Stephen Hayes and "The Connection" on C-Span2 at 5:00 PMEDT Today

C-Span2 | 20 June, 2004 | C-Span2

[Intolerant in NJ]

MSNBC has continued to try to flog the dead horse by this morning repeating on one of its news shows the big lie that the 911 Commission contradicted the Bush administration with the finding that there was no terrorist relationship between Al-Quaeda and Saddam Hussein; to back this up they brought in Commission member and long-time 'rat shill Richard Ben-Veniste instead of, for example, relying on statements from the Commission chairmen Tom Kean and Lee Hamilton that the findings were being misinterpreted. Nonetheless the NBCABCCBSNYTIMESWASHPOST cabal seems to have failed to convince the public of this disinformation, in part perhaps because of the likes of writer Stephen Hayes who has provided an entire book full of details of the consultation and at least pending collaboration between Saddam and Al-Queda. Hayes is scheduled to discuss his book this afternoon at 5:00PMEST on C-Span2. Should be one pleasant way to pass some time on Fathers' Day

[Intolerant in NJ]

Seems pretty clear that Saddam had no direct involvement in 911, but was in cahoots with Bin Laden - maybe they weren't in bed together, but they were sure dancing around a lot with each other - that's close enough for me......

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

As per FNC this morning, the 9/11 Commission is now saying they've discovered new evidence since the release of their prilimenary report that clearly shows high-level contacts between Iraq's Saddam Fedayeen and al Qaeda.

They're backtracking... big time.

[Recovering_Democrat]

Dick Ben-Veniste was on Meet The DePressed this morning, acting like the jackass he is. Dick was also engaging in low key Bush bashing; he had a fellow commissioner sitting next to him, so it was not Carville-Maniacal raving, but it was there nonetheless.

The 9/11 Commission is a joke.

[TomGuy]

Those who don't want to see any al-Qaeda/Hussein connection also don't want to see any connection to WMD, even though mustard gas and sarin gas shells have been found.

If one keeps one's eyes tightly shut, one sees no connections at all. Some of those included Congresscritters in the 1990's who kept their eyes shut instead of reading the numerous intelligence reports that terrorism was building and becoming problematic.

[Richard Axtell]

"Seems pretty clear that Saddam had no direct involvement in 911..."

Then you will be quite interested in what Stephen Hayes has to say. Watch, and see if your opinion is changed then.

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

Seems pretty clear that Saddam had no direct involvement in 911

Less than two months before 9/11, the state-controlled Iraqi newspaper "Al-Nasiriya" carried a column headlined, "America, An Obsession Called Osama Bin Ladin." [July 21, 2001] In the piece, Baath Party writer Naeem Abd Muhalhal predicted that bin Laden would attack the U.S. "with the seriousness of the Bedouin of the desert about the way he will try to bomb the Pentagon after he destroys the White House."

The same state-approved column also insisted that bin Laden "will strike America on the arm that is already hurting," and that the U.S. "will curse the memory of Frank Sinatra every time he hears his songs" - an apparent reference to the Sinatra classic, "New York, New York." [Two 9/11 families were awarded over $100 million last May by U.S. District Court Judge Harold Baer based on this and other evidence that Iraq was involved in 9/11]
Saddam Warned of Attacks Before 9/11

[CyberAnt]

"no direct involvement in 9/11"

I just can't agree with that statement. I have a picture of a painting which was found by our soldiers in Iraq. The picture is huge, and when standing on the ground, the soldiers were standing beside it holding it up. The top of the painting reached the top of their heads (and they didn't appear to be short people).

The painting has Saddam on the lefthand side with the twin towers next to him - showing planes flying into the buildings.

I can't read the writing (it's in Arabic), but to me the painting says: Not only did Saddam know about 9/11 .. he believed his contribution helped to accomplish it. Saddam himself proves the connection with this painting. His ego being what it is .. he would of course want to be on record as having helped to attack the USA.

While Saddam may not have hatched, planned or personally trained the terrorists for 9/11. I believe he provided funds and training camps and he was well aware they were being used for that purpose; the airplane shell at the Salmon Pak training camp reinforces that belief.

[CharlotteVRWC]

Wow! Where did you find that picture?! I thought I kept up with this stuff, I haven't seen that pic! Where has it been hiding? Hopefully, that pic will get out to someone on the 9-11 commission... Maybe we should email the pic to
Gorlick and the others...

[CyberAnt]

I have it on my computer - but I have been sending it out here and there.

It truly is a stunning admission.

[cookcounty]

" As per FNC this morning, the 9/11 Commission is now saying they've discovered new evidence since the release of their prilimenary report that clearly shows high-level contacts between Iraq's Saddam Fedayeen and al Qaeda.

They're backtracking... big time."

Ahmed Hikmat Shakir. Officer in Saddam's IIS, present at KualaLumpur planning session with Al-Qaeda, January 2000. This info has been out there for anyone with half a curiousity for 6 months and longer. Unfortunately, there are not many good journalists in our world.

Read Hayes book. Only an idiot believes they were not cooperating.

[backhoe]

 

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

Just started reading it this weekend... apparently, so did the 9/11 Commission.

[CharlotteVRWC]

What's the date on that pic? I can't tell if it is 2001 4 0 or 2003 4 0 ??

Anybody know where the pic first showed up? I'd sure love to show some Libs I know.

[cgk]

The date I have on this is April 11, 2003. I can't remember where it was taken. It's a mural.

[cgk]

Okay, found it. It was taken March 26th in Nasiriyah, Iraq. Photo is of a mural on the wall of the Iraqi military headquarters. The plane is decorated like Iraqi air.

[tubebender]

When was this photo first published?

[CharlotteVRWC]

I thought I saw that 'mural' picture before, as a picture on arabic calendar (seems like it was for the month of Sept in 2001??). I can't remember what country the calendar was from...

[cgk]

This one? WhistlingPasttheGraveyard has it on their profile page:

[Intolerant in NJ]

Seems pretty clear that Saddam had no direct involvement in 911...I certainly would not want to end up in the position of arguing that Saddam did not have any direct involvement in 911, but I suppose it depends on what the meaning of "direct" is. During Hayes' discussion this afternoon (or actually last week) he was very careful not to overstate his case or overgeneralize from the evidence he presented - mentioning often that some of it was circumstantial, we couldn't always be certain who actually attended certain meetings, etc. At one point I heard him summarize that it was pretty clear that Saddam's regime and Al-Quaeda had consulted, but that "operational collaboration" was not that obvious.

Anyhow I think Bush is wise to maintain his position that there was an Al-Quaeda/Iraq link, but no real evidence of involvement of Saddam in 911. It seems a much easier and compelling case to demonstrate, what with the multiple meetings between top officials of both sides, sharing of information on chemical weapons, and the rest. The Iraqi war is no less justified - we're still dealing with a network of terrorist organizations supported by rogue states, and when you can't attack that network directly, it's perfectly appropriate morally and srategically to go after those who support them.....

[CyberAnt]

WHOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!! There it is!! backhoe .. I should have known you would have this picture. Thanks so much!!

Please join me and send this picture to every idiot media person you know.