Move along, people, there's nothing to see here...
This story just made Fox news...Dana Lewis reporting.
Repeat after me....."There is no connection."
By BAGILA BUKHARBAYEVA, Associated Press Writer
ASTANA, Kazakhstan - Russia gave the Bush administration intelligence after the September 11 attacks that suggested Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq was preparing attacks in the United States, President Vladimir Putin said Friday.
Putin said he couldn't comment on how critical the Russians' information was in the U.S. decision to invade Iraq. He said Russia didn't have any information that Saddam's regime was actually behind any terrorist acts.
"After Sept. 11, 2001, and before the start of the military operation in Iraq, the Russian special services, the intelligence service, received information that officials from Saddam's regime were preparing terrorist attacks in the United States and outside it against the U.S. military and other interests," Putin said.
He said President Bush personally thanked one of the leaders of Russia's intelligence agencies for the information. There was no immediate comment from U.S. officials.
"It's one thing to have information that Saddam's regime is preparing terrorist attacks, (but) we didn't have information that it was involved in any known terrorist attacks," Putin said in the Kazakh capital Astana after regional economic and security summits.
Putin said the intelligence didn't cause Russia to waver from its firm opposition to the war.
"Despite that information about terrorist attacks being prepared by Saddam's regime, Russia's position on Iraq remains unchanged," Putin said.
Putin didn't elaborate on any details of the terror plots or mention whether they were tied to the al-Qaida terror network.
A commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States reported this week that while there were contacts between al-Qaida and Iraq, they did not appear to have produced "a collaborative relationship."
President Bush, however, insisted Thursday that Saddam had "numerous contacts" with al-Qaida and said Iraqi agents had met with the terror network's leader, Osama bin Laden, in Sudan.
Saddam "was a threat because he had terrorist connections — not only al-Qaida connections, but other connections to terrorist organizations," Bush said.
Also Thursday, a top Russian diplomat called for international inspectors to conclusively resolve the question of whether Iraq had any weapons of mass destruction — one of the main reasons Bush used to justify the war. No such weapons have been found since Saddam's fall.
"This problem must be resolved ... because to a great extent it became the pretext for the start of the war against Iraq," Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Fedotov said in Moscow, according to Interfax news agency.
He said such a finding would allow the U.N. Security Council to "turn a page and finally close the dossier on Iraqi weapons."
RaceBannon would you please post your incredible index of the linkage between Iraq and al Qaeda, that the mediots and al Kerrorists are trying to hide from Americans.
The NYT will say that the Russian Terrorist data was of little importance because if it were truly critical data regarding our national security, the Russians - our allies against Terrorism - wouldn't have tried to block subsquent actions against Afghanistan and Iraq on the world stage.
You see, Russian foreign policy is more rational and transparent to them than our own which is obviously based on lies and deception. [/sarcasm]
So, it was news for an hour, at least to the libs.
I saw one that blatantly said, "Bush insists Saddam-Al Quaeda Conspired" suggesting that they planned Sept 11 together.
Others say things like, "Bush contradicts Sept 11 panel".
Well, if anyone is paying attention, I watched interviews on 3 stations yesterday with members of that panel. They TOO came to the conclusion that there were Al Quaeda-Iraq connections. There were repeated meetings and evidence of it, although no evidence saying Iraq planned 9-11.
Every single interview I watched said the same thing, and did NOT dispute the President. In fact, they blatantly said they didn't dispute that there were connections.
Now, there were some "other" connections. Yes. 9-11 panel says so too. As does the President. Then Russia just says they were planning attacks on America. Now what?
"Now, what the dems & media like NY Slimes are going to say about this?"
After today...Not A Word. If it doesn't hurt the administration, its apparently not worth reporting.
I feel a HUGE backlash against the Media building today.
Isn't this is what he is saying?
bump
I am sick and tired of hearing that this Dictator who took pot shots at American and British planes before the war officially started was not a threat.
hawk
We can sure use Putin's help. This conflicts with earlier statements by him though:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200312/s1013128.htm
"We are do not want the United States to lose their war on terrorism - we are US partners in the fight against terrorism," Mr Putin said.
"But as for Iraq, this is a separate matter. There were no international terrorists under Hussein. This is a separate problem," he said.
Moreover, convincing the masses that the preemptive overthrow of Sadam's regime was a grave mistake that Bush should apologize for will be even harder in the face of these facts.
Much to CBSCNNABCNYT's dismay, there is intelligence out there that they are not privy to which will hurt their propoganda campaign.
Could Putin be one of those world leaders who wants Kerry to win? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, snort, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Putin is being forced by the RNC to make this statement.
Haliburton, on direct orders from the President Bush and Vice President Cheney, is holding Putin's family hostage in a secret room at Abu Ghraib prison were they wear panties on their heads at all times. The CIA knows about this, but they have been warned that if they leak it to the media, president Bush will reveal the names and locations of all their agents to Bob Novak. As we, speak John Kerry and his former Vietnam Vet war buddies are planning a daring rescue attempt so the world we finally see the truth about George Bush...
I probably shouldn't have done this, it will be posted as the gospel truth on DU within the hour...
John Kerry: The Bush administration has exaggerated the threat of terrorism and Putin has become the newest victim to the president's web of deceit. Meanwhile, we have the Bush Depression and every American is on a soup line. Buy Heinz!
bttt
This story is the #1 story of the top 4 news items on the Yahoo home page section with the top news. It has been there all morning.