Exhaustive review sponsored by the Pentagon finds NO link between Saddam, al Qaida

blackadder said
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11373537/

From Saddam's own lips regarding terrorist attacks against the U.S.:

"This is coming, but not from Iraq."

Some will want to interpolate meaning and assert that he meant he wanted to attack the U.S. by proxy.

But given the lack of a shred of evidence that he engaged in the planning or encouragement of an attack against the U.S. it seems most likely that he meant what he said: that all else being equal terrorists would eventaully attack the U.S. but he would keep Iraq out of it.

Again, I'll repeat, I'm not trying to suggest that Saddam had a direct hand in 9-11. Let's take that off the table for the moment.

I am simply saying that, per the report, Saddam did have direct ties with Islamic Jihad, which merged with al Qaeda. A very simple proposition.

It seems to me that his involvement with Islamic Jihad was sort of like putting an attorney on retainer.