Fair enough: Bush did mention 9/11 and Iraq often enough in the same breath that the average uneducated person might get the wrong impression.
The Atta-Czech story hasn't been disproven, however. Edward Jay Epstein has written a lot on the weirdness surrounding that story. (Here and here, for example.) For what reason I don't know, but there seems to be a lot of misinformation out there on all sides when it comes to the Atta-Czech incident. Very odd.
Just so you know, in a speech the other day in Cleveland, Bush denied that he'd ever linked the events of 9/11/2001 with Saddam Hussein. No, really—he actually said it:
“First, just if I may correct a misperception. I don't think we ever said—at least I know I didn't say—that there was a direct connection between Sept. 11 and Saddam Hussein.” Which is simply breathtaking.
I must be behind the curve. I don't see why this is breathtaking at all. I've never come across a speech in which Bush ever did say that there is a DIRECT connection between Sept. 11 and Hussein. What Bush HAS said on numerous occasions is that his view towards Iraq was colored by the lessons learned on Sept. 11 -- i.e., that ignoring a terrorist problem doesn't make it go away, that it is better to be proactive.
Personally, I think that as the Iraq war has played out, that view can be dangerous. Nonetheless, it is quite different from saying that Iraq was directly responsible for Sept. 11.
Bush didn't ever say that, did he? If not, why is it breathtaking that he would deny saying it?
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