BBC Newsnight: Spy says al-Qaeda tricked Bush into war

[sabra]

http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/spy-says-alqaeda-tricked-us-into-war/2006/11/17/1163266782059.html

BBC link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/6155736.stm

Spy says al-Qaeda tricked US into war

A SENIOR al-Qaeda operative planted information to encourage the US to invade Iraq, according to a double agent who infiltrated the terrorist network as a spy for Western intelligence agencies.

The claim was made by Omar Nasiri, a pseudonym for a Moroccan who says he spent seven years working for European security and intelligence agencies, including British intelligence agency MI5.

He said Ibn Sheikh al-Libi, who ran training camps in Afghanistan, told his US interrogators that al-Qaeda had been training Iraqis.

Libi was captured in November 2001 and taken to Egypt, where he was allegedly tortured.

...

He said Libi "needed the conflict in Iraq, because months before I heard him telling us when a question was asked in the mosque after the prayer in the evening, 'where is the best country to fight the jihad?'."

Libi answered Iraq, because it was the "weakest" Muslim country.

:crazy:

[Epiphany4z]

1. phew o h good

and hear I was worried it was Bushes fault. I mean that is so out of charecter..nothing is every his fault...we know that!:sarcasm:

[On the Road]

9. Not Bush's Fault?

This story is very embarrassing to the administration. It means Bush got snookered by Al Qaida and the whole war was a mistake.

[Ezlivin]

2. Nah, Bush was just looking for ANY excuse to get into Iraq

Hell, just think of all the reasons he gave us!

[Sadie5]

3. Really?

Sounds like some kind of planted story to take the heat off Bush where the war is concerned. Everyone will remember how Bush did every thing he could to get his war for oil going.

[wtmusic]

4. See! It was al Qaeda's fault after all!

Psst....guys....the election's over....

[Parisle]

5. Not exactly plausible,.....

---- The PNAC has been foaming at the mouth to invade and occupy Iraq since the mid-90's. Most of the Bush administration was hand-selected from the PNAC. Case closed.

[formercia]

6. Stands to reason

The Babylonians have been pissing off the locals for several millenia.

What I don't get is why a Sunni would encourage an attack on Iraq when the eventual outcome would benefit the Shia.

[grizmaster]

7. in a word- bullsh!t

bush and the neocons had been dying to invade Iraq since at least 1998.

[GDAEx2]

8. Bush played, predictably into their hands

He reacted in a way that could not have worked out better for the Islamic Extremist Agenda.