FW: Cheney/Bush Mislead on Hussein/Zarqawi Connection

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THE DAILY MIS-LEAD
< www.Misleader.org >
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CHENEY AND BUSH MISLEAD ABOUT HUSSEIN/ZARQAWI CONNECTION

Vice President Cheney and President Bush have repeatedly claimed that
al-Qaeda had a working relationship with Saddam Hussein which justified
the invasion of Iraq. The key piece of evidence Cheney and President
Bush have used to support this claim was that Hussein harbored Abu Musab
al Zarqawi - a suspected associated of al-Qaeda. For example, on 6/21/04
Cheney said "Mr.
Zarqawi, who is in Baghdad today, is an al Qaeda associate who took
refuge in Baghdad, found sanctuary and safe harbor there before we ever
launched into Iraq."[1] President Bush said on 6/15/04 "Zarqawi's the
best evidence of a [Hussein] connection to al Qaeda affiliates and al
Qaeda."[2] One problem: there is no evidence to support these claims.

Knight Ridder reports "a new CIA assessment undercuts the White House
claim that Saddam Hussein maintained ties to al Qaeda, saying there is
no conclusive evidence that the regime harbored terrorist Abu Musab al
Zarqawi."[3] According to a senior U.S. intelligence official "The
evidence is that Saddam never gave Zarqawi anything."[4] Ironically, the
assessment was requested by Cheney.[5]

Sources:

1. "CNN Newsnight Aaron Brown," CNN, 06/21/04,
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=3476437&l=60800.
2. "Bush stands by al Qaeda, Saddam link," CNN, 6/15/04,
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=3476437&l=60801.
3. "Iraq-al Qaeda tie called unlikely," Miami Herald, 10/05/04,
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=3476437&l=60802.
4. Ibid, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=3476437&l=60802.
5. Ibid, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=3476437&l=60802.

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