The Al Qaida-Iraq connection

Here's the "extensive link":

The commission's report says bin Laden "explored possible cooperation with Iraq during his time in Sudan, despite his opposition to [Saddam] Hussein's secular regime. Bin Laden had in fact at one time sponsored anti-Saddam Islamists in Iraqi Kurdistan.

"The Sudanese, to protect their own ties with Iraq, reportedly persuaded bin Laden to cease this support and arranged for contacts between Iraq and al Qaeda."

A senior Iraqi intelligence officer reportedly made three visits to Sudan, finally meeting bin Laden in 1994.

Bin Laden is said to have requested space to establish training camps, as well as assistance in procuring weapons, but Iraq apparently never responded.

"There have been reports that contacts between Iraq and al Qaeda also occurred after bin Laden had returned to Afghanistan, but they do not appear to have resulted in a collaborative relationship," the report said.

"Two senior bin Laden associates have adamantly denied" any relationship, the report said.

The panel also dismissed reports that Atta met with an Iraqi intelligence officer in the Czech Republic on April 9, 2000. "We do not believe that such a meeting occurred."

There it is. Al Qaeda asked for Iraqi help, and it Iraq rebuked them. That's the "extensive link" Cheney and Bush have been playing up in the media for the last few days. It seems that the US has stronger ties to Bin Ladin, because we actually supplied him with arms and training.

Those on the right will decry the report as partisan and an attempt at a cover up. And that's their deluded right. But for those of saying this report refutes nothing the Bush Administration has said, try this from report from the BBC in September, 2002.

The United States has accused Iraq of having long-standing links with the al-Qaeda network.
Two senior Bush administration figures, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, made the allegations - without giving detailed information to back them up.

We have what we consider to be very reliable reporting of possible chemical and biological agent training

They said that Washington had evidence that Baghdad had been providing al-Qaeda operatives with training in the development of chemical weapons.

"We do have solid evidence of the presence in Iraq of al-Qaeda members, including some that have been in Baghdad," Mr Rumsfeld said.

"We have what we consider to be very reliable reporting of senior-level contacts going back a decade and of possible chemical and biological agent training," he added.

Questioned by reporters on how recent the information was, he said that the information was "current".