# Russia had evidence that Saddam planned terrorist attacks against U.S. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 18, 2004, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-had-evidence-that-saddam-planned-terrorist-attacks-against-u-s/251054 "2004-06-18T15:58:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-had-evidence-that-saddam-planned-terrorist-attacks-against-u-s/251054/41 "2004-06-19T01:07:55Z")
It could simply have been for diplomatic reasons. Russia was opposed to the war. Perhaps they made it clear that if the U.S. wanted any help at all, they couldn’t disclose it. What are the alternatives? We know two facts - one, that Russia told the U.S. a year before the war that Saddam was planning attacks on U.S. soil and other U.S. interests. We also know that Putin chose until now to release this information. If the information was mistaken, that does not explain the delay. There must be a reason why he felt that he didn’t have to say anything before, and a reason why he decided to speak up now. Really, the number of explanations for this, absent any other facts, is gigantic. Perhaps Bush leaned on Putin to help him out in the election. Perhaps Putin himself wants Bush re-elected, so he volunteered the information. Perhaps he revealed it because it was about to come out in some other way, which would make him look bad. We really have no idea. But let’s say, for the sake of argument, that the intelligence was real, and the Bush administration had solid information, which it couldn’t reveal, that Saddam was preparing to attack the United States. Would that change your mind on the war? ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-had-evidence-that-saddam-planned-terrorist-attacks-against-u-s/251054/42 "2004-06-19T01:13:23Z")
> [@Evil One](#): > > The Bush administration could not bring this information out without the left starting the “Liar’s chorus” from Handels “Messiah”. > > “Heeee’s a liar > He’s a liar > He’s a lair…” > > Nothing that GWB or his administration says or does will ever be believed by the hard liners. That’s why he just goes about his business and doesn’t even try to satisty them. Because he knows he can’t. Ever. Well… I guess that’s an easier way of doing business than actually pretending he gives a damn what anyone outside his cabinet thinks. At any rate, the question is: DID SADDAM PLAN TERRORIST ACTIVITY AGAINST THE US? I wouldn’t be at all surprised. We know he tried to arrange for the assassination of Bush Sr. more than a decade ago. He’s not the only one, either. I personally have long-term plans in place to kick the living crap out of Osama Bin Laden. Yup. Gonna have him kidnapped, disarmed, and delivered to my backyard, where I will demonstrate the comparative ineffectiveness of the terrorist against a foe who is not tied, blindfolded, or taken by surprise, and who is armed just as effectively as his opponent. I figure it’ll be a massacre. Warms my heart, just thinkin’ about it. Especially when I think about what the videotape will sell for! The fact that I have _planned_ it, though, does not in any way provide me with independent transatlantic capability, money, weaponry, intel, or much of anything else. The fact remains that my _actual capability to carry out my extensive plans remains… effectively… zero._ And I have yet to see \*\*any hard evidence \*\* that Saddam had any more capability to screw me over than I have to screw Osama Bin Laden at this very moment. Someone do call and wake me up if we ever find any. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-had-evidence-that-saddam-planned-terrorist-attacks-against-u-s/251054/43 "2004-06-19T01:19:33Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > We know two facts - one, that Russia told the U.S. a year before the war that Saddam was planning attacks on U.S. soil and other U.S. interests. We also know that Putin chose until now to release this information. _Nitpick:_ We know that Russia told the U.S. a year before the war that they _believed_ Saddam was planning attacks on U.S. soil and other U.S. interests. We still have not ascertained if this belief was correct or not. > [@Sam Stone](#): > > But let’s say, for the sake of argument, that the intelligence was real, and the Bush administration had solid information, which it couldn’t reveal, that Saddam was preparing to attack the United States. Why bother with this fruitless hypothetical line of inquiry? There are no secrets left in Iraq for the Bushies to find; it’s not as if Bush and Cheney are simply stalling for time, hoping next week that the details of Saddam’s Master Anti-American Scheme will finally get found in a hidden bunker somewhere. And heaven knows, if Bush actually _had_ any “solid information,” they would have been flogging it all over Fox News long before now. Putin’s “revelation” might have carried water before the war started; now, it’s just a statistically insignificant molehill, blown to mountainous proportions by folks desperate to find stuff to salvage Bush’s folly. ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-had-evidence-that-saddam-planned-terrorist-attacks-against-u-s/251054/44 "2004-06-19T01:27:17Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > Well, that assumes that the invasion WAS launched for the ‘wrong reason’. You guys against the war have long said that WMD was a mere pretext for some more nefarious purpose. Well, what if it was a pretext because the real reason couldn’t be disclosed As a democracy, I’m sorry, but I won’t take someone’s good word that there is a good cause to go to war. Wars tend to be rather permanent and irreversable. Once started, there is no, “oops, I’m sorry, we made a mistake, lets set it up like it was.” This is one of those things where you err on the side of caution. If it is a huge enough secret, there will be other ways to find it. ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-had-evidence-that-saddam-planned-terrorist-attacks-against-u-s/251054/45 "2004-06-19T01:29:45Z")
So… basically. Either both Iran and Russia **whooshed** the mother of all whooshes on us, or Iran whoosed both Russia and us. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-had-evidence-that-saddam-planned-terrorist-attacks-against-u-s/251054/46 "2004-06-19T01:34:50Z")
> [@](#): > > Why bother with this fruitless hypothetical line of inquiry? People are engaging in all kinds of other lines of inquiry. Including you. > [@](#): > > There are no secrets left in Iraq for the Bushies to find; Wow. That’s a sweeping statement. Between the regime having plenty of time to prepare for war, and the looting that happened during the invasion (“looting”, much of which was apparently directed at sensitive files in government agencies), and the sheer size of the country, there could be LOTS of secrets left in Iraq. For instance, we just found out a few days ago that SA-2 missile engines wound up in a scrapyard in the Netherlands. No one knew how they got there. That certainly opens the door to other materials being discovered, don’t you think? > [@](#): > > it’s not as if Bush and Cheney are simply stalling for time, hoping next week that the details of Saddam’s Master Anti-American Scheme will finally get found in a hidden bunker somewhere. And heaven knows, if Bush actually had any “solid information,” they would have been flogging it all over Fox News long before now. Unless, of course, Russia gave them the information on the condition that they not disclose it publically. > [@](#): > > Putin’s “revelation” might have carried water before the war started; now, it’s just a statistically insignificant molehill, blown to mountainous proportions by folks desperate to find stuff to salvage Bush’s folly. Now THAT is a ridiculous statement. The leader of another country comes out and says that his intelligence agency believedd that Saddam was planning to attack the United States, and you write it off as ‘statistically insignificant’??? Oh, as a matter of technicality, ‘statistically insignificant’ is a meaningless phrase to use when discussing non-statistical data. What we need to learn is what specifically this intelligence was. How solid was it? What was the nature of the attacks? How advanced were the plans? If it turns out to be some vague info fed to Russia from the INC, then I’ll join you in saying it’s irrelevant. On the other hand, if it’s direct information from a KGB Mole buried inside the regime, and it’s multipally sourced and/or there is other documentary evidence, then this is a BIG DAMNED DEAL. It’s too early to say right now, but your sweeping dismissal of all of this before the facts are in says more about your personal bias than anything else. ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-had-evidence-that-saddam-planned-terrorist-attacks-against-u-s/251054/47 "2004-06-19T01:38:07Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > The leader of another country comes out and says that his intelligence agency believedd that Saddam was planning to attack the United States, and you write it off as ‘statistically insignificant’??? Given that said country is _Russia_… yea. I’d certainly say that their motives are questionable. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-had-evidence-that-saddam-planned-terrorist-attacks-against-u-s/251054/48 "2004-06-19T01:38:45Z")
**Zagadka** said: > [@](#): > > Either both Iran and Russia whooshed the mother of all whooshes on us, or Iran whoosed both Russia and us. Now there’s an interesting possibility. If Iranian intelligence was actively massaging data and feeding BS to the U.S., it’s possible that they were feeding it to other countries as well. I would hope any investigation into Putin’s claim would strongly consider the possibility that whatever evidence he has was planted. ---
**Author:** ![Sevastopol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Sevastopol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevastopol)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-had-evidence-that-saddam-planned-terrorist-attacks-against-u-s/251054/49 "2004-06-19T01:39:32Z")
Oh the things you can achieve by omission. I heard a whiff of this before the war. What they aren’t telling you now is that, Iraq had plans considering covert “terrorist” actions against the US, as a _contingency_ in its war fighting efforts. A tactic. There was no stand alone plan, or any sort of thing pre-existing the threat of invasion by the US. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-had-evidence-that-saddam-planned-terrorist-attacks-against-u-s/251054/50 "2004-06-19T01:45:23Z")
> [@](#): > > We know two facts - one, that Russia told the U.S. a year before the war that Saddam was planning attacks on U.S. soil and other U.S. interests. We know no such thing. We have a single uncorroborated claim by a single head of state who has a particular interest in seeing the current U.S. president re-elected. I see no reason to accept his claim without actual evidence. (And given the administration’s utter silence on the subject until Putin’s remarks despite the great leverage it would have given them and their past history of manufacturing “evidence,” I will not be surprised if they manufacture some evidence to support this claim, as well.) If, against all odds, there really was a _credible_ report of anti-U.S. terrorist acts plotted by Hussein and reported to the U.S. intelligence services, the attacks would have to be of a size similar to the WTC attack and have some actual chance of succeeding before they could be legitimately used as a cause for war. (Otherwise, it would be perfectly legitimate for most of Central America and several countries in Africa to wage war against the U.S. Certainly, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Panama have a right to inflict as much damage on us as they can muster for acts of war that the U.,S. has egregiously inflicted on them in the past 25 years (perhaps seeking support among a “coalition of the willing” of other nations to raise the required firepower).) ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-had-evidence-that-saddam-planned-terrorist-attacks-against-u-s/251054/51 "2004-06-19T01:47:51Z")
Someone in the Bush adminsistration exposed Ms. Plume as a CIA agent. More accurate proof of Sadaam’s planning a terror atack on USA, and the administration covered it up on behalf of Russian agents? Really now ---
**Author:** ![pantom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/34f0e0/32.png) [@pantom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantom)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-had-evidence-that-saddam-planned-terrorist-attacks-against-u-s/251054/52 "2004-06-19T03:06:23Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > …you know for a fact that the Americans will give you a gazillion dollars, a “green card” for yourself and everybody in your family, unto the seventh generation, and a Starbucks franchise or a liquor store in Bakersfield for each and every one, and a lap dance from J. Lo for the information you posses. > > Question: will the velocity with which you get to the phone exceed the speed of light? Channeling Muhammed Ali: “I can turn off the light and be in bed before the lights go out.” And he was just going to bed. (Of course, his bedside companion might have been worth the speed.) ---
**Author:** ![Tigers2B1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc29f/32.png) [@Tigers2B1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tigers2B1)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-had-evidence-that-saddam-planned-terrorist-attacks-against-u-s/251054/53 "2004-06-19T03:47:34Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > Putin does not claim he told Bush; he claims that the Russian intelligence service shared the information with U.S. services, so Bush is not part of the equation… That’s not what Putin’s statement implies - > [@](#): > > **…“US President Bush personally thanked the head of one of the Russian special services for this information, which he considered to be very important,” Putin said.** [http://www.timesofoman.com/newsdetails.asp?newsid=58835](http://www.timesofoman.com/newsdetails.asp?newsid=58835) ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-had-evidence-that-saddam-planned-terrorist-attacks-against-u-s/251054/54 "2004-06-19T04:03:20Z")
> [@sevastopol](#): > > Oh the things you can achieve by omission. > > I heard a whiff of this before the war. What they aren’t telling you now is that, Iraq had plans considering covert “terrorist” actions against the US, as a _contingency_ in its war fighting efforts. A tactic. > > There was no stand alone plan, or any sort of thing pre-existing the threat of invasion by the US. Where did you read that? The reports I’ve read indicated no such thing. For instance, [The Times of Oman](http://www.timesofoman.com/newsdetails.asp?newsid=58835) mentioned above, quotes Putin: > [@](#): > > Putin said Moscow knew that “official organs of the Saddam regime were preparing terrorist attacks on the territory of the United States, as well as foreign military and civilian US targets”. > > “After the September 11, 2001, events, and before the start of the military operation in Iraq, the Russian special services repeatedly received this type of information, and handed it over to our American colleagues,” Putin said at a regional summit in the capital of Kazakhstan. > > … > > Putin said that Bush had personally thanked the head of one of Russia’s intelligence agencies for the information on Iraq, but did not disclose if it affected the US war plans. > > “US President Bush personally thanked the head of one of the Russian special services for this information, which he considered to be very important,” Putin said. Nowhere in there does Putin imply that the terrorist attacks were a contingency in case of a U.S. invasion. And the way it is phrased, “AFTER Sept 11, and BEFORE the start of the military operation in Iraq, repeatedly” would tend to indicate otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-had-evidence-that-saddam-planned-terrorist-attacks-against-u-s/251054/55 "2004-06-19T04:17:27Z")
You can tell us, **Sam**. We’re all friends here. Did you ever, _ever_, in your wildest dreams, imagine you would be defending the trustworthiness and candor of _Vladimir Putin_! KGB operative and vampire bat, Vladimir Putin. Good heavens, **Sam** , behold the state to which you are fallen! If you persist in defending these people, this is not the last humiliation you will bear, nor the least. Repent! while there is still time! My conspiracy theory: VP is offering Bush a prop so GeeDubya will owe him one. Now, Putin can change his mind at any time, he doesn’t worry about flip-flopping, 'cause he doesn’t worry about elections. So if GeeDubya refers to him as “Pooty-Poot” one more time, he will rue the day. ---
**Author:** ![Tigers2B1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc29f/32.png) [@Tigers2B1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tigers2B1)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-had-evidence-that-saddam-planned-terrorist-attacks-against-u-s/251054/56 "2004-06-19T04:48:09Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > … Now, Putin can change his mind at any time, he doesn’t worry about flip-flopping, 'cause he doesn’t worry about elections… Well an off hand ‘flip-flop’ on a matter like this would do harm to Putin’s credibility as a world leader – unless he comes up with a good reason I doubt this is a ‘what me worry’ flip-flop situation. If this is a lie, it is one that seems pretty elaborate from what Putin has said so far — with the reported plans to attack both on and off US soil, both military and civilian targets, the multiple contacts, and the contact with the President. This would necessatate a pretty elaborate flip-flop if that’s a long-term Putin option. Also, even if Putin doesn’t worry about elections at home – even North Korea’s Great Leader worries about his hair. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-had-evidence-that-saddam-planned-terrorist-attacks-against-u-s/251054/57 "2004-06-19T04:49:15Z")
Now where did you get the impression that I’m defending his trustworthiness? I said we should reserve judgement until we get more information, and I specifically questioned the interpretation of one of his statements. I’m under no illusions about Putin. If he could come up with a way to mislead you, and a motive for doing it, he wouldn’t hesitate. But in this case it’s hard to see a motive. Why does he want Bush re-elected? I thought Bush was the guy who ignored Russia’s desires and attacked Saddam. Bush is the one pushing them to forgive their debts. But we don’t have enough information yet to make any determination. We don’t know what the evidence is. We don’t know who the sources are. We don’t know anything. But the statement itself is big news, no matter which way it goes. When the head of state of a country comes out and says something like that, you take it seriously, albeit skeptically. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-had-evidence-that-saddam-planned-terrorist-attacks-against-u-s/251054/58 "2004-06-19T06:14:13Z")
> [@Tigers2B1](#): > > That’s not what Putin’s statement implies - ??? Putin said that the Russian agencies shared information with the U.S. agencies (with neither Putin nor Bush involved–and certainly without Putin being the bearer of the information). Following which, Putin claims that Bush (presumably informed of this information sharing) thanked one of the Russian executives for the information. Had Putin supplied the information to Bush, then it would have made more sense for Bush to thank Putin, directly. Nothing in Putin’s comments provides a basis for assuming that Bush was involved in the exchange, other than to acknowledge it after the fact. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-had-evidence-that-saddam-planned-terrorist-attacks-against-u-s/251054/59 "2004-06-19T06:43:37Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > The leader of another country comes out and says that his intelligence agency believedd that Saddam was planning to attack the United States, and you write it off as ‘statistically insignificant’??? No, the leader of another country comes out and says his intelligence agency passed along information **alleging** Saddam was planning to attack the United States. A subtle but important difference. > [@Sam Stone](#): > > What we need to learn is what specifically this intelligence was. How solid was it? What was the nature of the attacks? How advanced were the plans? If it turns out to be some vague info fed to Russia from the INC, then I’ll join you in saying it’s irrelevant. On the other hand, if it’s direct information from a KGB Mole buried inside the regime, and it’s multipally sourced and/or there is other documentary evidence, then this is a BIG DAMNED DEAL. It’s too early to say right now, but your sweeping dismissal of all of this before the facts are in says more about your personal bias than anything else. It’s too early to say right now, yet it looks like every other post from you on this topic assumes the information is completely reliable and vindicates the Administration’s push for war. As for my “sweeping dismissal,” I find it _very_ suspicious that the Bush Administration hasn’t been touting this _brand-spankin’ new_ revelation about Saddam’s Sinister Schemes™ prior to Putin’s announcement today. Everything we’ve seen from this Administration indicates that their long silence on this matter indicates that even they don’t believe it’s strong enough to present to the populace. Your unwavering insistence on clinging to this shred of unverified data says more about your personal bias than anything else. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Svinlesha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/22d042/32.png) [@Mr.Svinlesha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Svinlesha)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-had-evidence-that-saddam-planned-terrorist-attacks-against-u-s/251054/60 "2004-06-19T06:44:53Z")
[Meanwhile, over at State:](http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=2EPOOJVBVEZ3MCRBAE0CFFA?type=topNews&storyID=5460311) > [@](#): > > \*\* Russia warned the United States after the September 11, 2001 attacks that Iraq’s Saddam Hussein planned to hit targets on U.S. soil, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday. > > Putin’s remarks looked certain to help President Bush, but officials at the State Department expressed bafflement, saying they knew of no such information from Russia…. > > State Department spokesman Adam Ereli told reporters he did not know anything about the information that Putin said Russia passed on. No such information was communicated from Russia through the State Department, he said. > > “Everybody’s scratching their heads,” said one State Department official, who asked not to be named. > > But the Kremlin leader’s comments seemed certain to bolster Bush, whose campaign for re-election in November is under pressure from the Iraq crisis…. > > It is not the first time that Putin, who has forged a strong personal bond with Bush despite opposing him diplomatically over Iraq, has come to his defense on the issue. > > At a summit of G8 world industrialized powers at the U.S. resort of Sea Island last week, where he met Bush separately, Putin stepped into the U.S. campaign by chastising U.S. Democrats for attacking the Republican president on Iraq. > > He said they had “no moral right” to do so since it had been the Democratic administration of Bill Clinton that had authorized the 1999 bombing of Yugoslavia by U.S. and NATO forces.\*\* Prior to the war, however, it would appear that Putin [did not believe](http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/1218-03.htm) that Iraq was a threat to the US: > [@](#): > > \*\* Although Bush administration officials have openly discussed the possibility that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein may be the next target in the war on terrorism, Putin said he has seen no evidence that Iraq finances terrorists.\*\* And even [six months ago](http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200312/s1013128.htm): > [@](#): > > \*\* “We are do not want the United States to lose their war on terrorism - we are US partners in the fight against terrorism,” Mr Putin said. > > _“But as for Iraq, this is a separate matter. There were no international terrorists under Hussein. This is a separate problem,” he said_.\*\* But the kicker: > [@](#): > > **_Moscow has been furious with Washington in recent days for barring countries that opposed the Iraqi war in participating in the lucrative first phase of reconstruction projects in the war-torn country_.** I’ll allow the reader to fill in the dots provided by these disparate pieces of information, but let me simply say that, should Bush win reelection next year, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to discover a few months later some Russian contractor or another – probably one in which Putin has a large financial interest – unexpectedly winning a fat reconstruction contract from the DoD. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-had-evidence-that-saddam-planned-terrorist-attacks-against-u-s/251054.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-had-evidence-that-saddam-planned-terrorist-attacks-against-u-s/251054.md?page=4)