Suskind: Bush ordered fake letter linking Iraq to 9/11

[rn79870]

Author: Only White House reaction is 'calling me names'A blockbuster new book from investigative journalist Ron Suskind adds another revelation to the growing canon demonstrating the lengths to which President Bush and members of his administration lied, misled and deceived the American people to pursue its invasion of Iraq.

Bush allegedly ordered the CIA to forge a handwritten letter from the head of Iraq's intelligence service to Saddam Hussein that purported to link the Iraqi dictator to the ringleader of the hijackers who toppled the Twin Towers on 9/11, according to news accounts of Suskind's new book, The Way of the World: A Story of Truth and Hope in an Age of Extremism. Such use of an intelligence service to influence domestic political debate could be an impeachable offense, Suskind writes.

Politico's Mike Allen reports:

According to Suskind, the administration had been in contact with the director of the Iraqi intelligence service in the last years of Hussein’s regime, Tahir Jalil Habbush al-Tikriti.

“The White House had concocted a fake letter from Habbush to Saddam, backdated to July 1, 2001,” Suskind writes. “It said that 9/11 ringleader Mohammad Atta had actually trained for his mission in Iraq – thus showing, finally, that there was an operational link between Saddam and al Qaeda, something the Vice President’s Office had been pressing CIA to prove since 9/11 as a justification to invade Iraq. There is no link.” [...]

The author claims that such an operation, part of “false pretenses” for war, would apparently constitute illegal White House use of the CIA to influence a domestic audience, an arguably impeachable offense.The faked letter was first reported as genuine by the conservative London Sunday Telegraph in December 2003. Right-wing commentators and Bush defenders harped on that disclosure as evidence of Saddam Hussein's involvement in the 9/11 attacks. According to Suskind's book, the CIA had been protecting Habbush in the early months of the invasion; the agency persuaded the Iraqi intelligence chief to write the letter in his own handwriting and paid him $5 million.

CBS White House correspondent Bill Plante reported Tuesday that Suskind's sources had seen a draft of the letter written on White House stationary.

Suskind outlined his findings further in a Huffington Post diary Tuesday:

The Iraq Intelligence Chief, Tahir Jalil Habbush -- a man still carrying with $1 million reward for capture, the Jack of Diamonds in Bush's famous deck of wanted men -- has been America's secret source on Iraq. Starting in January of 2003, with Blair and Bush watching, his secret reports began to flow to officials on both sides of the Atlantic, saying that there were no WMD and that Hussein was acting so odd because of fear that the Iranians would find out he was a toothless tiger). The U.S. deep-sixed the intelligence report in February, "resettled" Habbush to a safe house in Jordan during the invasion and then paid him $5 million in what could only be considered hush money.

In the fall of 2003, after the world learned there were no WMD -- as Habbush had foretold -- the White House ordered the CIA to carry out a deception. The mission: create a handwritten letter, dated July, 2001, from Habbush to Saddam saying that Atta trained in Iraq before the attacks and the Saddam was buying yellow cake for Niger with help from a "small team from the al Qaeda organization."

The mission was carried out, the letter was created, popped up in Baghdad, and roiled the global newcycles in December, 2003 (conning even venerable journalists with Tom Brokaw). The mission is a statutory violation of the charter of CIA, and amendments added in 1991, prohibiting CIA from conduction disinformation campaigns on U.S. soil.The Way of the World is Suskind's third book on the inner workings of the Bush administration, joining The One Percent Doctrine, which outlined the often extreme anti-terror policies advanced by the likes of Vice President d!ck Cheney, and The Price of Loyalty, which painted a picture of the early day's of Bush's presidency with the help of ousted former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill.

Predictably, the White House is unhappy with Suskind's latest offering and the Bush administration is relying on its trademark push-back of insulting the messenger. White House spokesman Tony Fratto insulted Suskind, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his work with the Wall Street Journal, as a practitioner of "gutter journalism," and called the allegations "absurd."

Such a reaction is merely aimed at downplaying the impact of Suskind's explosive revelations, the author says.

"So, here we go again: the administration full attack mode, calling me names, George Tenet is claiming he doesn't remember any such thing -- just like he couldn't remember "slam dunk" -- and reporters are scratching their heads," Suskind writes at Huffington Post. "Everything in the book is on the record. Many sources. And so, we watch and wait...."

Suskind appeared Tuesday on NBC's Today Show for interviews about the latest book.

Anyone else wonder why we want change. Not more of the same?

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/....html

[srellim234]

Suskind was on Keith Olberman's show last night and indicated that it's all on tapes. He's got audio proof but he doesn't want to release it because it would kill the careers of some friends and information suppliers. I have a feeling that if the Bush administration bashes him enough and begins retaliating against the people Suskind named the tapes will be released.

But you know what? The Democrats, let by SOH Pelosi, will do absolutely nothing.

[skylndrftr]

I am going to caveat this by saying I am not 100% sure I believe this one....

However, I beleive that this is just one more reason for the court to make a single definitive ruling nuetering if not in fact eliminating executive privlege. The congress truely represents the peopl in this country and shoudl have the power to effectively investigate itself and all other branches of government without question or challenge. If we want a free and open government, thats the firs step.

[AZhitman]

If true, this is HUGE, and heads must roll.

If false, heads need to roll as well.

<threadjack> Let me take this opportunity to point out that nothing that comes out of Pelosi's fat yap is worth the effort to listen to. She makes me sick to my stomach. </irrelevant threadjack>

[skylndrftr]

I agree hitman (but probably for different reasons)

[AZhitman]

I agree hitman (but probably for different reasons)

Don't be so sure - Can't be TOO different, since I'm in favor of heads rolling, regardless of the outcome.

[heliochrome85]

being arab, we love rolling heads. its fun. we call it football (soccer). maybe you have heard of it? <--heads rolling

[AZhitman]

being arab, we love rolling heads. its fun. we call it football (soccer). maybe you have heard of it? <--heads rolling

Snap. THAT was rotten, Tariq....

Well-played, Sir.

[heliochrome85]

it comes naturally. its actually quite scary since someday, im supposed to be a doctor and tell people they have cancer and such. hopefully, not in such an (in)appropriate way...

...i probably wont change....ill be the real Dr. Nick from the simpsons.

[szh]

being arab, we love rolling heads. its fun. we call it football (soccer). maybe you have heard of it? <--heads rolling

It was literal in some early times ... many, many centuries ago, some Afghan tribe played polo with decapitated heads from soldiers (other side, naturally!) killed in battle. Yuck!

Z

[rn79870]

it comes naturally. its actually quite scary since someday, im supposed to be a doctor and tell people they have cancer and such. hopefully, not in such an (in)appropriate way...

...i probably wont change....ill be the real Dr. Nick from the simpsons.

Helio, you will be successful at whatever field you choose to enter. If medical school loses it's magic for you, consider a PhD. in foreign relations. You'd be exceptional.

And szhosain you're another one that should be in education. Between the 2 of you, you've caused many of us to reflect on the ME and American policy. to both of you.

So we all agree. Either Suskind's head or GW's head, but someone has to stand up here and face the truth.

[skylndrftr]

It was literal in some early times ... many, many centuries ago, some Afghan tribe played polo with decapitated heads from soldiers (other side, naturally!) killed in battle. Yuck!

Call me dumb (yea like THATS hard)...

but I never processed where the phraseology came from until just now...

[heliochrome85]

The more you know

[Cold_Zero]

And knowing is half the battle, Yo Joe!

[skylndrftr]

Sorry hitman, I meant the pelosi part but I agree on the other point as well (like you said...for the same reasons)

Alright back on topic here....

If he really does have evidence of this, I think it is his responsibility to release it. I don't care who it hurts, he needs to recognize the vital importance of this. Irrelevant of what you think about the war now, IF the evidence to go to war was willing ly falsified there need to be severe consequences going all the way up and down. I could care less about his sourceas or friends or whatever. We have a catestrophically failing ability to carry out international policy. Showing our ability to catch and prosecute people who commit crimes like this needs to happen, regardless of who it is. It WILl improve our status in the world, and thats never a bad thing.

If this guy is lieing, sayign this to sell books, then HE is hurting our ability to conduct foreign policy and hes being a douche bag and needs to be gone. IMHO Bush has done enough things that if this is false lieing will only hurt the case against him.

[AZhitman]

^ yep.

[heliochrome85]

you have to realize, that if true, if he were to release it, the only doo gooders in the govt would be singled out, and fired - DOJ style, along party lines. Then we would have absolutely NO oversight into how the various levels of governemtn are actually working and the lies they are spreading. I say, keep it secret, unless mandated by grand jury investigation or congressional subpeona.

alsoIts naieve to think that consequences will come to those who perpetrated these vile deceptions. We have seen before and we will see again, the Bush admin is above the law when it comes to paying the price for their actions. Its disgusting.

[skylndrftr]

I think at that point though the Hauge would get involved.

I would literally sign a lifetime contract with the CIA Military WHOEVER if GWB got extraordinairily renditioned and dumped on the hauges doorstep hogtied and hooded

[heliochrome85]

cases have gone to the hague before. it has been standard policy of the US to not answer to the hague. Part of me agrees with that. That part of me is semi-retarted.

The US is not hostage to the whims of an international court. Otherwise we are guilty of war crimes in every war we have fought. There was a great episode of the west wing on this topic. cant remmber which one though. watch the whole series. you will find it. and in the process you will see what a "real" govt looks like.

[skylndrftr]

I loved that series!

I understand what your saying but theres a litlte bit of a difference if this is actually true. The hauge doesn't prosecute little things, they deal with the major players. However, I would like to think that if it turns out this is true, Bush gets tried convicted and hung for treaston before anyone can react.

[heliochrome85]

thats the thing. they do prosecute, but only as long as the US is willing to play game. Touch any us soldier, even the lowest one, and poof, the US is no longer interested in anything you have to say. There is less than 0 chance that Bush will ever get reprocussions for his actions. The International court is impotent.

[skylndrftr]

a man can dream...

[heliochrome85]

you gotta stay off that mescalin. you really do...

[skylndrftr]

freedom of religion chrome my man...freedom of religion

[heliochrome85]

lulz.