Utter shocker: Madrid attack executed from POST-INVASION IRAQ

[Brian_Expat]

Turns out that the Madrid attacks were executed from POST-INVASION northern Iraq. In other words, Bush's invasion not only didn't make the world "safer," it actually made the world MUCH WORSE and INCREASED the ability of terrorists to strike around the world.

Bush is DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE for the climate in Iraq that allowed the terror attack to occur.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/03/16/1079199223657.html

His comments came as Spanish police identified six Moroccans as the suspects in the Madrid train bombings, including Jamal Zougam, 30, Mohamed Bekkali, 31, and Mohamed Chaoui, 34, who were arrested in Madrid at the weekend. But French intelligence authorities believe the attack was ordered by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Jordanian leader of the Ansar al-Islam terror group believed to be based in northern Iraq.

If Kerry doesn't slam Bush with this revelation, he's not being smart. If people on the ground don't slam Republicans with this revelation, they're not being smart. This line should be repeated over and over and over in the media.

[Mika]

1. Bad link

Maybe you could fix it?

[Brian_Expat]

2. Link fixed, sorry. <nt>

[Vladimir]

3. No, really?

Great post mate... its just a bit depressing to be proved right in this way. Bush lied, they died.

V

[Dogmudgeon]

4. The GOOD link!

Spain to turn its back on `lies`

So throw another shrimp on the barbie, dangle the littl'un over a croc, sit back and relax with The Age.

It's Fair and Balanced Dinkum, mate!

--bkl

[bluedeminredstate]

5. Let's see how

the RW press who claimed the terrorists had won in Spain, will spin this. I know I feel like crying.

[11 Bravo]

6. But...but...but... the world is SAFER since we invaded Iraq.

I know this must be true because a smirking, vaguely simian appearing fellow keeps going on TV and saying so.

[dpbrown]

7. This ties into Bush's refusal to hit al-Zarqawi pre-invasion

...because it would have eroded one of his "reasons" for attacking.

It'd be nice to see these two stories together.

DPB

[thecrow]

8. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was in Iraq before the current war, and Bushco turned down three offers to take him out. He is alleged to have been producing RICIN in his labs there.
Now..
I sent this to my brother who is a W fan and his response was:
Doens't this prove Al-Queda's presence in Saddam's Iraq?
and
Doesn't this prove that WMD were being produced in Iraq?

Just watch...I think the bushhies will use this to argue in favor of their actions.

[carolinayellowdog]

He wasn't in Saddam's Iraq, but the north

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4431601/

The US deliberately avoided dealing with him because it might have undercut their arguments in favor of invasion.

[Brian_Expat]

11. Ask your Freep brother. . .

. . . why terrorists were able to attack after Bush's invasion to make the world "safer."

[Sinistrous]

9. Write-up on Ansar-al-Islam from Jane's:

http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/jtsm/jtsm040308_1_n.shtml
<snip>

Ansar al-Islam was established after 11 September 2001 in an enclave in northeastern Iraq, near the porous border with Iran - an area outside of Saddam Hussein's control. In late March 2003, US-led forces attacked its mountain stronghold, a cluster of some 16 villages and a network of caves in the Halabja Valley. Some 200 of the 800 fighters were killed, according to the PUK. Many of those who survived fled into Iran.

After the Iraq war, the group reconstituted itself, exploiting the chaos that followed the invasion. Some Ansar al-Islam leaders, such as Abu Abdullah al-Shafei, Ayoub Afghani and Abu Wa'el, were seen in the Iranian border city of Sanandaj in June and July, regrouping their fighters and recruiting new men.

<end of non-subscriber portion>

edit to fix link

[truthspeaker]

10. exactly as predicted by Iraq war critics (and the CIA)

I mean, duh.

[BabsSong]

12. Back when the story broke about the dudes in Northern Iraq

and their chemistry set, I noted that the whole thing was never really addressed by this administration. This was in the area we controlled and flew over every damn day with spy equipment gallore. Now are we going to tell people that we didn't discover it for how long. Then, they did finally take it out but oddly refused to make it any story exclaiming how this shows WMD's in Iraq. It's like a leaked story caused them finally to take action. I've always wondered what that was all about. I remember some bullshit being tossed around that we couldn't take it out because it was in Iraq and we hadn't declared war on Iraq. We ended up taking it out though before the war. Something is awfully stinko about that whole thing.