Why did Bush try to connect Saddam to Osama?

Question

Was it an attempt at an excuse to invade Iraq?

Answer 1

Because Saddam threatened and tried to kill W's father George H. W. back in the day. So GW had to get what they call in texas "pay back." (make sure you use his accent too)

Answer 2

Plans were in place (see the Downing street memo) before 9-11 to invade Iraq. W and the Bushies bet that the typical general public would just trust them that there was a link...that going after Saddam this time under the guise of "war on terror" would seem logical when in reality, the whole thing is simply to assist the Bush's house of Saud connections to tap and drain the Iraqui oil reserves for the benefit of the Saudi royalty with whom they are inexorably financially connected. They bet right...the populace made the connection even though it wasn't there. And to question it was "un-patriotic". Something BIG had to happen to distract the world and justify ANYTHING the bushies wanted to do. So down came the WTC in controlled demolitions and there you go. Joe Red State wanted to see some blood and why not Iraq? What the hell, they're all the same, right? But if we were really really concerned about genocidal dictators then we'd go after bigger offenders like in Darfur, China, etc. and we wouldn't have criticized Clinton's actions to bring Milosovic to justice over the Bosnian exterminations.

Answer 3

The key to understanding political process is history and context. There are many conntections between Saddam and Osama, the greatest being United States support - both in terms of finance and adjudication. Saddam was elevated into the position of Vice President with the aide of the United States through a successful coup which took place in the early 1960's - the exact date elludes me but collaboration should not be difficult to find. Osama was selected to serve as a galvanizing figurehead to solidify US control over the various Mujahadeen and Freedom Fighters used as proxy soldiers to challenge Russian attempts at asserting influence in the Middle East. This link could be expanded to contain the Taliban, since it was largely established with US aide and cooperation.

At one time, anytime previous to 1930 actually, US citizens were treated like royalty within the Middle East and America herself regarded as the friend. Our ignorant, short sighted and ineffective Foreign Affair policies have long since tarnished our image and sundered any positive ties we had once established. Actions like those taken most recently within Iraq and Afghanistant only serve to validate the resentment harboured by soveriegn, independant nations whom find themselves suddenly subjugated to the capricious whims of US interest.

When first we entered these engagements in the Middle East I had believed it was to put down the Cold War mad dogs we'd created and loosed in the region, despite whatever "consumer friendly" explanation were touted in the headlines. Now I am not quite so sure, but I digress.

Answer 4

Saddam did try to assasinate Bush the elder as revenge for the loss of Kuwait. Saddam subsidized Palestinean suicide bombers by paying off their families. I'd bet dollars to donuts there is a link on some level between Saddam's Iraq and Al Quida. After all, Saddam was hosting that one Al Quida operative in Baghdad while he recuperated from injuties sustained in a terrorist attack. Open your mind.

Answer 5

I don't think he tried to say that they were working together but that they would in order to kill Americans. Both Saddam and osama wish for the annihilation of the US and Saddam had the means to get the weapons. Osama had the people (Al Qaeda) to get the weapons to the target and you can take it to the bank that in order to get at the US they would have joined forces.

Answer 6

By Paul Reynolds
BBC News Online world affairs correspondent



One of the most intriguing questions in the "war on terrorism" is whether there are contacts between Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.

Intelligence agencies are constantly looking for the "missing link".

The latest manifestation is a report in the Washington Post that Iraq might have given supplies of the highly dangerous nerve agent VX to Islamic extremists sympathetic to al-Qaeda.



The Post said that Washington had received a "credible" report that such a transaction had taken place in late October or early November and that the VX was smuggled overland from Iraq into Turkey.

If this were so, it would justify President Bush's claim that Iraq has helped al-Qaeda sympathisers and would be evidence to support his warning that Iraq could at any time give its weapons of mass destruction to international terrorists.

The story follows a claim by Condoleezza Rice, the US National Security adviser, earlier this year that some al-Qaeda prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, said they had been given "some training in chemical weapons development" by Iraq.

The CIA Director George Tenet made a similar assertion in a letter to Congress.

President 'vindicated'

The Post story has been picked up, as often happens, around the world and the headline "Saddam Link to Bin Laden" has appeared prominently in one British newspaper, the Daily Express.

One of Washington's leading hawks, William Kristol, editor of the Weekly Standard, has also weighed in. He says that the Post report means that "the president has been right in saying that the coming war to remove Saddam is part of the overall war on terrorism".

There are two problems with this. The first is that the original story, written by a reporter with good links to intelligence sources, is extremely cautious and does not in fact conclude that the "missing link" has been found.



The other problem is that the group mentioned in the Post story as the possible recipient of the VX agent is called Asbat-al Ansar (Band of Partisans).

This is a small but quite well known organisation based in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein al-Hilwah in Southern Lebanon.

It is a radical Islamic faction linked to a number of plots in Lebanon and Jordan.

But there has been nothing to link it to Iraq, which has traditionally been viewed with hostility by Islamists.

After all, Saddam Hussein repressed a Shia uprising after the Gulf War and comes from the secular, socialist tradition of Arab nationalism.

More confusion

The Post says the faction has "recently established an enclave in Northern Iraq" for which there has been no evidence before.

Indeed there is confusion as to what group might have received the VX.


Some of the reports which are based on the Washington Post story - including the British newspaper with the definitive headline - name another faction with a similar name - Ansar al-Islam (Partisans of Islam).

Ansar al-Islam is based near the Iranian border in Northern Iraq outside the area of Iraqi Government control, though defectors have said that Iraq does have contacts with it.

This might be partly to encourage it to fight the Kurdish forces which control North Iraq and which hope for the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

Indeed, there has been recent fighting in the area. Ansar al-Islam is reported to be partly made up of al-Qaeda fighters who fled from Afghanistan.

Inconclusive reports

So, even the name of the possible smuggler of the VX is not agreed. Given the tenuous nature of the evidence itself, one cannot place much confidence in it at this stage.

It is a classic example of how difficult it is to establish this "missing link".

There have been other inconclusive reports before, among them an alleged meeting in Prague between one of the 11 September hijackers, Mohammed Atta, and an Iraqi intelligence officer.

Such a meeting however is now discounted and even the Czech President Vaclav Havel is said to doubt that it happened.

The search goes on.

Answer 7

Yes.
The reasons for invasion have changed over time in a continued effort to justify the invasion, and so has US sentiment toward the Iraqi people.
Now, there's simply more of a "war against Islam" feeling than "liberating Iraqis" attitude from some Americans.

Answer 8

Mussolini of Italy replaced into fascist. Osama bin encumbered replaced right into a fanatical non secular Idealist who had no compunctions about murdering an infidel. He replaced into not a fascist yet he ought to experience free to save the employer of one like Adolf Hitler; they shared a similar perspectives. Hussein replaced into an impact hungry boy with a merciless and sadistic rule. He took command with techniques from stress and replaced into tyrannical in his authorities: he replaced into removed from place of work with techniques from stress. yet he replaced into not a fascist. Georgy Porgy (Mr. Bush) replaced right into a political candidate who went with techniques from the guidelines of democracy and he bent the guidelines of regulation to help his time table after winning his position in place of work. yet he replaced into not a fascist.

Answer 9

He is a simple man with a simple mind...

Answer 10

Michelle said it all...