GW Bush claims Al Qaeda set up shop in Iraq as early as 2001. Any comments?

Question

"In 2001, coalition forces destroyed Zarqawi's Afghan training camp, and he fled the country and he went to Iraq, where he set up operations with terrorist associates long before the arrival of coalition forces. In the violence and instability following Saddam's fall, Zarqawi was able to expand dramatically the size, scope, and lethality of his operation. In 2004, Zarqawi and his terrorist group formally joined al Qaida, pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden, and he promised to "follow his orders in jihad. Soon after, bin Laden publicly declared that Zarqawi was the "Prince of Al Qaida in Iraq" — and instructed terrorists in Iraq to "listen to him and obey him." It's hard to argue that al Qaida in Iraq is separate from bin Laden's al Qaida, when the leader of al Qaida in Iraq took an oath of allegiance to Osama bin Laden. According to our intelligence community, the Zarqawi-bin Laden merger gave al Qaida in Iraq — quote — "prestige among potential recruits and financiers."

"According to our intelligence community, the Zarqawi-bin Laden merger gave al Qaida in Iraq — quote — "prestige among potential recruits and financiers." The merger also gave al Qaida's senior leadership — quote — "a foothold in Iraq to extend its geographic presence ... to plot external operations ... and to tout the centrality of the jihad in Iraq to solicit direct monetary support elsewhere." The merger between al Qaida and its Iraqi affiliate is an alliance of killers — and that is why the finest military in the world is on their trail. " (GW Bush)

Is the POTUS' statements correct and cogent to the Iraq War debate? And why do the Democrats irresponsibly shy away from the Al Qaeda in Iraq issues?

Answer 1

Ansar Al Islam had a training camp in northeast Iraq. We took it out during the initial air bombardment phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The head of the terrorist group that killed Leon Klinghoffer on the Italian cruise line, Achille Lauro, and dumped his wheel-chair bound body into the ocean during the Reagan administration was living in Baghdad when we started Operation Iraqi Freedom. One of the techniques used by the Salafist Jihadists is to perform "Hijrah" (voluntary expatriation to carry out Jihad). So, it would not surprise me that Al Queda had set up shop in Iraq as early as 2001.
What does surprise me is the number of critics around who don't know one damned thing about Salafist Jihadists, don't know one damned thing about the roots of Al Queda, nor the goals of that group. If those people succeed in electing folks who accept their level of ignorance regarding the threat, then it may be time to remove the eagle from the Presidential Seal and replace it with an ostrich!

Answer 2

If Bush wanted to fight the people who attacked us on 9/11, he knew where they were - just where they are now, the border area of Afghanistan and Pakistan. He ran away from that because he didn't want to take on a long, hard fight when all he really cared about was getting re-elected. Iraq was supposed to be quick and easy and make Bush look like a hero. There was no excuse for invading Iraq before the job in Afghanistan was finished. It was pure politics. And let's not even get into how its been bungled.

Answer 3

We've been told AlQaeda has 'cells' operating around the world, so it's probably not surprising that they had some operations in Iraq. I suspect, however, that the U.S.A.'s unconstitutional, illegal, unjustifiable, immoral attack on a sovereign nation that in no way threatened, provoked or attacked the United States, only served to inflame people - and probably contributed to the growth of AlQaeda.
Just as America saw an influx of young men joining the Army when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, so could we expect enraged young men to join AlQaeda to protect their countries against the bully Bush.
We targeted Iraq because we wanted all that OIL swimming underneath its sands and because the Bush family had a personal vendetta against Hussein. Our invasion of Iraq had nothing to do with AlQaeda, nor did it have anything to do with defending our borders or bringing democracy to Iraq. From the very first day, this 'war' has been all about OIL and WAR PROFITEERING. -RKO- 07/24/07

Answer 4

I've heard about some al Qaida elements being present in Iraq around that time, but they had no relation with Saddam and they were doing things out of Saddam's control if there were any.

It doesn't make me a criminal if a thief break into my house and hide in my closet. It's kind of like that.

Answer 5

You are wrong. Al Qaeda didn't get a foothold in Iraq until after the invasion (or arrival of the coalition forces, however you want to say it).

Answer 6

he may be right, one thing of his strategy is working, we fight them on their turf, and all terrorist go to Iraq to join the holy fight.

Answer 7

who is he trying to convince himself now that everyone seems to know that he can't tell the truth.