Defense chief sees no link between Iraq and al-Qaida's Sept. 11 attacks

Associated Press ^ | 09-16-03

[Brian S]

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Tuesday he had no reason to believe that Iraq's Saddam Hussein had a hand in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States.

At a Pentagon news conference, Rumsfeld was asked about a poll that indicated nearly 70 percent of respondents believed the Iraqi leader probably was personally involved.

[At _War_With_Liberals]

The WH is being hammered today...

[ex-snook]

So tell us again then why we went to war with casualties and huge cost? Because 'they killed their own people'? Because the smoking gun was about to be a mushroom cloud? Because they wanted our women to wear Burkas? Because they hate democracy (which we are installing)?

[Peach]

There is a distinction the press refuses to acknowledge.

The WH and administration have correctly alluded to the fact that Iraq and al Qaeda had links and worked together on training, etc.

That's a world of difference from saying that OBL and Saddam Hussein colluded together on 9/11.

It's a difference the press tries to blur so people don't see their sleight of hand.

[Brian S]

Sort of like the what the definition of "is, is"...right?

[Peach]

*Sigh*. Sadly, you are correct. The parsing of words by the group of people who consider themselves journalists is yet another result of the liberalization of academia. They probably can't help themselves.

I call them presstitutes.

[Galtoid]

This is all a bunch of nonsense.
Bush had better tell Rummy and Rice to quit being so "candid" with the press. The pres has never been, or will it ever be a friend to this White House. Button your lips, Bushies.

[Galtoid]

press

[RLK]

White House national security adviser Condoleezza Rice said that one of the reasons President Bush went to war against Saddam was because he posed a threat in "a region from which the 9-11 threat emerged."

-----------------------

This wins the award for vague thinking and action.

[afz400]

I'm afraid we're witnessing the repetition of his father's ONE term in office - brilliant at the beginning when he acted like Reagan and defended the country then fell apart with this exact same wishy washy backpeddling and cowtowing to his business buddies. I don't know what went wrong, but someone please tell Bush he's losing the confidence of many people like me. I am beginning to fear for the country.

[dalebert]

I thought it was all about taking the fight to the terrorist and getting an outpost in the region. Remember the statements "flush em out" and "its time for a re-ordering of the world"?

Also, who was sending payments to suicide bombers.I may not have proof but its not hard to figure out.

[RLK]

What I believe is that Bush is brain damaged or the equivalent. The result is a combination of a Peter Sellers movie with a president somewhere between Inspector Clouseau and Chauncy the Gardner in a mode somewhere between 1984 and Brave New World. People here refuse to see the obvious because Bush doesn't mess around on his wife. We've gone from bad to worse in the presidency.

[chichipow]

Saying that Saddam wasn't personally invovlved with the actual masterminding of the 9/11 doesn't mean that he didn't create a support mechanism for terrorists or even for Al Queada.

The Taliban didn't help mastermind the 9/11 attack either, they just supported the masterminds. Same deal. Easy really, yet it escapes even those who write columns for newspapers and... internet sites.

[dalebert]

Bad to worse? How so? I think he is doing a great job and hate to think how the Dems would have rolled over on 911 and just waited for us to get nuked to death. As for jobs and econemy..... Not as bad as the press keeps harping and I don't hold the president responsable for what free trade does. He has little control over it. I do blame a blood sucking congress that only acts in its own best interest and will not do what is right for the country. Things were in a down swing when Bush took office and we took a big hit on 911.I think its time for patience.Its also time to tell France to kiss off.

[RLK]

I think the source of our disagreement is that we aren't living in the same solar system.

[chichipow]

Different solar systems may be the case.

Seeing as 9/11 cost the US over 350 billion in one felled swoop and 2001 was part of Clinton's budget, let's us know exactly who, why and what the culprit is.

It's ideology when it comes down to it. Figuring things have gone bad to worse in one sense or another is always an easy find, depending on your agenda.