After 9/11 and before the commencement of the war, the Russians provided evidence to the U.S. administration that Saddam was planning terrorist attacks against the United States, both within and outside U.S. borders. Here is the link to and a partial quote from the Reuters story -
Why did Putin decide to make this disclosure now rather than a year ago? Could his opposition to the invasion of Iraq played a role – that this information would have been used to support an invasion? But why make the disclosure at all – pre or post invasion - and what compels him now, at this late hour? Is he attempting to affect the U.S. politics? Considering that the presidential election is expected to be close, this revelation has the possibilty of affecting the outcome of the election. No? I don’t think there is a question that information like this helps Bush, the question is how much and whether that memory will be played out come the election. Thoughts —
I’d like to know what he has. I’m willing to listen, but I remain skeptical until more specific information is available.
Was this information too sensitive to speak publicly about before? And if he was just trying to avoid helping the administration’s case for war, why warn them about it at all?
Also, why didn’t we hear about this during the lead-up to the invasion? The administration was all ready to say “British intelligence has learned that blah blah blah…” Why not “Russian intelligence has learned that Saddam Hussein is planning to attack America”?
On the other hand, what does he have to gain by lying or stretching the truth about this?
Why didn’t Bush and co use it as ammunition before the war. Would Putin have then denied it? If so, then why is he coming out now?
It’s important to note that this planned terrorism happened after 9/11 (not before or during), didn’t involve Al Q, and never actually amounted to anything, and that Russia still opposed/opposes the war. Interesting if true, but still not justification for the war.
Do we have any idea how credible this information was? Or is this merely a case of a Soviet intelligence agent hearing a way-out rumor from his barber’s cousin’s neighbor’s sister’s brother-in-law that Saddam Hussein fantasized of duplicating the 9/11 attacks, and merely passing it on to the US as a courtesy? “Well, we think this is nuts, but you can decide for yourself…”
Russia desperately needs foreign investment. It also desperately needs help with Central Asia, and the encroaching NATO/EU. There are a huge number of reasons they could be playing with a card up their sleeve, and they’ve been known to be dealers in the past. Putin had a kind of falling out with Bush after an initial closeness, but he would be more than willing to trade a favor for a favor (or three). In an election year where much of the criticism aimed at Bush is about the unjustified war, it is easy to see a covert gesture like this being made to the Bush admin.
Here’s Putin’s quote – it sounds more like it came from different sources – rather than one person – and on different occasions. Anyway, if it were really that dubious, I doubt Putin would stick his neck out that far on this one.
Who knows why Putin chose at this late date to disclose the evil intent of Saddam Hussien to commit terrior attacks in the United States. He is a Russian and Rooskies do things for devious reasons, but what does it matter?
The fact remains that the Iraqi were planning more terrorist attacts like 911 in the United States of America.
But, on the other hand everyone here knows what will follow beneath this post…
Namely…
*** Liberal mealy-mouthings that the Russian intellengece report was flawed.
*** Left-wing banter claiming that Saddam was an agent of the CIA.
*** Cover your ears! The shrieks and screams of Bush-hating Democrats fill the air with non sequiturs. This proves ( their mindless voices shout ) that Bush knew that ther were no weapons of mass distruction in Iraq.
Just watch… no matter that I have pointed out their clumsy methodolgy, their pitiful posts will appear below, They can’t help themselves, they are robots.
And, this “fact” you know from where? The claim you just made goes beyond even what Putin said regarding what Russian intelligence had supposedly been told.
Yeah…We should follow some conservatives’ lead and believe any report, no matter how dubious, that supports our pre-conceptions and dismiss any source, no matter how reliable, that goes against our pre-conceptions!
Of course, if I were in the conservative’s shoes and tons of damaging info was being brought to light and then something came out that was actually favorable, maybe I’d play it for all it was worth, and then some, too. But I like to believe not.
The funniest (potential, assuming it is true) thing about this (I’m sure it won’t be lost on Russians) is that American intelligence sources not only completely missed the real threat, but picked up dozens of completely false threats, while the Russians weren’t fooled and honed in on the real one.
The second funniest is how quickly neocons will go from “Evil Empire” to Slavophiles overnight if it is true.
I suppose the real questions - as you mentioned - is why did Putin reveal this NOW and why couldn’t the Bush Administration use this eariler? I wonder if this was provided on condition that it not be used to support the invasion. Gees, if they had this information AND DID NOT provide this to the US - there would be more than a mere chill in relations if Saddam would have pulled this off - post 9/11.
Also, I really wonder if Putin wouldn’t have denied this information pre-invasion. The US wasn’t in a position to bring out this information, at that time, because they were not in a position to know whether that action would have endangered Russian sources. Also, it would have created distrust between the two and possibly dried up the Russians as a future source in these matters.
Let’s just ask Bush himself on the subject of Pooty-Poot.
June 2001 in Slovakia, widely reported.
Unfortunately we don’t have a sense of facticity in anything Putin said here. There are no details, not even verifiable generalities, there.
The vote here? Ham-handed election campaigning. He certainly must feel more comfortable dealing with a President he can fool so easily than he would with Kerry.
Seriously, not saying that this is the case, Milum, what is Putin risking? It has seemed to me that he runs just about as strong arm a state as the old USSR did, but with different catch phrases. And how would one person in intelligence know that some other source had not gotten this information? Who’s going to challenge Putin’s statement, and how would we know?
I do find the timing and source of this questionable. I don’t know if it’s true or not. But I personally have not seen any indication of moral scruples on the part of the current administration, especially when it comes to truthfully informing the American public. Nor has Putin struck me as a stalwart defender of freedom and transparency. So I can’t take this whole thing without a sizable grain of salt.
But even assuming it to be true, it does not justify the war in Iraq.
We now have access to all of Iraq’s records, and most if not all of the former regime’s intellegence agents and officials are in custody and, as we have seen, have been subjected to very convincing coercive measures while in that custody. We also have Sadaam in custody, who is also no doubt being subjected to some very intense questioning. Has any evidence come to light coroborating this charge? If so, why has it not been announced by the Bush administration? What sort of terrorist operations were being planned? What actions had been taken to get the ball rolling, so to speak? Who was to carry out the operation? Before I robotically believe the former head of the KGB, I’ll have to have answers to these questions.
The other possibility is what you mentioned. It probably would have taken them some time to dismantle and evacuate their intelligence network in Iraq.
Still, it doesn’t explain them suddenly speaking up, unless they’re dealing with the Bush admin.
One word of warning - Russian politics are a helluva lot more hardball than American politics. The people in power aren’t always the ones in power, and they damn well won’t volunteer information like this for the good of mankind.
Putin probably wants Bush to be re-elected in the hope that Bush will suceed in bankrupting America. Or, Bush, having looked into Putin’s soul, has accomplished a mind-meld and Putin is channeling the GOP party line.
That was my statement – not Milum’s. Certainly, Putin’s statement will have to be supported with something. I would think that he would anticipate questions. But, if this remains a mere assertion on Putin’s part, dispite questions, I think that his credibility would suffer – especially outside of Russia -
There is much going on behind the scenes that we do not know and will never know. Putin obviously has a reason for the timing of his information…that’s the way the real world works. I don’t know what will amuse me more…the excuses and conspiracy theories or the sounds of crickets chirping.
