Saddam and al Q'aidah: It is! It ain't! It is! It ain't! Well, it ain't!

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
by Donald L Feinberg

Ah, Rummy!

Eric Schmitt quoted him in The New York Times, on September 27, 2002:

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said today that American intelligence had "bulletproof" evidence of links between Al Qaeda and the government of President Saddam Hussein of Iraq.

Mr. Rumsfeld said that recently declassified intelligence reports about suspected ties between Al Qaeda and the Iraqi government, including the presence of senior members of Al Qaeda in Baghdad in "recent periods," were "factual" and "exactly accurate."

And leading up to the war? Rumsfeld said:

"We have what we consider to be very reliable reporting of senior level contacts going back a decade, and of possible chemical and biological agent training. And when I say contacts, I mean between Iraq and al Qaeda," Rumsfeld said at the time.

"We have what we believe to be credible information that Iraq and al Qaeda have discussed safe-haven opportunities in Iraq, reciprocal nonaggression discussions. We have what we consider to be credible evidence that al Qaeda leaders have sought contacts in Iraq who could help them acquire ... weapons of mass destruction capabilities," Rumsfeld added at the time."

AP Headline (USA Today), September, 2003: "Rumsfeld sees no link between Saddam Hussein, 9/11"

Now, today, in Reuters (Will Dunham):

Rumsfeld, during a question-and-answer session before the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, was asked to explain the connection between Saddam and Usama bin Laden's al Qaeda network, blamed for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on America.

"I have seen the answer to that question migrate in the intelligence community over a period of a year in the most amazing way. Second, there are differences in the intelligence community as to what the relationship was," Rumsfeld said.

"To my knowledge, I have not seen any strong, hard evidence that links the two," Rumsfeld added.

Of course, he wouldn't say, "Saddam didn't attack us. Usama Bin Laden attacked us." (Gee. I know that. I know that!)

What a cool way to try to take some heat off Cheney! We'll see how closely Darth sticks to Rummy's words and script Tuesday night.

Donald L Feinberg
Naperville, IL

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION

"One fundamental principle must be borne in mind constantly ... propaganda must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over." Josef Goebbels