— Pres. Bush
Pres. Bush on Monday:
[THE PRESIDENT:] The terrorists attacked us and killed 3,000 of our citizens before we started the freedom agenda in the Middle East.
Q What did Iraq have to do with that?
THE PRESIDENT: What did Iraq have to do with what?
Q The attack on the World Trade Center?
THE PRESIDENT: Nothing, except for it’s part of — and nobody has ever suggested in this administration that Saddam Hussein ordered the attack. Iraq was a — the lesson of September the 11th is, take threats before they fully materialize, Ken. Nobody has ever suggested that the attacks of September the 11th were ordered by Iraq.
Here is a partial record of a few of the president’s statements linking al Qaeda to Iraq:
October 28-November 10, 2002:
Bush’s comments about Saddam Hussein, each from a different speech:
“This is a person who has had contacts with al Qaeda.”
“He’s got connections with al Qaeda.”
“This is a guy who has had connections with these shadowy terrorist networks.”
“We know he’s got ties with al Qaeda.”
“We know that he’s had connections with al Qaeda.”
“He’s had connections with shadowy terrorist networks like al Qaeda.”
“We know that he has had contacts with terrorist networks like al Qaeda.”
“This is a man who has had contacts with al Qaeda.”
“This is a man who has had al Qaeda connections.”
“He’s had contacts with al Qaeda.”
“This is a man who has got connections with al Qaeda.”
And this, from June 18, 2004:
President Bush yesterday defended his assertions that there was a relationship between Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and Osama bin Laden’s al Qaeda, putting him at odds with this week’s finding of the bipartisan Sept. 11 commission. “The reason I keep insisting that there was a relationship between Iraq and Saddam and al Qaeda [is] because there was a relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda.”
Note that the prez said “Nobody said that Saddam ORDERED the attack.” Nicely weaseled.