The following is from October 2002. It is in the Congressional Record, and is a letter from Tenet to the Senate.
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2002_record&page=S10154&position=all
“Our understanding of the relationship between Iraq and al-Qa’ida is evolving and is based on sources of varying reliability. Some of the information we have received comes
from detainees, including some of high rank. We have solid reporting of senior level contacts between Iraq and al-Qa’ida going back a decade. Credible information indicates that Iraq and al-Qa’ida have discussed safe haven and
reciprocal non-aggression. Since Operation Enduring Freedom, we have solid evidence of the presence in Iraq of
al-Qa’ida members, including some that have
been in Baghdad. We have credible reporting that al-Qa’ida
leaders sought contacts in Iraq who could help them acquire WMD capabilities. The reporting also stated that Iraq has provided training to al-Qa’ida members in the areas of
poisons and gases and making conventional bombs.”
I am unsure what your standard of evidence is. Obviously I cannot show you a satellite photograph of Saddam and bin Ladin playing canasta. But the above statement echoes what I have read elsewhere, and what I have shown you. If you want courtroom proof, I cannot help you. But I doubt either bin Ladin or Saddam would have been so incompetent as to provide such proof.
We used to get all sorts of information from Soviet sources during the Cold War that were dramatic, and usually didn’t pan out. Sources will often tell you what you want to hear, for a variety of reasons, and you have be careful and look for verification beyond their claims.
As Tenet states in that testimony “Our understanding of the relationship between Iraq and al-Qa’ida is evolving and is based on sources of varying reliability.” ‘Evolving’ and ‘varying reliability’ aren’t the signs of hard evidence.
‘Reciprocal non-aggression’ tells you what?- that they were discussing a sort of detente, not the characteristic of a harmony of interests. If they were asking permission for safe haven they obviously weren’t able to move freely in and out of Iraq.
The Tenet testimony is now 4 years old. It is certainly now beyond “evolving” and “of varying reliability.” Evidence of collaboration between al Qaeda and Iraq which proved out will have been offered up by the administration to defend its decision to invade Iraq.
You are having trouble locating it, because as far as I’ve seen they haven’t offered any. I recall Bush being asked directly at a press conference if there was a connection between al Qaedea’s terrorism and Iraq and he replied ‘no’. Just one word, with no elaboration. The only ‘evidence’ I’ve seen is what gets kicked around talk shows, the Weekly Standard, and other such sources. The administration hasn’t seen fit to give its imprimatur to these claims. I assume the reason is that they don’t find them credible.