"More Than Enough Evidence" What George Tenet really says about Saddam's Iraq and al Qaeda.

The Weekly Standard ^ | 5-1-07 | Thomas Joscelyn

[ikez78]

GEORGE TENET'S JUST released book, At the Center of the Storm, has created quite a stir. Over the past few days, a myriad of news accounts have referenced various snippets of the former director of Central Intelligence's self-serving collection of remembrances. But here is something you probably have not heard or read about Tenet's book: it confirms that there was a relationship between Saddam's Iraq and al Qaeda. And, according to Tenet, "there was more than enough evidence to give us real concern" about it too.

Tenet devotes an entire chapter to the question of Iraq's ties to al Qaeda (Chapter 18, "No Authority, Direction, or Control"). Much of the chapter is used to vilify Douglas Feith, the former undersecretary of defense, and Vice President Cheney. Tenet claims, repeatedly, that Feith, Cheney, and others in the Bush administration exaggerated the intelligence on Saddam's ties to al Qaeda. The former DCI says they "pushed the data farther than it deserved" and "sought to create a connection between Iraq and the 9/11 attacks that would have made WMD, the United Nations, and the international community absolutely irrelevant." (In this vein, Tenet also erroneously claimed to have met Richard Perle on September 12, 2001. According to Tenet, Perle said "Iraq has to pay a price for what happened yesterday [September 11]." However, Perle was in France and, therefore, could not have met with Tenet. Perle denies the conversation took place at all.)

[sono]

Saddam Hussein’s Iraq was the Mother of All Terrorist Facilitators ... after Iran.

[P-40]

I can’t wait to hear what he has to say about Al Shifa...

[Valin]

Tenet devotes an entire chapter to the question of Iraq’s ties to al Qaeda (Chapter 18, “No Authority, Direction, or Control”).

We won’t see much about this or al Qaeda trying to get nukes in the DBM. He could’ve written a very good insider book, but he decided to take the low road. Hope he enjoys his money.

[garyhope]

All Muslims, no matter what sect, where they live, etc., etc., etc. hate The United States, Western civilization, Israel, the Jews and anyone who is not a Muslim. Simple as that.

They want us all dead and destroyed. They aren't going to stop. They will nuke American cities as soon as they can.

Islam, all Muslims, no matter who or where are all of a piece. Minor distinctions are meaningless and not germane to empirical and pragmatic reality and survival.

[HerrBlucher]

“Saddam and Al Qaeda courted each other more than once”
_____________________________________

Which one was the girl?

[ikez78]

Wow, did you recognize that right away?

[Reform4Bush]

Yeah, but only because I just read what al-Masri’s real name was in another article celebrating his death.

A day or two ago it would have slipped right by.

[Just mythoughts]

Sure sounds like Tenet is already aboard the Hillry campaign, cause poor Hillry was deceived by those evil Cheney/Bush tyrants. (s/) Mr. Tenet just gave her talking points credibility by painting a picture of high deception with the accusation of promoting an unreal threat. These people just can’t help themselves being and doing the very thing they accuse others of being and doing.

By the way Mrs. Clinton for eight years you served as co-president, why did you not tell President Bush and Vice-President Cheney what you already knew and when you knew it???? You were after all on the Armed Services Committee after your co-presidential tenure. There is no credible denial that you could not have known the inner most secrets, else why was there the need to build that WALL within your government????

[Reform4Bush]

Also, other sources (like Wikipedia) suggested that al-Masri left Afghanistan and appeared in Iraq in early 2003 - which left it open to debate whether it was pre or post invasion.

Tenet has him there in 2002, so that’s a ‘slam dunk’ that he was in Iraq pre-invasion.

[jveritas]

WOW indeed. Great article.

[cookcounty]

Hmmm.... isn’t “more than enough evidence” pretty much the same as a “slam-dunk?”

[MHGinTN]

The vast majority of American voters have been trained to get their beliefs from sound-byte length commentary. The mainstream media lies efficiently through just such a vacuum ... the people perish because they lack knowledge, because they ahve been trained to construct their beliefs upon shallow information. To get the truth requires deeper and more complex connection of data than the typical voter even cares to do, thus the mainstream lying media becomes even more powerful for the efficiency of their lies. Tenet, for instance, will skate free of the bold lie he opened his book with because the mainstream lying media will give him cover just as they did with the fool, Rather, and his false but accurate!

[Thrownatbirth]

This would have been a slam dunk had anybody in the CIA bothered to listen to major Middle East shortwave broadcasts in the late 90’s. Radio Tirana (Albania) and Voice of the Islamic Revolution International (Tehran) had daily updates of Saddam’s honeymoon with Islam and jihadist groups including AQ. My dots were connected long before 9/11.

[devolve]

 No Mr. Tenet!  -  I expected you to lie! 

Shirley   Bassey

Anthony   Newley

[parisa]

I still think we did it to box in Iran.

That's what Iranians think.

Iran has been in the radar of presidents, both Democrat and Republican, for a long time -- even if OUT of the public radar -- and US had been moving slowly and quietly to box it in. After 9/11 it just became more urgent and justifiable.

Iran has nowhere to run if only he liberals wouldn't throw it a lifeline.

[parisa]

I still think we did it to box in Iran.

That's what Iranians think.

Iran has been in the radar of presidents, both Democrat and Republican, for a long time -- even if OUT of the public radar -- and US had been moving slowly and quietly to box it in. After 9/11 it just became more urgent and justifiable.

The mollas have nowhere to run if only the liberals would stop throwing them a lifeline.

[PGalt]

Thanks for the ping. Outstanding article. BUMP FReeper comments.

Yussef Dardiri is better known by most as one Abu Ayyub al-Masri

[CutePuppy]

Good find. Movement by al-Qaeda to Iraq from Afghan-Pakistan border area after we removed their Taliban sanctuary is also confirmed here :

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1826081/posts

________________________________________________________
How Pakistan settled an al-Qaeda score By Syed Saleem Shahzad

KARACHI - Internal squabbling between the Taliban and al-Qaeda and exploited by Pakistan forced many al-Qaeda leaders to move from the tribal areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan to Iraq in search of new headquarters from which to operate.

Senior al-Qaeda member Abdul Hadi al-Iraqi, 46, was one of these men - and he paid dearly for the move after being fingered by Pakistan. On Friday, the Pentagon announced that Hadi had been arrested late last year and handed over to the US Central

Pakistan’s priorities were crystal-clear: it did not want anti-establishment elements thriving under the garb of takfiri ideology, although it had no problem with the Taliban regrouping and carrying out actions in Afghanistan.

These developments, including the infiltration by the Pakistani establishment of the rank and file of the Taliban, rattled al-Qaeda, which realized that its ideology was no longer acceptable in Waziristan and Afghanistan, and that the only way it could stay in Afghanistan was if it agreed to fight under Taliban commanders.
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[Marine_Uncle]

Thanks for the ping Mark.
It is a wonder the L/MSM are playing up to Tenent knowing full well that many people will connect the dots as how he is lying out of his *ss.
But alas. The masses will not read his book and those that do, of what percentage will carefully examine all he has to say and realize he is nothing but a poticial hack working in behalf of the demorats.

[Shelayne]

WOW!

Slam dunk as far as I’m concerned!

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