Case Closed

Case Closed: "OSAMA BIN LADEN and Saddam Hussein had an operational relationship from the early 1990s to 2003 that involved training in explosives and weapons of mass destruction, logistical support for terrorist attacks, al Qaeda training camps and safe haven in Iraq, and Iraqi financial support for al Qaeda--perhaps even for Mohamed Atta--according to a top secret U.S. government memorandum obtained by THE WEEKLY STANDARD. "

This is very interesting reading. There is also an investigation into how this memo got leaked to NeoCon Publishing Weekly, but we know how well this administration investigates such leaks.

This is a big deal. Keep reading.

Well, at least the bias of the reporting is intact.

One of the most interesting things to note about the 16-page memo is that it covers only a fraction of the evidence that will eventually be available to document the relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda. For one thing, both Saddam and bin Laden were desperate to keep their cooperation secret. (Remember, Iraqi intelligence used liquid paper on an internal intelligence document to conceal bin Laden's name.) For another, few people in the U.S. government are expressly looking for such links. There is no Iraq-al Qaeda equivalent of the CIA's 1,400-person Iraq Survey Group currently searching Iraq for weapons of mass destruction.

O.k. let me get this right. A super-paranoid regime is going to use liquid paper to hide its most damning relationship?

Note also, that even in all of this, there isn't a connection to 9/11. We invaded Afghanistan for Al Queda. We invaded Iraq to get the weapons. And keep them from Al Queda. Two other things of note: first, is the notice that Iraq wanted to cut ties in '99, and seems to have done so. Second, is the October 2002 part. Anyone who was watching closely knew, at that point, we were going to war regardless of what happened next. It would be time for anyone looking for all the help they can get.