So there's no connection between Al Qaeda and the Iraqi government the U.S. just overthrew and the Shrub Administration has known this since last year?
So much for the "we had to invade Iraq because of 911" rationalization.
Daily Show: Osama and Sadaam Weren't Buddies (Small - 4 MB)
This Daily Show clip is based on this story by the NY Times:
C.I.A.; Captives Deny Qaeda Worked With Baghdad
Two of highest-ranking leaders of Al Qaeda in American custody reportedly tell CIA in separate interrogations that Al Qaeda did not work jointly with Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein; Abu Zubaydah, Qaeda planner and recruiter until his capture in Mar 2002, is said to tell questioners that Osama bin Laden vetoed idea of working with Hussein's government because he did not want to be beholden to Hussein; separately, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Qaeda chief of operations until his capture this Mar, tells interrogators that group did not work with Hussein; spokesmen at White House, State Dept and Pentagon decline to comment on why Zubaydah's debriefing report was not publicly disclosed by Bush administration last year
Here is the full text of the partial excerpt of the article that is still available online at the time of this writing:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20715F73E5D0C7A8CDDAF0894DB404482
Foreign Desk | June 9, 2003, Monday
THREATS AND RESPONSES: C.I.A.; Captives Deny Qaeda Worked With Baghdad
By JAMES RISEN (NYT) 781 words
Late Edition - Final , Section A , Page 1 , Column 1
ABSTRACT - Two of highest-ranking leaders of Al Qaeda in American custody reportedly tell CIA in separate interrogations that Al Qaeda did not work jointly with Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein; Abu Zubaydah, Qaeda planner and recruiter until his capture in Mar 2002, is said to tell questioners that Osama bin Laden vetoed idea of working with Hussein's government because he did not want to be beholden to Hussein; separately, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Qaeda chief of operations until his capture this Mar, tells interrogators that group did not work with Hussein; spokesmen at White House, State Dept and Pentagon decline to comment on why Zubaydah's debriefing report was not publicly disclosed by Bush administration last year; senior intelligence official plays down significance of both debriefings, saying everything Qaeda detainees say must be regarded with great skepticism; other intelligence and military officials say evidence of possible links between Hussein's government and Al Qaeda were discovered both before war and since, but no conclusive evidence of joint terrorist operations has been found (M) Two of the highest-ranking leaders of Al Qaeda in American custody have told the C.I.A. in separate interrogations that the terrorist organization did not work jointly with the Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein, according to several intelligence officials.
Abu Zubaydah, a Qaeda planner and recruiter until his capture in March 2002, told his questioners last year that the idea of working with Mr. Hussein's government had been discussed among Qaeda leaders, but that Osama bin Laden had rejected such proposals, according to an official who has read the Central Intelligence Agency's classified report on the interrogation.
