Latest wingnut spin: Clinton admin. linked Iraq & al Qaeda first

[trotsky]

Warning: Moonie Times link follows.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20040624-112921-3401r.htm

The 1998 indictment said: "Al Qaeda also forged alliances with the National Islamic Front in the Sudan and with the government of Iran and its associated terrorist group Hezbollah for the purpose of working together against their perceived common enemies in the West, particularly the United States. In addition, al Qaeda reached an understanding with the government of Iraq that al Qaeda would not work against that government and that on particular projects, specifically including weapons development, al Qaeda would work cooperatively with the government of Iraq."

My first reaction is, how conveeeeeenient. Bush is sputtering, no one is buying Cheney's lies, no WMDs, no links found by 9/11 commission, and this magic little gem falls from the sky?

Initially I'd say whatever "link" exists was obviously not deemed significant enough by the Clinton administration (OR the Bushies prior to 9/11) to be worth invading Iraq over, and so to use it now to justify said invasion seems ridiculous. What are some other thoughts?

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

1. WOULD and DID are two entirely different things

[arcane1]

2. lmao, now the repubes are gonna say they trust Clinton?

:silly:

[fertilizeonarbusto]

3. I wouldn't worry

Their credibility is zero anyway and their blaming Clinton for everything has gone from infuriating to pathetically funny.

[Bandit]

4. But , But , But.. Republicans ran on the idea that Clinton was never right

and never truthful either, so it seems they would go to extra lengths to verify anything the Clinton Administration said. Unless of course they were not competent. Either they are Lying or they are Incompetent.

[Vickers]

5. Georgie said there was a link between Iraq and 9/11

Big difference between that and "an understanding with the government of Iraq that al Qaeda would not work against that government and that on particular projects, specifically including weapons development, al Qaeda would work cooperatively with the government of Iraq."

Oh, and where are those WMDs, Georgie? Remember, the reason we went there?

[Old and In the Way]

6. Perhaps Clinton was concerned with AQ and SH hooking up, BUT

the proof that it was not an overarching concern is in the record. He didn't invade and kept the pressure on Saddam vioa embargo's and inspections. Probably should have relaxed the embargo, IMHO....but you know what the Republican response would have been to that.

[aden_nak]

7. Double Take.

"Clinton was a horrible President! A disgrace! Everything he did was wrong! Uh. . . except this one time where he agreed with us."

[bossfish]

8. Just keep pointing out...

that Clinton has been out of office for THREE AND A HALF YEARS!

Your guys have had a long time to make their "policy."

[Nikki Stone 1]

9. This The neocons cry wolf (again)

It has gotten to the point that even if this were true, Democrats won't care. And neocons will believe whatever their neocon sources tell them. And for the most part, the swing voters aren't paying much attention anyway. It ends up being a stalemate.

[JohnnyRingo]

10. Notice that Big Dog didn't feel very confidant of the theory

...He didn't do anything stupid, like invade Iraq.

[rogerashton]

11. The facts are

(or at least the latest version from this morning's new York Times) that there were contacts between Iraq and al Qaeda before 1996, based on their common enmity toward the Saudi monarchy, but that they were unable to find a common basis for action -- each taking a my-way-or-the-highway approach to the other.

In 1998, those contacts were still recent enough that the Clinton administration should prudently have watched for developments. Which they did. Not significant enough to motivate an invasion, though, even then.

By 2003, those contacts were five years older -- and that much less significant as a basis for any national policy.

on edit -- link

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/25/politics/25TERR.html

[Nikki Stone 1]

12. So Clinton is to blame because he can't read tea leaves

From the facts you stated, it doesn't seem like there was anything to worry about. My guess is that Hussein saw something fishy in Al Qaida and probably figured it wasn't worth the risk.

[trotsky]

13. Thanks for the summary.

Makes sense now!

[Vadem]

14. Faux news had a clip of Gore saying that OBL and SH were...

working together, that SH had WMD and planned to use nuclear against us, or words to that effect. I saw it yesterday when I was flipping channels to see the reaction to Gore's speech and they were juxtaposing Al's speech yesterday with what he said in '92. Did anyone else see it?