Cheney Theme of Qaeda Ties to Bombings in Iraq Are Questioned by Some in

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

Administration

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/11/politics/11CHEN.html?ex=1069131600&en=cc2b8603035d5b3d&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 — Vice President Dick Cheney has in recent speeches mentioned the major bombings in Iraq this past summer in the same breath as the deadly strikes in Bali, Casablanca and Riyadh, which authorities say were carried out by Al Qaeda or groups affiliated with it.

The clear implication is that militants linked to Al Qaeda were responsible for the Iraq bombings, too. The attacks in Baghdad late last month would appear to lend credence to that claim except for this: senior military, intelligence and law enforcement officials say there is no conclusive evidence pointing to a particular group — affiliated with Al Qaeda or not — as the mastermind behind any of the major attacks in Iraq. "At this point it isn't clear who's responsible for those bombings," said a senior American official, who added that for Mr. Cheney even to imply that Al Qaeda-affiliated terrorists were responsible was "premature." The official went on, "We just don't know."

The distinction over who is behind the bombings — militants linked to Al Qaeda or homegrown loyalists to Saddam Hussein — is important politically for Mr. Cheney and his boss, President Bush, terrorism experts say.

Mr. Cheney has repeatedly sought to cast the Iraq war and its aftermath as part of the broader campaign against terrorism. Administration officials say that linking the bombings in Iraq to Al Qaeda and the broader war on terrorism puts the attacks in a better political light than if they are viewed as guerrilla strikes by Baathist die-hards.

But critics have accused Mr. Cheney of far exceeding what other administration figures have asserted about Qaeda links to Iraq. Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney have defined the American antiterror efforts very broadly.
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I think it's gotten to the point that each morning all the administration is given different stories to tell and they use the story that doesn't get laughed at too much as the truth. Geez.

[PartyPooper]

1. Yep, it's the story 'Du Jour'.

First it was WMD and Saddam was behind 9/11. Then it was we liberated the Iraqi people. Then it was Saddam loyalists / 'dead-enders' did it. Then it was folks are coming into Iraq from Syria stirring things up, etc.. Then it was Al Qaeda did it. Then it was...

:think:

[UpInArms]

2. the dog ate the bomb

and gave it to al kida

[midwest_lurker]

3. the "front" will be a major issue

i really think cheney will be jettisoned for the campaign for health reasons

[Media_Lies_Daily]

4. I wouldn't be a bit surprised to read sometime in the future that the...

...attacks on other countries like Saudi Arabia have been perpetrated by either U.S. special ops, or locals that have no idea that they're working for the U.S.

In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to learn quite a few things since September 11th, 2001.