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This is what I just sent to all three links you provided:

Greetings,

This is in regards to the misleading article written by Dana Milbank on 18 September 2003 entitled: "Bush Disavows Hussein-Sept. 11 Link"

The White House has never made a specific connection because there is no apparent, definitive, conclusive evidence tying Iraq to 9-11 -- YET, but the White House does suggest that there IS evidence linking Iraq to the 1993 WTC bombing.

A critical thinker, using logic and legitimate powers of deduction (called, "connecting the dots"), would reasonably conclude that if Iraq tried it once they might just try it again --- like on 9-11. Duh!!!

President Bush said these things in his State of the Union speech in January 2002: "... I will not wait on events, while dangers gather. I will not stand by, as peril draws closer and closer."

"Some have said we must not act until the threat is imminent. Since when have terrorists and tyrants announced their intentions, politely putting us on notice before they strike?"

And he said this aboard The USS Abraham Lincoln:

"Our war against terror is proceeding according to principles that I have made clear to all:

Any person involved in committing or planning terrorist attacks against the American people becomes an enemy of this country, and a target of American justice.

Any person, organization, or government that supports, protects, or harbors terrorists is complicit in the murder of the innocent, and equally guilty of terrorist crimes.

Any outlaw regime that has ties to terrorist groups and seeks or possesses weapons of mass destruction is a grave danger to the civilized world -- and will be confronted." [end excerpts]

This is from The Iraq News Letter on Sun, 14 Sep 2003, published by Laurie Mylroie:

Cheney: Iraqi Link to 1993 Trade Center Bombing

The White House, for the first time, has publicly suggested Iraq might be linked to the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.

In fact, at the time, New York FBI believed that Iraq was involved, while the US Attorney's office there (focused on securing the convictions of those charged and arrested)
was quite open to the possibility.

Meet the Press
September 14, 2003
Host: Tim Russert
Guest: Vice President Dick Cheney
(Excerpt)

MR. RUSSERT: The Washington Post asked the American people about Saddam Hussein, and this is what they said: 69 percent said he was involved in the September 11 attacks. Are you surprised by that?

VICE PRES. CHENEY: No. I think it's not surprising that people make that connection.

MR. RUSSERT: But is there a connection?

VICE PRES. CHENEY: We don't know. You and I talked about this two years ago. I can remember you asking me this question just a few days after the original attack.

At the time I said no, we didn't have any evidence of that.

Subsequent to that, we've learned a couple of things. We learned more and more that there was a relationship between Iraq and al-Qaeda that stretched back through most of the decade of the '90s, that it involved training, for example, on BW and CW, that al-Qaeda sent personnel to Baghdad to get trained on the systems that are involved.

The Iraqis providing bomb-making expertise and advice to the al-Qaeda organization.

We know, for example, in connection with the original World Trade Center bombing in '93 that one of the bombers was Iraqi, returned to Iraq after the attack of '93.

And we've learned subsequent to that, since we went into
Baghdad and got into the intelligence files, that this individual probably also received financing from the Iraqi government as well as safe haven.

[Ed: This is Abdul Rahman Yasin, who was indicted in August 1993, and is the sole remaining fugitive from that attack]

Now, is there a connection between the Iraqi government and the original World Trade Center bombing in '93? We know, as I say, that one of the perpetrators of that act did, in fact, receive support from the Iraqi government after the fact.

With respect to 9/11, of course, we've had the story that's been public out there.

The Czechs alleged that Mohamed Atta, the lead attacker, met in Prague with a senior Iraqi intelligence official five months before the attack, but we've never been able to develop anymore of that yet either in terms of confirming it or discrediting it. We just don't know. [end excerpts]

If, like the NY Times, you ever hope to rebuild your credibility, you will need to correct false impressions like the one that was floated by another one of the well-known, well documented Bush haters on your staff, Dana Milbank.

Thank you.

Warm regards,

Name, Town, and phone #