US: The US asministration's changing views on the link between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda
There are al-Qaeda in Iraq... [Saddam is] harbouring al-Qaeda operatives who fled the US military dragnet in Afghanistan - US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld, August 2002
If you've asking are there al-Qaeda in Iraq, the answer's yes... We do have solid evidence of the presence in Iraq of al-Qaeda members, including some that have been in Baghdad. Rumsfeld, September 2002.
We have solid reporting of senior level contacts between Iraq and al-Qaeda going back a decade. Credible information indicates that Iraq and al-Qaeda have discussed safe haven and reciprocal non-aggression. Since Operation Enduring Freedom [in Afghanistan], we have solid evidence of the presence in Iraq of al-Qaeda members, including some that have been in Baghdad. We have credible reporting that al-Qaeda leaders sought contacts in Iraq who could help them acquire WMD capabilities. The reporting also stated that Iraq has provided training to al-Qaeda members in the areas of poisons and gases and making conventional bombs. - letter dated October 7th, 2002, from CIA director George Tenet to US Senate Intelligence chairman Bob Graham. Claim repeated on February 5th, 2003, by US Secretary of State Colin Powell to the UN Security Council.
[We have] solid evidence of the presence in Iraq of al-Qaeda members. - Rumsfeld, October 2002
[Iraq had been] the geographic base of the terrorists who have had us under assault now for many years, but most especially on 9/11. - US Vice-President Dick Cheney, September 2003. The claim prompted President Bush to acknowledge that Saddam's regime had not been linked to the 9/11 attacks.
[Saddam Hussein] had long-established ties with al-Qaeda. - Cheney, June 14th, 2004.
[Iraqi rebel leader] Zarqawi's the best evidence of a connection to al-Qaeda affiliates and al-Qaeda. - Bush, June 15th
[Saddam] provided safe harbour and sanctuary... for al-Qaeda. - Cheney, September 2004
To my knowledge, I have not seen any strong, hard evidence that links the two [Saddam and Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network]. - Rumsfeld, October 4th
A question I answered... at an appearance before the Council on Foreign Relations regarding ties between al-Qaeda and Iraq regrettably was misunderstood - Rumsfeld, later on October 4th