Palin Links Iraq to 9/11, A View Discarded by Bush

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Gov. Sarah Palin linked the war in Iraq with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, telling an Iraq-bound brigade of soldiers that included her son that they would "defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the death of thousands of Americans."

The idea that Iraq shared responsibility with al-Qaeda for the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, once promoted by Bush administration officials, has since been rejected even by the president himself.

...

"America can never go back to that false sense of security that came before September 11, 2001," she said at the deployment ceremony, which drew hundreds of military families who walked from their homes on the sprawling post to the airstrip where the service was held.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...ml?hpid=topnews

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Good thing you're not voting for McCain.

[lucyrich 20]

Sure, Al-Qaeda wasn't in Iraq before the war, at least according to the Bush administration. Saddam ruled Iraq with an iron fist, and wouldn't share power with Al-Qaeda. The Bush administration most definitely made it very clear, back in the day, that the one and only reason for going to war in Iraq was to disarm Saddam of his weapons of mass destruction -- not to get revenge on Al-Qaeda.

But there are people who claim that we've allowed Al-Qaeda to get into Iraq now, after the power vacuum left by the overthrow of Saddam. And on the face of it, it's not a completely unreasonable claim. Bush certainly has talked recently about "Al-Qaeda in Iraq".

I suspect the people going over to Iraq these days are no longer going over there to find and destroy Saddam's weapons of mass destruction. But they've got to be going over for some reason. Maybe pushing Al-qaeda back out is as good a reason as any. Could that be what Sarah is referring to?

[spookyturtle 9,466]

No, everything she says is a lie.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

The Bush administration most definitely made it very clear, back in the day, that the one and only reason for going to war in Iraq was to disarm Saddam of his weapons of mass destruction -- not to get revenge on Al-Qaeda.

Interesting. In a speech outlining his reasons to go to war against Iraq, he sure does mention Iraqi ties with al Qaeda a whole lot!

October 7 2002:

President Bush Outlines Iraqi Threat

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Thank you for that very gracious and warm Cincinnati welcome. I'm honored to be here tonight; I appreciate you all coming.

Tonight I want to take a few minutes to discuss a grave threat to peace, and America's determination to lead the world in confronting that threat.

The threat comes from Iraq. It arises directly from the Iraqi regime's own actions -- its history of aggression, and its drive toward an arsenal of terror. Eleven years ago, as a condition for ending the Persian Gulf War, the Iraqi regime was required to destroy its weapons of mass destruction, to cease all development of such weapons, and to stop all support for terrorist groups. The Iraqi regime has violated all of those obligations.

...

We also must never forget the most vivid events of recent history. On September the 11th, 2001, America felt its vulnerability -- even to threats that gather on the other side of the earth.

...

Over the years, Iraq has provided safe haven to terrorists such as Abu Nidal, whose terror organization carried out more than 90 terrorist attacks in 20 countries that killed or injured nearly 900 people, including 12 Americans. Iraq has also provided safe haven to Abu Abbas, who was responsible for seizing the Achille Lauro and killing an American passenger. And we know that Iraq is continuing to finance terror and gives assistance to groups that use terrorism to undermine Middle East peace.

We know that Iraq and the al Qaeda terrorist network share a common enemy -- the United States of America. We know that Iraq and al Qaeda have had high-level contacts that go back a decade. Some al Qaeda leaders who fled Afghanistan went to Iraq. These include one very senior al Qaeda leader who received medical treatment in Baghdad this year, and who has been associated with planning for chemical and biological attacks. We've learned that Iraq has trained al Qaeda members in bomb-making and poisons and deadly gases. And we know that after September the 11th, Saddam Hussein's regime gleefully celebrated the terrorist attacks on America.

I suspect the people going over to Iraq these days are no longer going over there to find and destroy Saddam's weapons of mass destruction. But they've got to be going over for some reason. Maybe pushing Al-qaeda back out is as good a reason as any. Could that be what Sarah is referring to?

It could be. Of course, those people are believed to be in the Pakistan, not Iraq. Doh!

From the Voice of America, dated September 10 2008:

Report: US, Pakistan Shift Approach in Bin Laden Hunt

U.S. and Pakistani officials are shifting tactics in their search for al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, intensifying the use of unmanned, but lethal, spy planes in western Pakistan.

...

U.S. officials have said they suspect bin Laden and other al-Qaida leaders are hiding in Pakistan's tribal regions along the Afghan border.

...

Since late August there have been at least five suspected U.S. missile strikes against militant targets in Pakistan's North and South Waziristan regions.

...

The Post says U.S. officials attribute their failure to find bin Laden mostly to an inability to develop intelligence informants in Pakistan's tribal regions.

[lucyrich 20]

See this CBS news article from before the invasion of Iraq

Rumsfeld also told radio listeners it is impossible Iraq does not have weapons of mass destruction. "What it would prove is that the inspections process had been successfully defeated by the Iraqis if they find nothing."

The conflict with Iraq is about weapons of mass destruction, Rumsfeld insisted.

If you click on the link you'll see the quote from Bush's defense secretary telling us how long the Iraq war could possibly last. "Five days or five weeks or five months, but it certainly isn't going to last any longer than that".

Also see this series of quotes about WMDs. Everybody, including Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, as well as of course George W. Bush, Ari Fleisher, and many other members of the Bush administration, was saying the war was about those WMDs.

[lucyrich 20]

Finally, note what Bush said as he announced the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom. That's from the whitehouse.gov site. Not one word about 9/11 or Al-Qaeda. Just weapons of mass destruction, and a vague hint about support for terrorism.

[IAMX 3,055]

And to think, I was called unpatriotic and anti-American for not believing their bullshit.

Damn, I sure feel more American than those Captain America's now. B)

And, of course, Palin is a retard.

Edited September 12, 2008 by SRVT

[symbiosis 0]

Sure, Al-Qaeda wasn't in Iraq before the war, at least according to the Bush administration. Saddam ruled Iraq with an iron fist, and wouldn't share power with Al-Qaeda. The Bush administration most definitely made it very clear, back in the day, that the one and only reason for going to war in Iraq was to disarm Saddam of his weapons of mass destruction -- not to get revenge on Al-Qaeda.

But there are people who claim that we've allowed Al-Qaeda to get into Iraq now, after the power vacuum left by the overthrow of Saddam. And on the face of it, it's not a completely unreasonable claim. Bush certainly has talked recently about "Al-Qaeda in Iraq".

I suspect the people going over to Iraq these days are no longer going over there to find and destroy Saddam's weapons of mass destruction. But they've got to be going over for some reason. Maybe pushing Al-qaeda back out is as good a reason as any. Could that be what Sarah is referring to?

The invasion of Iraq allowed al-Qaida to set up shop in that country. It was the most effective recruiting tool ever handed to al-Qaida and it's only cost us a trillion dollars and a few thousand American lives.

What a deal!

Edited September 12, 2008 by symbiosis

[Sprailenes 47]

I am speechless. She's a moron. That's all.

[caybee 21]

Am I the only one who wouldn't be surprised if we managed to capture or kill Bin Ladin sometime in the next six weeks?

In 2004, my voting machine was located directly beneath a poster of a ghost image of the WTC with a quote by GWB, so yeah, I'm a little cynical.

[Sprailenes 47]

Am I the only one who wouldn't be surprised if we managed to capture or kill Bin Ladin sometime in the next six weeks?

In 2004, my voting machine was located directly beneath a poster of a ghost image of the WTC with a quote by GWB, so yeah, I'm a little cynical.

If this happened I would hope people would question it as much as possible, but I don't think they would.

[symbiosis 0]

Am I the only one who wouldn't be surprised if we managed to capture or kill Bin Ladin sometime in the next six weeks?

In 2004, my voting machine was located directly beneath a poster of a ghost image of the WTC with a quote by GWB, so yeah, I'm a little cynical.

At least you got to vote. The ####### that went on in Ohio in 2004 was beyond belief. Expect it again this year.

We could be looking at yet another stolen election.

This is pretty enlightening:

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/104...election_stolen

[almaty 19]

stupid is and stupid says

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

See this CBS news article from before the invasion of Iraq

Rumsfeld also told radio listeners it is impossible Iraq does not have weapons of mass destruction. "What it would prove is that the inspections process had been successfully defeated by the Iraqis if they find nothing."

The conflict with Iraq is about weapons of mass destruction, Rumsfeld insisted.

If you click on the link you'll see the quote from Bush's defense secretary telling us how long the Iraq war could possibly last. "Five days or five weeks or five months, but it certainly isn't going to last any longer than that".

Also see this series of quotes about WMDs. Everybody, including Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, as well as of course George W. Bush, Ari Fleisher, and many other members of the Bush administration, was saying the war was about those WMDs.

This of course doesn't quite answer the question how more than 3 out of 4 Americans came to believe that Saddam was involved in the 9/11 attacks.