The Al Queda, Saddam Connection

Documents in intelligence files in Baghdad reveal a 1998 meeting between a representative of bin Laden and Iraqi intelligence in Baghdad. It was an all expense paid trip from the Sudan to bghdad for a meeting that stretched into several days. An attempt was made to white out bin Laden's name in the documents that were marked top secret. The trip took place in March of 98. This timing could be significant since it would have put the two together in time to plan and execute the 9-11 attacks.

The Telegraph, discovered the documents in records of the bombed Iraqi Intelligence headquarters. The paper repeats a point, made earlier here, that it was a failure of coalition force planning not to secure these buildings before people like reporters could rifle through them. This argument was made in the context of a suggestion by a memeber of Parliament tht the documents were forged. The MP making the allegation had been the subject of earier presports of documents suggesting that Iraq had paid substantial amounts to secure his oppostion to the war.

French Brief Saddam

The Sunday Times of London reports that documents were found in Baghdad showing French reports of all their private conversations with the US in the lead up to the war. The site requires registration.

Attacks on State

In a recent speech former House Speaker Newt Gingrich made the same mistake Tom Daschle had made prior to the war. He blamed the failure to find a diplomatic solution in the run up to the war with Iraq on a failure of the State Department. Whatever its weaknesses, State should not be blamed for the bad conduct of France, Germany and Russia. It was the intrangicence of these coutries that was responsible for a breakdown of diplomacy. All of these countries had either commercial interest with Iraq or internal political pressure that made it impossible for persuasion to work. Politicians need to recognize that there are limits to diplomacy when emotional issues like war are involved. The US did not get the votes of all Democrats either. It appears that some Dems, even though they have no commercial interest in Iraq, are closer to Frace's point of view. That will be a political problem for them in the next election. France and the other opponents of the war will have to suffer the consequences of being on the wrong side of history for a period of time.

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