Reply #19: AP: White House Statements on Iraq, al-Qaida [View All]

[Barrett808]

White House Statements on Iraq, al-Qaida
By The Associated Press

Comments by President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice alleging links between al-Qaida and Iraq under Saddam Hussein:

2002:

Rice, Sept. 25: "There clearly are contacts between al-Qaida and Iraq that can be documented; there clearly is testimony that some of the contacts have been important contacts and that there's a relationship here. ... And there are some al-Qaida personnel who found refuge in Baghdad."

Bush, Oct. 7: "We know that Iraq and the al-Qaida terrorist network share a common enemy — the United States of America. We know that Iraq and al-Qaida have had high-level contacts that go back a decade" and "we've learned that Iraq has trained al-Qaida members in bomb-making and poisons and deadly gases."

2003:

Bush, State of the Union address, Jan. 28: "And this Congress and the American people must recognize another threat. Evidence from intelligence sources, secret communications, and statements by people now in custody reveal that Saddam Hussein aids and protects terrorists, including members of al-Qaida."

Bush, Feb. 6: "Senior members of Iraqi intelligence and al-Qaida have met at least eight times since the early 1990s. Iraq has sent bomb-making and document forgery experts to work with al-Qaida" and "Iraq has also provided al-Qaida with chemical and biological weapons training."

2004:

Cheney, Jan. 21: "I continue to believe — I think there's overwhelming evidence that there was a connection between al-Qaida and the Iraqi government. I'm very confident that there was an established relationship there."

Cheney, Monday: Saddam Hussein "had long-established ties with al-Qaida."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040616/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_cheney_comments