Iraq and 9/11

[pieman]

1. Starting with Bush's speech to the UN in 9/2002, the goal was to get the UN to enforce its resolutions. These resolutions were centered on WMD. Therefore, UN approval centered on WMD. Inspections were restarted to see if Iraq had WMD programs. Everyone agreed that Iraq had WMD. So that was the reason most talked about. Human rights violations or support of terrorism (911 included or not) was not going to be enough for the UN to support the Iraq war, for the UN, it had to be WMD. Therefore, the discussion was primarily about WMD.

2. The election is in November, not May. Time can only improve the evidence of a terrorist-Iraq-911 connection and WMD. To make the case now and continue to make the case in a piecemeal fashion from now until November only weakens the argument. Bush would be better off waiting for the next update from the inspectors, gathering all of the evidence to that point, and then making a stronger case. The public will not listen if it comes out in bits and pieces. The argument is best made all at once in August/September.

3. As for the quotes from Bush supposedly admitting that there were no WMD STOCKPILES, I don't recall such a quote.  My recollection is that he did make some statements that WMD STOCKPILES had not been found so far and that they MAY never be found in IRAQ. That still leaves the very real possibility that the WMD stockpiles were moved to Syria just prior to the Iraq War or that additional WMD stockpiles will be found.

4. As for the "No link between Iraq and 911" admission by Bush, again, please provide the quote. My recollection is that was in reference to US intelligence evidence available BEFORE the Iraq War. Secondly, there is a difference between a LINK between Iraq and 911, EVIDENCE of a connection beween Iraq-911, and a LINK between Iraq and TERRORISM.

I would suggest that is more likely than not that there is a connection between Iraq and 911. (As found by the Federal Court)

I would suggest that is clearly a LINK between Iraq and TERRORISM, both before and during the Iraq War.

I would lastly suggest that even though there is evidence of such, the level of evidence does not reach the level of indisputable proof that Iraq instigated 911.