Anti-War Group Doubts Authenticity of Saddam/WMD Documents Authenticity

CNSNews ^ | October 12, 2004 | Marc Morano

[Quilla]

An anti war group says it doubts the substance and authenticity of CNSNews.com's exclusive report based on Iraqi intelligence documents that show Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction and had ties to terrorist organizations, including al Qaeda.

"[The CNSNews.com article] is probably a complete fabrication. There is just so much evidence to the contrary that Saddam and Osama [bin Laden] hated each other, were in opposite poles in the world. It's just really tough to swallow," said Michael Austin of AntiWar.com in an interview conducted just a day or two after the original article was published.

"It just seems odd that the article would only be with you guys, not in other major news sources if it is true," Austin said.

Austin also doubted the authenticity of the documents that CNSNews.com obtained. "We could say we had documents that prove otherwise, just as easily," Austin said.

"So we look forward to seeing the documents when they become public, and if they are true, we will of course change our tune, but in the meantime we wouldn't give it much credence," he added.

The Iraqi documents, confiscated by U.S. forces and obtained by CNSNews.com, show numerous efforts by Saddam Hussein's regime to work with some of the world's most notorious terror organizations in targeting Americans. The documents also say that Saddam's government possessed mustard gas and anthrax, both considered to be weapons of mass destruction, in the summer of 2000, at a time when United Nations weapons inspectors were not present in Iraq. And the papers show that Iraq trained dozens of terrorists inside its borders.

Most of the anti-war groups contacted for their reaction to the article either did not return calls or did not wish to comment. Calls to International Answer, MoveOn.org, and Veterans for Peace were not returned. An organizer for the Chicago-based anti-war group Voices in the Wilderness said his organization was familiar with the CNSNews.com article but would have no comment.

"We do not have a response. We are sorting through the information on your site," Jeff Leys said.

[Quilla]

FYI

[Quilla]

Related threads:

Exclusive: Saddam Possessed WMD, Had Extensive Terror Ties

CNSNews.com Publishes Iraqi Intelligence Docs

[mtbopfuyn]

Voices in the Wilderness

What a strong intellectual name, hahahahaha.

[rightinthemiddle]

When is this going to get some traction? Everyone gun shy since Danny-boy pooched?

It'll probably make the MSM November 3.

[clee1]

But they completely believe the forged Rathergate memos.

Foolishness, thy name is liberal.

[bornacatholic]

"It just seems odd that the article would only be with you guys, not in other major news sources if it is true," Austin said.

Bull. It seems OBVIOUS why the reports would be given to CNS. The Liberal Media is just a Democratic Cult and they would burn this information as an offering to their collectivist god, Kerry

[wildbill]

"It just seems odd that the article would only be with you guys, not in other major news sources if it is true," Austin said."

As bad as I want these documents to be true--that was my immediate reaction. And it was reinforced by the way CNSN handled it by not releasing all the documents immedieately and providing their provenance.

I'm sorry, but this story is going to be lost because
of credibility problems.

[Quilla]

The Swift Boat Vet story gained traction when Kerry answered their charges. Just the fact that the anti-war groups are attacking these documents may be an indication of this story getting legs. I hope so anyway.

[goldstategop]

The pro-Saddam Left will never change their minds even if the truth slapped them in the face.

[Puppage]

These appeasers doubt the authenticity of reality, for Gods sake.

[Bommer]

When is this going to get some traction?

Never. It contridicts Bush saying that he never had it! It kills me that Bush completely ignores proof that backs him up and the justification to go to war. There was an Al Queda link as well as a Bin Lauden link. And if you can link those together, you can link Saddam to 9/11. But you never hear about Salmon Pak. Just amazing!

[agere_contra]

Michael Austin at a recent meeting of AntiWar :

[Holicheese]

"and if they are true, we will of course change our tune"

No they won't change their tune. They will move the goal posts again.

[Valpal1]

They posted one document and their servers crashed. Posting 42 documents in Arabic isn't going to help most of us.

They have made the documents available for inspection to those who want to bring in their own experts/translators.

So far World Magazine has been the only taker.

How come Fox hasn't sent someone to have them checked out? Or anyone else in the lamestream media? Other than the fact that they don't want this story out.

They ought to get some of the Iraqi bloggers onto it.

[Valpal1]

It has also been mentioned on Rush and Hannity.

I keep praying they are real and that some are just waiting for their translators to finish transcribing the contents in english and it will bust wide open soon.

[wildbill]

They ought to be providing the provenance of the documents up front and center.

You can't just say something like "We got these super-secret documents that the CIA, the DIA, and the intelligence services of all our allies haven't been able to find."

I'm not saying its impossible, but after RAThergate, who will take any documents at face value, especially from a small partisan news source? That's probably the reason that none of the MSM and even Fox have shied away from them.

[trebb]

That's OK - I doubt the authenticity of the so-called "Anti-War Groups"...

[CaptRon]

There is just so much evidence to the contrary that Saddam and Osama [bin Laden] hated each other, were in opposite poles in the world.

Gee, I'm surprised I've never heard this before since "there is just so much evidence".

[Quilla]

I've been able to see all the documents in arabic and their translations in pdf format.

[AmericanChef]

OK, OK, even if they WERE fakes, do they think they're going to be able to tell just by looking at them a la Dan Dan the Forger Man?

Let them waste their time on it. It'll keep 'em off the streets for a while.