Powell ties Saddam regime to al Qaeda

THE WASHINGTON TIMES ^ | January 27, 2003 | By Nicholas Kralev

[Indy Pendance]

DAVOS, Switzerland

[RobFromGa]

"The more we wait, the more chance there is for this dictator with clear ties to terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda, to pass a weapon, share technology or use these weapons again. The nexus of tyrants and terror, of terrorists and weapons of mass destruction is the greatest danger of our age," he said.

In Powell-speak, these are very damning words. Saddam is in his final moments.

[livius]

A definite change in Powell's tone.

I know (from reading the Spanish press) that the Spanish Foreign Minister was in DC for discussions with Powell last week, so I think things are moving along.

[Galtoid]

Powell is Bush's "opening act" before the SOTU speech on Tuesday. The libs in the press are most likely a little nervous today, given the fact that their shining star (CP) has turned mysteriously hawkish almost overnight.
They HAVE to be asking themselves: what does the administration know that we don't know? Look for a slam dunk "come to Jesus" speech tomorrow night. Bush has set a brilliant trap for the media/libs/Hollywood/academia. By tomorrow evening, they'll all have egg on their faces.

[DoughtyOne]

Now if he could just tie him to the railroad tracks.

[hchutch]

I have to admit, I kinda figured that IRaq and al-Qaeda had some form of relations prior to this...

Ever hear of Prague, anyone?

[Carry_Okie]

I stated in the betting pool last November that the attack date would be April 1. Looks like I'll be close.

[PhiKapMom]

Just posted Secretary of State Powell's remarks at:

Secretary of State Powell's Remarks to the World Economic Summit

Suggest that everyone read these remarks before watching the report of Blix!

[Quilla]

CNN this morning (our satellite is frozen, only news available) described the upcoming 'grade' Iraq was to receive from weapons inspectors. They are anticipating a low grade because [inspectors said] Saddam has not given us the location of his chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons. From that statement, I took it as a damning admission of their existance, not a supposition.

[Grampa Dave]

No stinking Smoking Gun is necessary.

This is another myth that is being flogged 24/7 by Uncle Soddomites whore$ in the media in America and around the world. His whore$ in Congress from the Pelo$i to the Da$$hole have been flogging this phoney Smoking Gun thing for months.

Go to this Wall Street Journal link which explains no Smoking Gun is necessary. Uncle Soddomite has been leaving smoking guns, shells and cartridges around Iraq since 1993. (WSJ says no Smoking Gun is Necessary!)

"A final opportunity to comply," was the key phrase in Resolution 1441, adopted by the Security Council last November. Saddam Hussein would have one last chance to disarm, to account for the weapons of mass destruction the U.N. previously estimated he had, to stop his rule of terror and otherwise to abide by 16 previous U.N. resolutions. Mr. Blix would be available to receive the necessary documents, chemicals, viruses and nuclear materials.

The Security Council spelled out a solemn list of 14 salient points. Nowhere did this list mention "find smoking gun." That the original "final opportunity" would morph into the present "no smoking gun" was of course entirely predictable. Indeed, it was predicted by those who warned against letting the U.N. and "world opinion" lay clammy hands on the Iraq issue

[Centurion2000]

Sounds like Bush sat Powell down and had a come-to-Jesus meeting with him.

[concerned about politics]

Bush has set a brilliant trap for the media/libs/Hollywood/academia. By tomorrow evening, they'll all have egg on their faces.

I hope it's really really deadly to the democrat and socialist parties propaganda. I want to see them squirm. They've earned it with their leftist lies.
Next comes freeing the Iraq people, and we'll watch them celebrate Saddams removal. The left will crap their pants!

[areafiftyone]

No stinking Smoking Gun is necessary.

That Stupid "Smoking Gun" was a political statement dreamed up by the liberal media and by the stupid Euroweenies. The administration never used that word until the media started tossing it around and it stuck like glue to their ugly liberal heads.

[concerned about politics]

The Security Council spelled out a solemn list of 14 salient points. Nowhere did this list mention "find smoking gun." That the original "final opportunity" would morph into the present "no smoking gun" was of course entirely predictable. Indeed, it was predicted by those who warned against letting the U.N. and "world opinion" lay clammy hands on the Iraq issue

Colin Powell's speach:

What happened to nearly 30,000 munitions capable of carrying chemical agents? The inspectors can only account for only 16 of them. Where are they? It's not a matter of ignoring the reality of the situation. Just think, all of these munitions, which perhaps only have a short range if fired out of an artillery weapon in Iraq, but imagine if one of these weapons were smuggled out of Iraq and found its way into the hands of a terrorist organization who could transport it anywhere in the world.

What happened -- please, what happened -- to the three metric tons of growth material that Iraq imported which can be used for producing early, in a very rapid fashion, deadly biological agents?

Where are the mobile vans that are nothing more than biological weapons laboratories on wheels? Why is Iraq still trying to procure uranium and the special equipment needed to transform it into material for nuclear weapons?

These questions are not academic. They are not trivial. They are questions of life and death, and they must be answered.

[hchutch]

Agreed.

But more is at play here. I think we're about to render the UN irrelevant. This is distasteful, but necessary.

[Grampa Dave]

This is clearing the smoke away from the phoney smoking gun mantras of the left wingers in Congress and the media who sleep with Uncle Soddomite.

[CedarDave]

A Powell quote not reported in today's Times article (this is from your Times post yesterday, Powell promises patience after UN report ):

Powell said, "We have seen evidence; I have listed some of it here; we'll be presenting more in the days and weeks ahead." He added that the question is not if there is evidence, but "are we unwilling to acknowledge the evidence because we're unwilling to take the action that the evidence may require us to take."

Directed to the Europeans, but applies equally to Democrats, the media, Hollywood types, and any other weak-kneed peace-at-any-price idiots.

[Grampa Dave]

We will need them to provide and monitor the peace keeping forces in Iraq, Iran, Syria, Lybia and NK.

Otherwise they are irrelevant.

GW's chess game is in the process of making the UN, Nato, France/Germany/the Brussel Sprouts and a lot of past power players irrelevant.

Of course, Iraq, Iraq, Syria, Lybia and NK as we know them now, will be irrelevant by 2004.

GW has had two targets, the Axis of Evil and their chorus line screamers, the Axis of Whining Weasels since his SOU speech in 2002.

[chilepepper]

I have long believed that attacking Iraq is payback for 9-11, what evidence there is will probably come out and be a bomb in its own right.

IMHO a major factor in the decision to use the Bomb in Hiroshima & Nagasaki was formal payback for Pearl Harbor, a message which Moscow and Beijing seem to have received loud and clear hence the Cold and not Hot War with them... (Vietnam/Korea aside, of course)

America's response to attack?

Attack US and we'll f**k you up real good...

[ravingnutter]

The Bush administration yesterday presented to an international audience its strongest case yet for going to war with Iraq, directly linking Saddam Hussein's regime with al Qaeda and other terrorist groups.

Well...duh...what is bad is that the Times carried this info back in September...the only real news in this story is that Powell now seems to be "on board".

"We do have solid evidence of the presence in Iraq of al Qaeda members, including some that have been in Baghdad," [Donald Rumsfeld] the defense secretary said. "We have what we consider to be credible contacts in Iraq who could help them acquire weapons of mass destruction capabilities." Mr. Rumsfeld's presentation at a Pentagon news conference came the day after White House National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice disclosed for the first time an intelligence report that said Iraq helped train al Qaeda members to use chemical weapons. Her words were reiterated yesterday by White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer. "Al Qaeda and Iraq are too close for comfort," he said.

Washington Times Article - Sep 2002