From a transcript at MSNBC we have the following exchange:
Allawi: We know that this is an extension to what has happened in New York. And–the war have been taken out to Iraq by the same terrorists. Saddam was a potential friend and partner and natural ally of terrorism.Brokaw: Prime minister, I’m surprised that you would make the connection between 9/11 and the war in Iraq. The 9/11 commission in America says there is no evidence of a collaborative relationship between Saddam Hussein and those terrorists of al-Qaida.
Allawi: No. I believe very strongly that Saddam had relations with al-Qaida. And these relations started in Sudan. We know Saddam had relationships with a lot of terrorists and international terrorism. Now, whether he is directly connected to the September–atrocities or not, I can’t –vouch for this. But definitely I know he has connections with extremism and terrorists.
Several folks, including James Joyner, Betsy Newmark, and Jonah Goldberg (where I first saw it this morning, but didn’t have time to comment) have already noted this story.
Now, aside from the obviously interesting fact that Mr. Allawi thinks there was a Saddam-al Qaeda connection, what struck me most was Brokaw’s questions. If you read the brief transcript at the link above you get the impression that is a parody of a real interview. Brokaw intimates that the new Iraqi government is no better than a US puppet, opines that the blood spilled by American soldiers may have been a waste, and scolds the Prime Minister for suggesting that there was an al Qaeda connection with the old Iraqi regime.
Further, Brokaw perpetuates the canard that the staff memo in question was the official word of the 911 commission and further continues the misrepresentation that the memo torpedoed any and all Saddam-al Qaeda connections when all the memo did was state that there was no evidence of a 911 connection.
Remarkable.
But, of course, there is no predisposition in Brokaw’s mind when it comes to evaluating the policy in Iraq.
June 30th, 2024 at 3:35 pm
One of the disturbing things I have seen in the liberal media is how they just don’t get the facts straight when it comes to Iraq, the war on terror, and what W is doing to protect us.
For instance I just finished reading a new book about the Iraq war that reveals all kinds of intelligence proving there are weapons of mass destruction. The book, the “Secret History of the Iraq War” by Yossef Bodansky, tells how Iraq has been hiding them in places like Syria and Lebanon. And even North Korea and Iran have been trafficking in WMD for sometime. Talk about the axis of evil working together. Yet, the media completely ignores this.
More to the point is what’s going on now in Iraq. Bush has said repeatedly that the fight in Iraq was going to be long and ardous. Anything worth fighting for always is. And the reason the fight is getting tougher is because Al-Qaeda is working behind the scenes in Iraq, causing even more trouble and engaging in a jihad against the West. Bodansky’s book contains plenty of evidence to support this fact. The author even points out that Iraqi military intelligence trained al-Qaeda on how to use WMD and chemical weapons.
That’s some pretty scary stuff. Of course you don’t see that reported. But it’s out there. Bodansky has written about it. Our President has talked about it. The media ignores it. I urge everyone to read this book and get the facts out to your friends and family. The President is right and must be re-elected to keep fighting for our security and freedom.