The Clinton View of Iraq-al Qaeda Ties

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/003/527uwabl.asp ^

[submarinerswife]

ARE AL QAEDA'S links to Saddam Hussein's Iraq just a fantasy of the Bush administration? Hardly.

[submarinerswife]

The Clinton View of Iraq-al Qaeda Ties From the December 29, 2003 / January 5, 2004 issue: Connecting the dots in 1998, but not in 2003. by Stephen F. Hayes 12/29/2003, Volume 009, Issue 16

The Clinton administration also warned the American public about those ties and defended its response to al Qaeda terror by citing an Iraqi connection.

For nearly two years, starting in 1996, the CIA monitored the al Shifa pharmaceutical plant in Khartoum, Sudan. The plant was known to have deep connections to Sudan's Military Industrial Corporation, and the CIA had gathered intelligence on the budding relationship between Iraqi chemical weapons experts and the plant's top officials. The intelligence included information that several top chemical weapons specialists from Iraq had attended ceremonies to celebrate the plant's opening in 1996. And, more compelling, the National Security Agency had intercepted telephone calls between Iraqi scientists and the plant's general manager.

Iraq also admitted to having a $199,000 contract with al Shifa for goods under the oil-for-food program. Those goods were never delivered. While it's hard to know what significance, if any, to ascribe to this information, it fits a pattern described in recent CIA reporting on the overlap in the mid-1990s between al Qaeda-financed groups and firms that violated U.N. sanctions on behalf of Iraq.

The clincher, however, came later in the spring of 1998, when the CIA secretly gathered a soil sample from 60 feet outside of the plant's main gate. The sample showed high levels of O-ethylmethylphosphonothioic acid, known as EMPTA, which is a key ingredient for the deadly nerve agent VX. A senior intelligence official who briefed reporters at the time was asked which countries make VX using EMPTA. "Iraq is the only country we're aware of," the official said. "There are a variety of ways of making VX, a variety of recipes, and EMPTA is fairly unique."

That briefing came on August 24, 1998, four days after the Clinton administration launched cruise-missile strikes against al Qaeda targets in Afghanistan and Sudan (Osama bin Laden's headquarters from 1992-96), including the al Shifa plant. The missile strikes came 13 days after bombings at U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania killed 257 people--including 12 Americans--and injured nearly 5,000. Clinton administration officials said that the attacks were in part retaliatory and in part preemptive. U.S. intelligence agencies had picked up "chatter" among bin Laden's deputies indicating that more attacks against American interests were imminent.

The al Shifa plant in Sudan was largely destroyed after being hit by six Tomahawk missiles. John McWethy, national security correspondent for ABC News, reported the story on August 25, 1998

[submarinerswife]

Does this mean that Clinton & his cronies are lying to us again??? Surely, it can't be true.

Bush needs to tell the Dems to eat sh*t and bark at the moon.

[submarinerswife]

.

[futureceo31]

Waiting to see this on DU and all the others on Television shows who kept harping about Bush's non-story (Niger).

[anniegetyourgun]

The clincher, however, came later in the spring of 1998, when the CIA secretly gathered a soil sample from 60 feet outside of the plant's main gate. The sample showed high levels of O-ethylmethylphosphonothioic acid, known as EMPTA, which is a key ingredient for the deadly nerve agent VX. A senior intelligence official who briefed reporters at the time was asked which countries make VX using EMPTA. "Iraq is the only country we're aware of," the official said. "There are a variety of ways of making VX, a variety of recipes, and EMPTA is fairly unique."

Wait....I thought the Left said there were no WMD in Iraq....

[Diogenesis]

[Peach]

A big story that is getting far too little press. I posted it here a few days ago and only got a few replies. People are busy with the holidays, etc.

Perhaps post it again tomorrow if you have a chance? Monday might get more readers and it's an important read.

[facedown]

BTTT

[cripplecreek]

unfortunately we've entered the decade of denial with the 2000 election. the clinton supporters simply refuse to speak of such issues unless its to claim irrelevance. these are the same folks who blamed bush when the clinton north korea failures reared thier ugly heads. the same folks who blamed bush for corporate crimes. as if these things had happened in the few months bush took office and never before. its as if they've been gripped by some kind of mass insanity.

[stylin19a]

Did the feds release the handful of dirt report ?
Clintonistas (Maddy not-too-Bright) had the dirt & report sealed.
So the question is, how does the Standard know what was in the handful of dirt ?
Also the US has already admitted the mistake in bombing the asprin factory and has paid restitution.

If we didn't believe Clinton then, why should we now take this old news as the gospel ?

[Vineyard]

But the big point is that the DummyCrats and Media were willing to allow Clinton to bomb an aspirin factory based on far more tenuous links between Al Quaeda and possible WMD production.

Bush, in 1998, and not having access to all the data, did not want to second guess the administration, even though it appeared to be a clear case of "Wag the Dog."

Now, 3 years later, there are better links/ties between Al Quaeda and Iraq, and our actions are clearly justified ... but the same Media won't use the same "benefit of the doubt" that was given to Clinton. ... and the DummyCrats - who were willing to ignore a lying rapist to bomb an aspirin factory - want to hold Bush to impossible standards.

Go figure!!

Mike

[tentmaker]

bookmark

[Pagey]

This article really deserves to be BUMPED!

[Quilla]

In total agreement BUMP!

[submarinerswife]

bump for the evening crowd