[kjam22]

Does anyone think this is just a little to convenient??

[bulldogs]

Drop the bombs, ask questions later.

[tallhappy]

Does anyone think this is just a little to convenient??

Apparently you do. Can you explain what you mean?

[ThinkingMan]

Actually- Powell just outed Al Jazeera as being, if not active, at least supportive of Al Queda- They have the tape, with instructions not to play it until either we attack Iraq, or there is some terrorist attack on us. If it is the latter, it shows that
a) AJ had prior knowledge of the attack
b) Did not tell us anything that could have prevented the attack.

This was just another brilliant move by Bush to show just how far reaching our intelligence is.

[eyespysomething]

yes
unless we knew of the tape, and didn't want to compromise how we got it, but then knew we needed more evidence, or wanted to force Al-Jazeera to play it early, as some have stated

hmmm...

[Physicist]

Does anyone think this is just a little to convenient??

Yeah, OK, so a highly public statement of affinity between al Qaeda and Iraq is politically timely for the U.S. That's irrelevant when you consider that it is also politically timely for al Qaeda. They want there to be a war between the U.S. and Iraq, and they'll say whatever they have to (true or not) to help precipitate it.

It does seem likely that there has been substantive contact between Iraq and al Qaeda. They are not above using Iraqi help to advance their cause, but don't mistake that for their support and approval of the Iraqi regime. If Saddam goes down, it's win-win for them: a secular Arab government they hate goes down, and they can make a histrionic show of "avenging" it. (Noto Bene: this does not mean that conquering Iraq doesn't serve U.S. interests.)

You may distrust the U.S. government, but this is one instance where no interference was necessary.

[ezo4]

"Does anyone think this is just a little to convenient??"

No kidding!