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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Prominent al-Qaeda member served in Saddam Fedayeen |
| 2004-06-20 |
| The commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks has been given new evidence that "a very prominent member" of al Qaeda served as an officer in Saddam Hussein’s militia, a panel member said on Sunday. Republican commissioner John Lehman told NBC’s "Meet the Press" program that the new intelligence, if proven true, buttresses claims by the Bush administration of ties between Iraq and the militant network believed responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on America. Lehman said the information, contained in "captured documents," was obtained after the commission report was written that stated there was no evidence of a "collaborative relationship" between Iraq and al Qaeda. "Some of these documents indicate that (there was) at least one officer of Saddam’s Fedayeen, a lieutenant colonel, who was a very prominent member of al Qaeda," Lehman said. "That still has to be confirmed, but the vice president (Dick Cheney) was right when he said that he may have things that we don’t yet have," said Lehman, a former Navy secretary. "And we are now in the process of getting this latest intelligence." |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #3 Notice how it's "Republican commissioner"... don't recall party definition applied to Mr. Ben-Veriste, or Ms. Gorelick. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2004-06-20 11:28:51 PM |
| #2 Check out the Reuters story linked here. Not that it's the first time (can anyone say "imminent threat"?), but the blatant assertion of falsehoods, routinely, in "news" reports never ceases to shock. The Reuters "story" blandly claims that Cheney asserted AQ involvement in 9/11. Check this out: "Some officials, including Cheney, have suggested an Iraqi role in the Sept. 11 attacks carried out by al Qaeda. Bush later ruled out that possibility, but many Americans still believe it, and critics have accused the administration of misleading the public." Every single element of that paragraph is false, or misleading. The final clause is completely misleading, in that it implies the administration cultivated public belief in an Iraqi role in 9/11. The first public poll showing this belief was taken before any official had made any comment of any kind related to the subject. The major media have now crossed a line. Today's accounts of the 9/11 Commission figures' TV appearances generally repeat the gross error claiming that the Commission's staff report contradicts administration claims pre-Iraq. The co-chairmen tried to correct this media lie immediately after it appeared -- apparently to no avail. My favorite today was one wire report that twisted the co-chairmen's latest statements -- saying Iran & Pakistan had more AQ involvement than Iraq -- to portray them as buttressing the non-existent commission "conflict" with the administration. I thought media distortion was out of control two years ago. It's now beyond "out of control," whatever the term for that might be. Scary. |
| Posted by: Verlaine 2004-06-20 5:04:39 PM |
| #1 hmmmmm I'm sure the NY Times will make this tomorrow's lede...riggghhhtt |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-06-20 3:43:47 PM |