Bush Looks at Possible Iran-Sept. 11 Link

[underpants]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,126206,00.html

Tuesday, July 20, 2004


WASHINGTON — President Bush said Monday the United States is exploring whether Iran (search) had any role in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, a scenario discounted by the CIA (search).

"We're digging into the facts to see if there was one," Bush said in an Oval Office photo opportunity. Bush noted that acting CIA Director John McLaughlin has said that there was no direct connection between Iran and Sept. 11.

"We will continue to look and see if the Iranians were involved," Bush said. "I have long expressed my concerns about Iran. After all it's a totalitarian society where people are not allowed to exercise their rights as human beings."

Bush accused Iran of harboring Al Qaeda leadership, seeking a nuclear weapons program and financing terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah (search).

[uptown ruler]

1. plu-ease...

grasping at straws?


Spreading The Word

[underpants]

3. What NOW?

That was first reaction to this headline. You all are just NOW looking into uh those responsible for 9/11?

Geez talk about too little too late.

[indepat]

8. Not surprising since we have yet to deal with those within who were asleep

at the switch/did not connect the dots before 9-11

[skooooo]

2. Hmmm wonder of Saudi Arabia ...

...had something to do with it? Nah!

[peacefreak]

4. Hhhhmmmmm, deja vu all over again.

Yup, he'll find the truth to this one right next to the WMD's. Watch out Iran. You're about to get a taste of Amurican freedom.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

5. Time for another war!!

Watch as he builds the case for unilateral war on another of the axis of evil!

[Ripley]

6. The Babbling Scarecrow is completely delusional.

Which fucking Army will we fight another country with?

The local VFW?

[underpants]

9. Now come on Gramps don't you love America? Sign here

Good point. Who is left? The kids from the 'burbs?

[Ripley]

10. People keep mentioning a Draft..

Are you crazy? There is no way a repuke would start a Draft...can you say "losing tax-cut base?"

[nodictators]

16. The Iraqi Army might be used to invade Iran

After all, it would be a repeat of Saddam's invasion of Iran circa 1980.

Let's see, BushCo builds up Iraqi army and builds numerous airbases for US air power. Both of these are underway.

BushCo then creates a pretext (cue the TV network warmongers here) for the invasion of Iran. BushCo then has the Iraqi Army invade, with air cover provided by the US airpower. If necessary, low-yield nukes might be used to speed things up.

Can you say, Armageddon?

[Ripley]

17. Sounds like a plan.

But one that depends mostly on the Iraqi men doing the work. I don't think they feel much allegiance to US right now to fight our wars.

[Nadienne]

27. Iraqis might even feel

sympathy for Iranians. They're both middle-easterners victimized by US ambitions.

[Zech Marquis]

7. my god, what an ass!

I think everyone has caught on with this tired ass song and dance. You didn't do jack shit in Afghanista except kill a bunch of people, we're completed FUBAR in Iraq, and NOW you want to overthrow Iran?

You and what army *? If he starts beating the war drums again, you can bet that there would be a mutinty among the troops--Im sure they're sick and tired of all this constant war all the time nonesense :argh:

[underpants]

12. Unfortuneately I might win that bet

What two years ago? I was talking with a friend of mine and trying to explain that Iraq was only step 1-Iran or Syria were next. This, mind you, was before the "damn you really did know what you were talking about on that war" phone calls.

So my buddy says, "I'll bet you a months pay that we don't invade Iran or Syria" I didn't acutally take the bet (I suck at gambling) but then I got a call from another friend.

He said that Mike said --I interrupted him, left me guess "(my last name) said........." He started laughing and sure enough Mike had told him about our conversation.

I don't remember which day it was but Rummy had been testifying on the Hill and really beating the drums about Iran AND Syria. My second friend told the first one "Well.....from what I just heard Rummy say..........."

Mike called me back and said that if it happened he would still pay off the bet.

[htuttle]

11. Br'er Bin Laden says, "PLEASE don't invade Iran!"

"Please, Br'er Bush -- whatever you do, DON'T invade Iran!"

[Corgigal]

13. Nice to see that

this adminstration finally had some time to LOOK into it. I dunno, I would have thought they would have done this YEARS ago. However maybe it's just me being a mystery fan and all.
I hope the WH gets even more haunted soon.

[meti57b]

14. attn: george, ... you've had three years to do that already!

[bushisanidiot]

15. That's AWOL for ya! Right on top of things!

Little too late for helping us NOW!

And since yer doin' all this investigatin' how about looking into where your buddies in Saudia Arabia send their money??

what moron..

[gasperc]

18. WOW, 2.5 years later, how sprite

Clarke went on and on about this in "Against all enemies" naming Iran's support of the Shia in Saudi Arabia, God's Force, Hezbollah etc. that a case could be made for going to war with Iran rather than Iraq.

But that seems to have been PNAC's plan, invade Iraq first which would be relatively easy to invade and conquer with minimal casualties (<1000), build dozens of air bases as both a launching pad and bullwork to invade/attack/regime change/pre-emptively strike/secure for democracy/take your pick against Iran. Which would have been difficult last year since a huge popular insurgency in Iran would have meant unacceptably high casualties much like the "unexpected" insurgency in Iraq going on right now.

[underpants]

19. Right Clarke said we almost attacked Iran THREE TIMES

at least one of which was planning for an operation of the type we are now involved in in Iraq, hopefully better planned. Surely the right would twist this around to imply that CLINTON SHOULD HAVE DONE MORE!!!!! *

Yes Iraq was always meant to be the center of operations.

*they just LOVED CLinton deploying the military didn't they?

[Malva Zebrina]

20. I can't tolerate what is happening to this country

we have turned into a paranoid, bullying, accusatory, trouble making, sleezy country full of secrets kept from the people, on the part of the government. I can't stand this--now it's Iran--yippeee, everybody who is in, ante up

Someone better save every file before the truth is buried on both sides of the aisle and we are told that Bush and his intelligence lackeys, is absolutely certain that Iran was responsible for 9-11 and we need to bomb the hell out of ten thousands of it's innocent people becasue it is a threat to Israel--and of course the United States. They hate us for our freedoms, you know.

[SalmonChantedEvening]

21. British Intelligence has learned...

Iranian border guards can deploy passport stamps dipped in yellowcake in 45 minutes by transporting them through aluminum tubes sent from rogue nations like Lichtenstein, and that Iceland has decoded conversations between Babs Streisand and ....

Yes yes yes... George, we've heard it before.

[Ripley]

23. That's funny!

Welcome to DU... :toast:

[SalmonChantedEvening]

25. Thanks

:D

[Brotherjohn]

22. Their PNAC fixation may finally do them in.

Most people, even conservatives, are having real problems with Iraq and why we went in there, if it was the right thing or not...

Many Bush voters and traditional Republicans have already turned against him. If we go forward in Iran now, they'll jump ship in droves.

Just the talk about Iran may be enough to do them (the neocons) in. Especially at a stage when we're awash in questions as to whether or not our justifications for the Iraq War were sound (everyone who didn't already know is in the process of finding out that they were NOT sound). Even if some people believe Iran may have had a hand, the question they'll ask is: "But you're just figuring this out NOW? Three years later, after fighting another war for apparently no reason?"

Even their supporters will wonder, at best, if they're competent and at worst, if they're insane warmongers and if everything the Michael Moore's of the world have been saying might be true.

The scary thing is, they either don't see this or don't care. I mean, blame aside, the entire world is in the middle of talking about the fact that the evidence justifying the (ongoing) Iraq War was all wrong. And their response is to bring up the idea of ANOTHER "pre-emptive" war in an Islamic country, based on hearsay?

I used to think the only explanations for their actions were that they were either incompetent or lying. Now I'm starting to think the only explanations for their actions are that they are either incompetent or insane.

[Goldmund]

24. He'll do some sabre-rattling

This is a political stunt. No way is he going to actually _do_ anything before the elections -- or for that matter, before he reinstates the draft, which he won't do before the elections. But next best thing to starting a war, if you want to look like a "strong wartime leader" is to make war noises and increase tensions, which is what Chimp's plan seems to be.

[jokerman93]

26. Have you no shame Mr. Bush? n/t

[Tommy_Douglas]

28. You know I really hate your current government...

But I have to honestly say if Bush gets re-elected or steals another election and the public lets it happen I might have to just start disliking America.

Its sad to say, but endless wars and tyranny are no longer in. The real scary thing is one day the world might have to invade America...

[bullimiami]

29. WOLF!!!!

WOLF WOLF WOLF!!!!!!