Dots

I knew that people far more qualified than I am would attack the recent reports that allege our intelligence people stated before the Iraq War that there was no Iraq-al Qaeda connection. As if you can ever call an absence of evidence conclusive. And there is in fact evidence despite the recent stories, so this line of defense isn't even necessary.

The Weekly Standard steps up:

This is simply revisionist history at its worst.

Although there were certainly disagreements between the CIA and Feith's shop, both argued in 2002 that there was a relationship between Saddam's Iraq and al Qaeda. George Tenet, then the director of central intelligence, stated the CIA's position quite clearly in an October 7, 2002 letter to then head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senator Bob Graham (D-FL). Tenet explained, "We have solid reporting of senior level contacts between Iraq and al-Qaeda going back a decade." Iraq and al Qaeda "have discussed safe haven and reciprocal non-aggression." Tenet warned, "We have credible reporting that al-Qaeda leaders sought contacts in Iraq who could help them acquire WMD capabilities. The reporting also stated that Iraq has provided training to al-Qaeda members in the areas of poisons and gases and making conventional bombs." And, "Iraq's increasing support to extremist Palestinians, coupled with growing indications of a relationship with al-Qaeda, suggest that Baghdad's links to terrorists will increase, even absent US military action."

This is not to say that Saddam Husseing ordered 9/11. I don't know why every discussion of links quickly turns to a heated accusation by Leftists that this argument is an attempt to blame Saddam for 9/11. It is not. To say there were links does not mean that Saddam and Osama shared an office and receptionist. It just means they both hated us and would naturally enough seek each other's help at some level to hurt us more. There are ample indications of links and many captured documents yet to be examined. To base a defense of no links on what Saddam and some Baathists denied is rather interesting, to say the least.

For a group of people that manages to connect dots linking Halliburton to Afghan pipelines to Vice President Cheney to the Queen of England (ok, I made up the last part--I think), their inability to see that a thug regime that hated America might try to help out the world's premiere terrorist organization that hated America is beyond me.