Bush again links Iraq violence to 9/11
By Jonathan S. Landay | McClatchy Newspapers 
 
WASHINGTON — Struggling to stem growing opposition to his Iraq policy even
among Republicans, President Bush contended anew Tuesday that the
perpetrators of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States are the
same as al Qaida in Iraq, a violent Iraqi insurgent group that didn't
exist until after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

It was the second time in two weeks that Bush has made the link in an
apparent attempt to transform lingering fear of another U.S. terrorist
attack into backing for the current buildup of U.S. troops in Iraq.

"Al Qaida is doing most of the spectacular bombings, trying to incite
sectarian violence," Bush told a business group in Cleveland, Ohio. "The
same people that attacked us on September the 11th is a crowd that is now
bombing people, killing innocent men, women and children, many of whom are
Muslims."

Al Qaida in Iraq didn't emerge until 2004. While it is inspired by Osama
bin Laden's violent ideology, there's no evidence that the Iraq
organization is under the control of the terrorist leader or his top
aides, who are believed to be hiding in tribal regions of Pakistan
bordering Afghanistan.

Moreover, the two groups have been divided over tactics and strategy.

While U.S. intelligence and military officials view al Qaida in Iraq as a
serious threat, they say the main source of violence and instability is an
ongoing contest for power between majority Shiites and Sunnis, who
dominated Saddam Hussein's regime.

Bush's speech came as Democrats in the Senate mounted a drive for
legislation that would mandate a timetable for a U.S. troop withdrawal or
set the stage for a pullout.

Four key Republican senators have broken with Bush over Iraq, and more
could desert after the administration sends a report to Congress at week's
end that is expected to chart slight improvements in security, but
virtually none on political measures aimed at reconciling rival religious
and ethnic groups.

In his speech, Bush cited the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks as the motivation
behind the continuing war in Iraq. "They will kill a Muslim, a child or a
woman at a moment's notice to achieve a political objective," Bush said.
"They are dangerous people that need to be confronted, and that's why
since Sept. 11 our policy has been to find them and defeat them overseas
so we don't have to face them here at home again."

Before the war, the president and his aides cited Iraq's alleged illegal
chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs to justify the ouster of
Saddam, who administration officials asserted also had ties to al Qaida.

No such programs were found, however, and U.S. intelligence officials have
concluded that Saddam also had no operational links to al Qaida.


da http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/17777.html

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