What is Cheney trying to do?

[Berkut]

I don't think the Bush admin claimed there were any ties between Saddam and AQ, or 9/11? Correct me if I'm wrong, as I know that's been claimed, and maybe I'm forgetting, but I never got the impression that the invasion of Iraq was due to links to 9/11. There were statements by the Bushies about fears of Saddam supplying terrorists if he gained WMDs, and that sort of thing.

The Saddam-9/11 thing was a disaster on all parts.

The Bush admin never made an explicit connection, but they did allow the public to continue to think there was a direct connection. They did make an indirect connection (which I still think was valid).

The left then went on and on and on and on and on about how Bush claimed Saddam was involved, when of course he wasn't. Now it has become an article of faith among the MoveOn crowd.

[Caliga]

I seem to remember Colin Powell addressing the UN and making that exact claim--that there were links between Saddam and Al-Q/9-11.

edit: or were his claims about Saddam still having WMD stockpiles?

[KRonn]

All the demonizing of the Bush admin over 8 years, to the detriment of the country and its political process. And now we have Pres Obama doing some of the same things that Bush did. Shows me what I figured all along, that much of the angst over Bush was so damn political. Shows how nasty politics gets. Repubs and Dems will do it,  in order to gain political advantage or to slam, or even savage, opponents, even losing sight of the over all picture. Yes, Pres Bush brought some of it on himself but it all went way too far. I stopped seeing some of the Bush excesses due to the crying of wolf over everything, and the BDS (Bush Derangement Syndrome) factor by his haters. So now I'm waiting to see the same happen to Pres Obama, hoping it doesn't as it's ruinous to the political process, but some already is (he's a commie, etc), though he's too popular and the media so far likes him too much for full ODS (Obama Derangement Syndrome) to set in.

[Valmy]

All the demonizing of the Bush admin over 8 years, to the detriment of the country and its political process.

Well it is the same thing that happened with the Clinton admin, is happeing with the Obama admin, and will happen with whatever sucker wants the job next.

[Berkut]

I seem to remember Colin Powell addressing the UN and making that exact claim--that there were links between Saddam and Al-Q/9-11.

edit: or were his claims about Saddam still having WMD stockpiles?

I think there was some rather tenuous mention of Saddam having once hosted some AQ terrorists, but not much beyond that. The rightwing nutjob corps of course ran with that (I think Hansie was going on about Saddam being tight with AQ), and there was a connection made between Saddam and terrorism in general, with the unspoken implication allowed to stand - after 9/11 the words "terrorist" and "Al-quaeda" became almost synonymous.

[Caliga]

I do remember at the time the gubmint was trying to build a case about A-Q that made it seem like it was basically a Muslim version of Cobra. 

[Neil]

I do remember at the time the gubmint was trying to build a case about A-Q that made it seem like it was basically a Muslim version of Cobra. 

Now there was a real terrorist operation.  None of this bullshit about religion, just pure orneriness, and yet they had all kinds of custom war vehicles, they were practically an army unto themselves.

However, GI Joe was the proof that regular law enforcement cannot handle terrorism, and that only the military can handle it.

[Darth Wagtaros]

I do remember at the time the gubmint was trying to build a case about A-Q that made it seem like it was basically a Muslim version of Cobra. 

Weather Dominators and Pyramids of Darkness.  The heyday of international terrorism. Sigh, all we get these days are bombs and bad rhetoric. 

[Neil]

Their base was the Terror Drome.  It was almost like they were trying to be evil.

[Martinus]

Whoa, Kronn, that's a short memory you have!

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/06/18/cheney.iraq.al.qaeda/

Cheney blasts media on al Qaeda-Iraq link
Says media not 'doing their homework' in reporting ties

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Vice President Dick Cheney said Thursday the evidence is "overwhelming" that al Qaeda had a relationship with Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq, and he said media reports suggesting that the 9/11 commission has reached a contradictory conclusion were "irresponsible."

"There clearly was a relationship. It's been testified to. The evidence is overwhelming," Cheney said in an interview with CNBC's "Capitol Report."

"It goes back to the early '90s. It involves a whole series of contacts, high-level contacts with Osama bin Laden and Iraqi intelligence officials."

"The press, with all due respect, (is) often times lazy, often times simply reports what somebody else in the press said without doing their homework."

Members of 9/11 commission found "no credible evidence" that Iraq was involved in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks carried out by al Qaeda hijackers, and they concluded that there was "no collaborative relationship" between Iraq and Osama bin Laden, the network's leader, according to details of its findings disclosed Wednesday at a public hearing.

However, the commission also found that bin Laden did "explore possible cooperation with Iraq."

Cheney told CNBC that cooperation included a brigadier general in the Iraqi intelligence service going to Sudan, where bin Laden was based prior to moving his operations to Afghanistan, to train al Qaeda members in bomb-making and document forgery.

Both Cheney and President Bush are strongly disputing suggestions that the commission's conclusion that there were no Iraqi fingerprints on the 9/11 attacks contradicts statements they made in the run-up to the Iraq war about links between Iraq and al Qaeda.

Bush, who has said himself that there is no evidence Iraq was involved in 9/11, sought to explain the distinction Thursday, saying that while the administration never "said that the 9/11 attacks were orchestrated" with Iraqi help, "we did say there were numerous contacts between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda."

"The reason I keep insisting that there was a relationship between Iraq and Saddam and al Qaeda [is] because there was a relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda," the president said. (Full story)

In his CNBC interview, Cheney went a bit further. Asked if Iraq was involved in 9/11, he said, "We don't know."

"What the commission says is they can't find evidence of that," he said. "We had one report, which is a famous report on the Czech intelligence service, and we've never been able to confirm or to knock it down."

The uncorroborated Czech report, which has been widely disputed, alleged that 9/11 ringleader Mohammed Atta met with an Iraqi intelligence agent in Prague before the attacks.

Asked if he knows information that the 9/11 commission does not know, Cheney replied, "Probably."

[Jos Theelen]

If you want to show that Obama is doing almost the same as Bush, you have to fiddle with history.

[Berkut]

Marty, the part you bolded is rather clear. They claimed that there was evidence of contact between Iraq and AQ - that is not claiming that Iraq had anything to do with 9/11 though.

The administration is guilty in allowing the public to draw incorrect conclusions based on the data provided.

it is simply bizarre how religious people like you are about this - it is right there in the very article you provided, yet you continue to insist it says something it explicitly denies.

Bush, who has said himself that there is no evidence Iraq was involved in 9/11

[Hansmeister]

Whoa, Kronn, that's a short memory you have!

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/06/18/cheney.iraq.al.qaeda/

Cheney blasts media on al Qaeda-Iraq link
Says media not 'doing their homework' in reporting ties

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Vice President Dick Cheney said Thursday the evidence is "overwhelming" that al Qaeda had a relationship with Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq, and he said media reports suggesting that the 9/11 commission has reached a contradictory conclusion were "irresponsible."

"There clearly was a relationship. It's been testified to. The evidence is overwhelming," Cheney said in an interview with CNBC's "Capitol Report."

"It goes back to the early '90s. It involves a whole series of contacts, high-level contacts with Osama bin Laden and Iraqi intelligence officials."

"The press, with all due respect, (is) often times lazy, often times simply reports what somebody else in the press said without doing their homework."

Members of 9/11 commission found "no credible evidence" that Iraq was involved in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks carried out by al Qaeda hijackers, and they concluded that there was "no collaborative relationship" between Iraq and Osama bin Laden, the network's leader, according to details of its findings disclosed Wednesday at a public hearing.

However, the commission also found that bin Laden did "explore possible cooperation with Iraq."

Cheney told CNBC that cooperation included a brigadier general in the Iraqi intelligence service going to Sudan, where bin Laden was based prior to moving his operations to Afghanistan, to train al Qaeda members in bomb-making and document forgery.

Both Cheney and President Bush are strongly disputing suggestions that the commission's conclusion that there were no Iraqi fingerprints on the 9/11 attacks contradicts statements they made in the run-up to the Iraq war about links between Iraq and al Qaeda.

Bush, who has said himself that there is no evidence Iraq was involved in 9/11, sought to explain the distinction Thursday, saying that while the administration never "said that the 9/11 attacks were orchestrated" with Iraqi help, "we did say there were numerous contacts between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda."

"The reason I keep insisting that there was a relationship between Iraq and Saddam and al Qaeda [is] because there was a relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda," the president said. (Full story)

In his CNBC interview, Cheney went a bit further. Asked if Iraq was involved in 9/11, he said, "We don't know."

"What the commission says is they can't find evidence of that," he said. "We had one report, which is a famous report on the Czech intelligence service, and we've never been able to confirm or to knock it down."

The uncorroborated Czech report, which has been widely disputed, alleged that 9/11 ringleader Mohammed Atta met with an Iraqi intelligence agent in Prague before the attacks.

Asked if he knows information that the 9/11 commission does not know, Cheney replied, "Probably."

I know that you're a retard so let's make this simple for you.  Saddam was connected to Al Qaeda, but we have no evidence that he had any ties or knowledge of 9-11.  There, is that still too damn complicated for you?

[The Minsky Moment]

I don't think Bush would have done that.

The welfare for automakers program started on his watch.  His admin poured the 20B in TARP money into GM and Chrysler the first place.

[Norgy]

I know that you're a retard so let's make this simple for you.  Saddam was connected to Al Qaeda, but we have no evidence that he had any ties or knowledge of 9-11.  There, is that still too damn complicated for you?

The contact seemed to have ended long before 2001, though.