NBC’s Tom Brokaw interviews new Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi;
Brokaw: I know that you and others like you are grateful for the liberation of Iraq. But can’t you understand why many Americans feel that so many young men and women have died here for purposes other than protecting the United States?
Allawi: We know that this is an extension to what has happened in New York. And the war have been taken out to Iraq by the same terrorists. Saddam was a potential friend and partner and natural ally of terrorism.
Brokaw: Prime minister, I’m surprised that you would make the connection between 9/11 and the war in Iraq. The 9/11 commission in America says there is no evidence of a collaborative relationship between Saddam Hussein and those terrorists of al-Qaida.
Allawi: No. I believe very strongly that Saddam had relations with al-Qaida. And these relations started in Sudan. We know Saddam had relationships with a lot of terrorists and international terrorism. Now, whether he is directly connected to the September atrocities or not, I can’t vouch for this. But definitely I know he has connections with extremism and terrorists.
Donald Sensing – “Lay aside the breathtaking arrogance of an American newsreader trying to tell a head of state what he should think about one of the most important issues facing the prime minister’s country. The fact is that Brokaw was flat wrong about what the 9/11 Commission said.”
He has more thoughts on media bias. And lots of examples of outright misrepresentation.
hat tip – OTB
How daft can you be? I think it is fairly proven (finally) that any connection between al-Qaeda and Hussein/Iraq was so inconsequential as to be irrelevant and insignificant. (The same type of “connection” that the USA may have with North Korea.) Considering the high costs, the war achieves very little for Americans. From the beginning it has been a personal vendetta and business opportunity for Bush, Cheney and thier ilk.
And Allawi is no “head of state”. He has more connections in the US than he has friends in Iraq. The US is hoping he will be an obedient puppet in the new US-controlled “democracy”.
Well, why are you wasting your time here?
Why aren’t you taking your Special Knowledge[tm] directly to the 9/11 commission members? They seemed pretty convinced otherwise.
Whoa, Expat, calm down boy. You know, sometimes I envy people like you. You believe something so strongly, so absolutely, that nothing, nothing causes you doubt. Do you believe heaven begins with bedding 72 virgins (who have to be in short supply these days). Can you steer a 757 but not land it? Has your visa expired? How daft DO you think we are? And then, you just may be mistaken.