Posted on 06/24/2004 6:34:25 PM PDT by Indy Pendance
WASHINGTON, June 24 (UPI) -- Former Vice President Al Gore Thursday called for an independent congressional investigation into Bush administration claims of an Iraq-al-Qaida link, saying officials should testify under oath under threat of perjury.
Gore, speaking at the Georgetown University Law Center, claimed "President Bush is now intentionally misleading the American people by continuing to aggressively and brazenly assert a linkage between al-Qaida and Saddam Hussein."
Gore said of the way the Bush administration has conducted the war on terrorism, "I think it is safe to say that our founders ... would feel that we are now facing a clear and present danger that has the potential to threaten the future of the American experiment."
The former vice president, who lost the 2000 election for president to Bush, said there is no credible evidence of a "collaborative relationship" between al-Qaida and Iraq. That supposed connection, he said, led to an attack on Iraq. As a result, said Gore, "We are left with an unprecedented, high-intensity conflict every single day between the ideological illusions upon which this administration's policies have been based and the reality of the world."
Bush, as recently as last week, said he claimed there is a link between the terrorist organization and Saddam Hussein "because there is link." Vice President Dick Cheney said this week there was overwhelming evidence of a connection between Iraq and al-Qaida.
Last week a report from the staff of the Sept. 11 Commission looking into possible intelligence failures prior to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, which were carried out by al-Qaida, said the Iraq-al-Qaida link did not exist. Commission members tweaked that, however, limiting it to the planning for the Sept. 11 hijackings. The Bush administration agreed, saying that while Iraq and al-Qaida did have contacts, they did not work together on the Sept. 11 attacks.
Gore claimed the administration "deliberately ignored warnings before the (Iraq) war from international intelligence services, the CIA and their own Pentagon that the claim was false." He recalled the 2002 statement by Jean-Louis Bruguiere, the Council of Europe's terrorism expert, that "We have found no evidence of links between Iraq and al-Qaida. If there were such links we would have found them. But we have found no serious connections whatsoever."
Bush ordered the invasion of Afghanistan when the Taliban leaders there refused to hand over al-Qaida leaders -- including Osama bin Laden, who had orchestrated attacks against U.S. interests during the Clinton administration before masterminding Sept. 11.
U.S.-led forces were able to unseat the Taliban and soon the Bush administration was looking at Iraq, a target administration critics allege had been the main end in the first place.
Gore said that switching to a war in Iraq allowed many Taliban and al-Qaida leaders to escape in Afghanistan. In fact, he alleged, their numbers have "grown considerably" due to a war that is perceived in the Muslim world as a "gross injustice."
"The way in which we have conducted that war," he said, "further fueled a sense of rage against the United States in those lands and, according to several studies, has stimulated a new wave of recruits for the terrorist group that attacked us and still wishes us harm."
Terry Holt, spokesman for the Bush-Cheney '04 campaign, issued a statement saying, "Al Gore lives in his own world and is engaged in simple political attacks on the president.
"The (Sept. 11 Commission) members themselves last week took great pains to point out that they were aware of connections between al-Qaida and various elements in Iraq."
John Lehman, one of the Republicans on the commission, in the wake of the report last week, offered evidence that a member of Saddam's Fedayeen had attended an al-Qaida meeting in Malaysia in January 2001.
Gore said that "within hours, the commission's files yielded definitive evidence that it was another man with a similar name."
The former vice president suggested a fate for Bush similar to one that his former boss -- President Bill Clinton -- went through in the appointment of a special prosecutor.
"Congressional oversight and special prosecution are words that should hang in the air," Gore said.
"This is what we must now do, as Americans, in the name of our founders."
Roger that!
It's clymers like Algore, Clinton, Kennedy, Boxer, Leahy, Dasshole, Jesse Jackson, Kerry, Dean, Maxine Waters and Moore that build DEEP resentment and division.....the kind that can lead to violence.
Notice -- they're all Democrats (Marxists)
CWII is NOT impossible in the U.S.A...
Arm thyselves, neighbors..
Semper Fi
Hey Al:
There already was an independent investigation--called the 9/11 Commission. They reiterated the connection.
What a dunce.
"...Al Gore was the 'smart one'".
Yes, but so was the UniBomber, Ted Bundy and Rasputin.
I do! I do! If I had it on tape, I'd play it over and over again! It was priceless. My favorite part was how the audience laughed!
Gore wants an investigation of Bush.
I want a few things too, but I probably can't have them.
I think it's white jacket time for this turkey. He is mentally "listing."
I mean should we really care what Gore thinks, wants, desires, made, created, drank, ***#ed,etc..Last week he was calling on the resignation of Cheney, Rice, etc..Can we just request that he be sent into outer space, maybe to one of the satellite stations for life.
The Republicans should pounce on this boldly and state that any politician who does not believe there is a link between Iraq and Al Qaida should step forward and identify themselves. Such people are incapable of leading this country at this time. They should draw a line in the sand on this one and ridicule any politician who doesn't believe the relationship existed. They need to be more aggressive.
It is truly frighting. I was watching him melt down as a snip of one of his rants was shown on TV. I really feel sorry for this guy, but he needs serious psychological attention. He is very unstable...I almost hope Kerry would select him as a running mate...wouldn't that be an anchor!
I want a mental health hearing for Al. He should be committed.
Sore Loserman Alert!
Cool. Optimism is good. I was surprised how my inlaws were. My dad in law is shaky on the war,but my mom in law, more of a dem actually, was sick of the press with the abu garaib. No one gives a crap about that. It's like the old skynyrd line "does your conscience bother you? tell the truth!" Know what I mean?
Yeah, mom in law thought they were overboard. We were on a fathers day brunch cruise in the hudson valley on a paddleboat, and sensing an opportunity, I let em have a quick sermon on the war on terror. My wife, who spares her words (unlike me) said after that it was a good summary of the situation I gave them. I made a good strong pitch for our side. My ma, who has never voted for a GOPer, might vote for GWB cuz she don't like or trust Kerry.
That's something that isn't factored in yet. Most people don't yet know Kerry. When he gets going on the nat'l stage, with people watching, and he does his I was for it then against it, it wasn't my suv, what about france and the rest of it, he's gonna get splayed. It's hard to believe, in times like these, how ignorant people can be just a few months out. But maybe they figure they have time, and maybe they are right. Maybe it's me who's ignorant for riding each wave. I could go to sleep, wake up in Novemeber and I still know who I'm voting for. But you want to do something. you want to fight the libs and the press and beat back their lies. OK....I'll stop ranting now. Sorry :-)
It USED to be online years ago. When Algore advanced towards Bush as Bush was speaking. Bush stopped, looked algore up, down, and up again, then kept right on talking with the air of, "Sheeeeaaat! You ain't nuthin'."
CLASSIC!
Oh, by all means. Let's have an investigations.
Let's put into evidence the Clinton Justice Department's federal indictment of Osama bin Laden which cites OBL's ties and connections to Iraq.
"In addition, al Qaeda reached an understanding with the Government of Iraq that al Qaeda would not work against that government and that on particular projects, specifically including weapons development, al Qaeda would work cooperatively with the Government of Iraq," the indictment said.
http://usinfo.state.gov/topical/pol/terror/98110402.htm
I think that someone needs to make a documentary about "DEMOCRATS GONE WILD." The
I've always refered to it as 'dems gone wild'. they truly have lost all common sense. Poor Zell Miller.
I'm with ya on this one Weird Algore. I suggest the first officials to testify should be President and Vice-President who were in office when the following Grand Jury indictment came down in 1998:
TEXT: US GRAND JURY INDICTMENT AGAINST USAMA BIN LADEN
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
- V-
USAMA BIN LADEN,
Defendant
COUNT ONE
Conspiracy to Attack Defense Utilities of the United States
The Grand Jury charges:
Background: Al Qaeda
4. Al Qaeda also forged alliances with the National Islamic Front in the Sudan and with the government of Iran and its associated terrorist group Hezballah for the purpose of working together against their perceived common enemies in the West, particularly the United States. In addition, al Qaeda reached an understanding with the government of Iraq that al Qaeda would not work against that government and that on particular projects, specifically including weapons development, al Qaeda would work cooperatively with the Government of Iraq.
http://www.fas.org/irp/news/1998/11/98110602_nlt.html
All I've ever found was Rush's parody, "Teddy's Gone Wild."
And now we better understand Tipper Gore's intense interest in mental health issues.
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