LA TIMES: White House says Mohammed Atta met Iraqi agent

LA Times ^ | Aug 2, 2002 | Bob Drogin, Paul Richter and Doyle McManus

[Frank_Discussion]

Despite deep doubts by the CIA and FBI, the White House is now backing claims that suspected Sept. 11 skyjacker Mohammed Atta secretly met five months earlier with an Iraqi agent in Prague, Czech Republic, a possible indication that Saddam Hussein's regime was involved in the terror attacks.

[hc87]

McVeigh
+ Nichols
+ Padilla
+ the OKC Motel
+ Atta
+ Prague
+ Anthrax
= Causus Belli for the war with Iraq.

[Steve Eisenberg]

Causus Belli for the war with Iraq

Good list. Plus, the U.S. has been fighting a low-level war with Iraq for years, with our bombing them every few weeks, and Iraq trying without success to shoot down our planes. Letting this drag on is extremely dangerous; even if Sadaam were an entirely different kind of ruler, fighting such a war and never winning is bad news for America.

Plus, all three axis of evil countries treat their own people with creulty many Americans can barely imagine, and Iraq is the one least likely to collapse from within. While we have to act in our own interest, the horrible current treatment of the Iraqi people can and should be a factor.

Check this out, good if from an unlikely source:

The Case for War

[bonesmccoy]

And now, I see your point. You're right. But, the legitimacy of the LA Times lacks profoundly. Months ago, this information was released. Only after the explosion at Hebrew University does the LATimes release this info?

The media looks lame. Free Republic gets info out faster than any print outfit.

[hc87]

Check this out, good if from an unlikely source: The Case for War

Agreed, good article. Not that the American people need it, but most of the items on my original list will be linked to Iraq in the buildup to war, if for no other reason than to give us diplomatic cover to remove Saddam.

Considering that the US has a live Nichols and Padilla, the Prague report, the report on anthrax symptoms in at least one of the 9/11 hijackers and an Iraqi bio-weapons industry, it will be interesting to see how the story is played out (come the last week of October or so).

I also wonder how willing the government is to play "Let's Make a Deal" with Nichols to get the entire story. I wonder if they would be willing to quietly let him walk in a few years?

[Common Tator]

If the adminstration is waiting until the public is prepared and pissed enough to support an invasion, I think they're missing some signals

The problem is that Clinton really depleated our military supplies. We were very low on Cruse missles and smart bombs. Clinton just about used up our supply attacking Milosevic. We used up the rest in Afganistan. We are out of the needed high tech weapons. With much of our military manufacturing companies merged, down sized and, or out of business, it takes quite a while to replenish the stocks.

It will be a few more months before we have enough stuff to win easily with superior technology.

Thus we have to keep Sadam on the burner to maintain political support for the war, but not really go to war until we have enough smart bombs and missiles on hand to do the job.