Elway, and Joe Namath never won a football game.
16 posted on 06/17/2004 2:02:38 PM PDT by GarySpFc (Sneakypete, De Oppresso Liber)
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To: MadIvan

The Co Chairmans of the Commission said they did have contact, ...just not 911 collaborations....


17 posted on 06/17/2004 3:49:47 PM PDT by MEG33 (John Kerry's been AWOL for two decades on issues of National Security)
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