Powell: No Proof of Iraq, al-Qaeda Connection

[Phaedrus]

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Colin Powell reversed a year of administration policy, acknowledging Thursday that he had seen no “smoking gun [or] concrete evidence” of ties between former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida.

Powell, speaking at a news conference at the State Department, stressed that he was still certain that Iraq had dangerous weapons and needed to be disarmed by force, and he sharply disagreed with a private think tank report that maintained that Iraq was not an imminent threat to the United States.


Full story here.


Phaedrus

 

[Phaedrus]

Saddam's order to fighters casts doubt on link to al-Qa'eda

By Alec Russell The London Telegraph

Saddam Hussein told his followers to keep their distance from foreign Arab militants crossing into Iraq to fight American troops, according to a document found with the dictator when he was captured last month.

The paper, details of which were leaked to The New York Times yesterday, is the one of the strongest pieces of evidence to contest the repeated insinuation of President George W Bush's administration that there were links between al-Qa'eda and Saddam's regime.

It also sheds important light on the nature of the insurgency which has claimed hundreds of lives in the US-led coalition forces since last summer, suggesting that it may be as much a homegrown revolt as an onslaught of Islamist terrorists against the West.

The document, the contents of which are said to be in an intelligence report circulating in Washington, is the first indication of what was in the papers found with Saddam when he was discovered last month by American troops hiding in a small "spider" hole outside his hometown of Tikrit.


Full story here.


Phaedrus

 

[bunyon]

Duh!!!

 

[Phaedrus]

Powell No Longer Sure that Iraqi Trailers Were Weapons Labs

Top U.S. Diplomat Concedes Presentation to U.N. may have been Wrong

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell speaks to reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Friday.

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Colin Powell conceded Friday evidence he presented to the United Nations that two trailers in Iraq were used for weapons of mass destruction may have been wrong.

In an airborne news conference on the way home from NATO talks in Brussels, Belgium, Powell said he had been given solid information about the trailers that he told the Security Council in February 2003 were designed for making biological weapons.

But now, Powell said, “it appears not to be the case that it was that solid.”

He said he hoped the intelligence commission appointed by President Bush to investigate prewar intelligence on Iraq “will look into these matters to see whether or not the intelligence agency had a basis for the confidence that they placed in the intelligence at that time.”

Story continued here.


Phaedrus

 

[JudgeWapner]

This is why I like Powell.He has the balls to tell the truth.If he ever runs,the man gets my vote.

 

[EverFresh]

Powell is the only honest man in the Bush government

 

[JudgeWapner]

EF,I would agree with that statement.They seem to hang him out to dry all the time.I have know idea why he is still there.

 

[TheGeneral+]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> I have know idea why he is still there. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I would only guess that as a long time military man, he is a very big loyalist. I think he finds it hard to turn his back on the current admin. Loyalty is a strange thing, and once established, it is so hard to turn back on for Military people. Through right and wrong, that is how we are taught.

 

[Brazil4Worldcup2002]

Where are captain #5, American and all the right wing crazies...

 

[JudgeWapner]

I wonder if he'll stay,if Bush wins again.I wonder if they even want him to stay.