Clarke admits Iraq-Al Qaeda connection!

[The Duke]

From page 134 of the 9/11 Commission Report:

"In February 1999, (Charles) Allen proposed flying a U2 mission over Afghansitan to build a aseline of intelligence outside the areas where the tribals had coverage.  (Richard) Clarke was nervous about such a mission because he continued to fear that bin Ladin might leave (Afghanistan) for someplace less accessible.  He wrote Deputy Natioal Security Advisor Donald Kerrick that one relibale source reported bin Ladin's having met with Iraqi officials, who "may have offered him assylum".  Other intelligence sources said that some Taliban leaders, though not Mullah Omar, had urged bin Ladin to go to Iraq.  If bin Ladin actually moved to RIaq, wrote Clarke, his network would be at Saddam Hussein's service, and it would be "virtually impossible" to fid him.  Better to get bin Ladin in Afghanistan, Calrke declared.  (Sandy) Berger suggested sending only one U2 flight, but Clarke opposed even this.  It would require Pakistani approval, he wrote; and "Pak intel in in bed with" bin Laden and would warn him that the United States was getting ready for a bombing campaign: "Armed with that knowledge, the old wily Osama will likely boogie to Baghdad." (emphasis added)  Though told also by Bruce Reidel of the NSC staff that Saddam wanted bin Ladin in Baghdad, Berger conditionally authorized a single U2 flight.  Allen meanwhile had found other ways of getting the information he wanted.  So the U2 flight never occurred."

Note: According to the footnotes, the quotes the Commission uses come from a series of emails the NSC disclosed to the investigation.  In the email where Clarke says Osama would "Boogie to Baghdad", Clarke actually misspells boogie as boggie.

[The Duke]

What?  Where are all the Democrats denying the connection?

[Nation]

I believe that there was some sort of a connection, but to play devil's advocate, it looks like it was just an opinion from Clarke -- of course, Clarke being the same guy the Democrats showered their support over.

[Gabu]

Well, I don't really know, but that comment appears also to imply a direct link between Pakistan and al-Qaida, and I don't see a fervor to go invade Pakistan.

Barring that, however, I'm going to have to investigate this stuff further.  I was not aware that any substantiating of the link between Iraq and al-Qaida had occurred, but from what I've seen so far it seems like it actually has, and if so, I'll need to rethink some opinions of mine regarding the Iraq war.

[Posterity]

I guess people will read into that whatever they want to believe.  The way I read it, it seems like Afghanistan and Pakistan were the real supporters of bin Laden, not Iraq.  Is there any evidence that bin Laden actually did "boogie to Baghdad"?  Doesn't appear to be.  The fact remains that bin Laden was in Afghanistan, not Iraq.

[phk]

If he boogied to Sacramento, we could link him to Arnold Schwarzenegger.

[freedomburns]

Whether they do the boogie or the lambada, Iraq never supported Al Quaeda.  Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and US intelligence did.

You had to search through 500 pages of worthless text to find this worthless quote.

Get a clue.  This is nothing.

freedomburns

[A18]

Actually, every sane person knows Iraq was a terrorist state. But that doesn't matter, because I want free health care.

Ever heard of overpopulation? This is an attempt on Bush's part to hurt the environment by keeping Americans safe.

Damn him. Damn him to hell.