Frustrating the “War on Terror”

Slate carries this remarkable analysis of how in their fervour to provide a reason to invade Iraq, for several years the Bush Gang repeatedly overrode intelligence recommendations and cancelled Pentagon plans to attack the terrorist training camp of Abu Musab Zarqawi. Why? It was in Iraq. Well, in Kurdish-controlled Iraq, but the fact that it was there enabled them to present a “link” between Saddam Hussein and someone associated with Al Qaida.

Military officials insist their case for attacking Zarqawis operation was airtight, but the administration feared destroying the terrorist camp in Iraq could undercut its case for war against Saddam.

The problem, from Bush’s perspective, was that this was the only tangible evidence of terrorists in Iraq. Colin Powell even showed the location of the camp on a map during his famous Feb. 5 briefing at the U.N. Security Council. The camp was in an area of Iraq that Saddam didn’t control. But never mind, it was something. To wipe it out ahead of time might lead some peoplein Congress, the United Nations, and the American publicto conclude that Saddam’s links to terrorists were finished, that maybe the war wasn’t necessary. So Bush let it be.

By enabling Zarqawi to operate unmolested for so long, he was able to begin executing an (abortive) biological attack using the ricin nerve agent in London and, more horribly, to kill over 700 people in Iraq through viscious suicide bombing attacks.