It's official: Cheney says OBL had nothing to do with 9/11

[formercia]

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/03/20060329-2.html

Q I want to be clear because I've heard you say this, and I've heard the President say it, but I want you to say it for my listeners, which is that the White House has never argued that Saddam was directly involved in September 11th, correct?

THE VICE PRESIDENT: That's correct. We had one report early on from another intelligence service that suggested that the lead hijacker, Mohamed Atta, had met with Iraqi intelligence officials in Prague, Czechoslovakia. And that reporting waxed and waned where the degree of confidence in it, and so forth, has been pretty well knocked down now at this stage, that that meeting ever took place. So we've never made the case, or argued the case that somehow Osama bin Laden was directly involved in 9/11. That evidence has never been forthcoming. But there -- that's a separate proposition from the question of whether or not there was some kind of a relationship between the Iraqi government, Iraqi intelligence services and the al Qaeda organization.



save this page before it disappears :evilgrin:

[hippiechick]

1. yup, here ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x790255


:hi:

[formercia]

3. I'll leave the dupe up anyway

If I missed it, someone else might as well. :) Thanks for pointing it out.

[saltpoint]

2. If I'm the Gingerbread person who wishes to cross the swift river

and Dick Cheney is the fox offering to transport me, I think I'd be a lot better off remaining on the bank I'm at now.

[Solly Mack]

4. " So we've never made the case, or argued the case that somehow OBL..

was directly involved in 9/11"

Bullshit!


Sept. 13: Fighting back tears, Bush vows that America will "lead the world to victory" over
terrorism in a struggle he termed the first war of the 21st century. Secretary of State Colin
Powell identifies Osama Bin Laden as the prime suspect. The United States will respond with a
sustained military campaign, not a single strike, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz says.
Air travel resumes. Go to profile of Osama bin Laden.

Sept. 16: President Bush pledges "crusade" to "rid the world of evil-doers," brushes off
reported Osama bin Laden denial. U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney warns that those who harbor
terrorists face "the full wrath of the United States." Pakistani official says senior delegation sent to Afghanistan to deliver U.S. message: hand over Osama bin Laden or risk massive assault.

Sept. 23: U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell promises to lay out evidence against Osama bin
Laden. Donald Rumsfeld confirms the United States lost contact with an unmanned spy plane
over Afghanistan. Taliban leadership says it can't find bin Laden to advise him to leave the
country. U.S. officials dismiss the claim. President Bush returns the American flag to full staff atCamp David, symbolically ending the period of national mourning.

Sept. 26: U.S. and Pakistani officials end two days of talks in Islamabad, with Pakistani leader
saying nations agree on military preparations for combating bin Laden's terrorist network in
Afghanistan. Thousands storm abandoned U.S. Embassy compound in Afghan capital of Kabul.
United Nations agency says assault on Afghanistan could send up to 1.5 million refugees into
Pakistan and other neighboring countries.

http://www.september11news.com/DailyTimeline.htm

Oct. 2: U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld heads to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt and
Uzbekistan to talk with leaders about war on terrorism. British Prime Minister Tony Blair says
Taliban regime must surrender the terrorists or "surrender power." Taliban again reject calls to
turn over Osama bin Laden. NATO secretary-general says United States has provided its 18
NATO allies with "clear and compelling" evidence of Osama bin Laden's involvement in the
attacks. Fires continue to burn at the World Trade Center site.

Oct. 4: Britain becomes first government to outline alleged evidence against bin Laden, saying
he spoke of a "major attack on America" before the hijackings. Pakistan becomes first Muslim
nation to say U.S. evidence links bin Laden to the attacks and is enough to warrant an
indictment. NATO allies grant United States access to airfields and seaports, agree to deploy
ships and radar planes in war on terrorism. Anthrax strikes a Florida man who is hospitalized
according to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson making the
announcement to reporters at the White House. He said it appears to be an isolated case and
that sporadic instances of anthrax do occur in nature, it is not contagious, and that this is not in any way terrorist-related. Read the entire text of the Osama bin Laden evidence released by U.K.

Oct. 5: the U.S. Army dispatches 1,000 soldiers to former Soviet republic of Uzbekistan, which
borders Afghanistan. Colin Powell extends sanctions on bin Laden's al-Qaida group and 24 other
foreign organizations considered terrorist. Armed National Guard patrols begin work at dozens
of U.S. airports. Bob Stevens, a 63-year-old Florida man dies after failing to respond to
antibiotics for inhalation anthrax. Stevens is the first anthrax death in the U.S. in 25 years.

Oct. 6: Bush warns Taliban that "time is running out" to surrender terrorists and close their
operations. Taliban leaders offer to release eight imprisoned foreign aid workers if United States
halts "massive propaganda campaign" and ensures Afghan people will not be the target of any
attack. White House dismisses offer. Blair and Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee call
for a stable government in Afghanistan that represents a "broad base of all ethnic groupings."


Oct. 13: Afghanistan assesses the damage after a seventh straight night of U.S. bombing raids,
as the ruling Taliban defiantly snub U.S. demands to surrender Osama bin Laden. In a
statement broadcast on Qatar's al-Jazeera television network Al Qaeda spokesman Sulaiman
Bu Ghaith, warns Americans and Britons, especially Muslims, children and 'all those who oppose
U.S. policy, not to ride planes or live in high buildings.'

http://www.september11news.com/DailyTimelineOct.htm

And then there's the infamous "Dead or Alive" speech.

"Mr Bush"s gung-ho response to another question, declaring that he wanted Osama bin Laden "dead or alive", was also questioned. By Thursday night it had become: "Whether we bring our enemies to justice, or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2001/09/23/wbush23.xml

Bush Address to Congress 9-20-01

"Americans have many questions tonight. Americans are asking: Who attacked our country? The evidence we have gathered all points to a collection of loosely affiliated terrorist organizations known as al Qaeda. They are the same murderers indicted for bombing American embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, and responsible for bombing the USS Cole.

Al Qaeda is to terror what the mafia is to crime...

This group and its leader -- a person named Osama bin Laden -- are linked to many other organizations in different countries....

And tonight, the United States of America makes the following demands on the Taliban: Deliver to United States authorities all the leaders of al Qaeda who hide in your land.....

Our war on terror begins with al Qaeda, but it does not end there. ...."



http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010920-8.html

[mzmolly]

5. So, Afghanistan was a farce too?

:eyes:

[KurtNYC]

6. Seems like he meant to say Saddam but they are so deep in

their web of lies that they have confused themselves.

[mzmolly]

7. Could be.

I wouldn't doubt if they were claiming Osama wasn't linked - after all Dems have pledged to "get em" and Bush said "I'm not that concerned about him." I thought surely that Cheney was just "catapulting some propaganda."

:hi:

[formercia]

8. Plausible denial scenario

Some time in the future, he will refer back to this and tell people he was telling the truth all along...

This will be used at his trial for treason for the beyond reasonable doubt defense.