McCain Falsely Linked Iraq To 9/11 Before Dick Cheney

Of the many false arguments deployed by the Bush Administration to justify war with Iraq, perhaps the most blatant was the completely untrue idea that Iraq was linked to 9/11.

Over the years, Dick Cheney has absorbed most of the criticism for making the false Iraq-9/11 link, thanks primarily to his December 9, 2001 appearance on Meet The Press in which he alleged that 9/11 hijacker Muhammad Atta had met with Iraqi intelligence officials in Prague.

There was no such meeting -- Cheney's claim was totally unsubstantiated fear mongering.

But the striking thing about all this is that when Cheney made his false claim, John McCain had already made the same baseless assertion in an interview on ABC News Nightline conducted on November 28, 2001.

That's right: John McCain falsely linked Iraq to 9/11 nearly two weeks before Dick Cheney. That means Cheney was repeating McCain's false claim -- not the other way around. Here's video:

John McCain claims he has the judgment to be President of the United States. If nothing else, this video shows that he does not.

Comments

[PT6]

Should WE Excuse the Corruption BECAUSE BUSH IS SO "DUMB?"

He GRADUATED FROM YALE!

He should be BROUGHT BEFORE CONGRESS TO TESTIFY ON THE FOLLOWING:

1. Where WERE THE "WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION IN IRAQ?"
2. WHO PREPARED THE MATERIALS GIVEN TO CONGRESS TO PROVE NEED TO INVADE IRAQ?
3. WHY DID Hundreds of BUREAUCRATS TURN THEIR BACK ON REGULATING INDUSTRIES?
4. WHY WAS WALL STREET ALLOWED TO USE TOOLS LIKE "ILLEGAL NAKED SHORTS" TO DRIVE A STAKE IN OUR ECONOMY?
5. WHY WERE OIL TRADERS ALLOWED TO USE "ILLEGAL LEVERAGING" TO DRIVE OIL MARKETS TO RECORD HIGHS ONLY TO CRASH 45% WHEN THEY WERE CAUGHT.

He is as Smart as a "FOX"! His TEAM OF CRONIES NEED TO ANSWER FOR THESE CRIMES AGAINST AMERICA

[mrvertigo13]

Hear. Hear!

[PT6]

Repubs are just RELIEVED that she was not a TOTAL EMBARRASSMENT!

If she had done what she did with Curric, then they could have lost MOST HOUSE and SENATE SEATS!

They will still probably lose enough to give Demos a 60% majority, but it could have been MUCH worse!

[PT6]

We heard tonight a STRONG REMINDER THAT CHENEY, BUSH, and ROVE need to FACE IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS!

So lets start them as soon as this CRISIS BILL PASSES the HOUSE!

[stargazer13]

this would mean that McCain was in on it if you ask me

[littlepuffycloud]

McAngry wants to be the next "War President" just like His Chimpiness. Anyone who believes he isn't itching to go to war with Russia, Iran, ANY Country is still not listening to what he has and continues to spew.

[homerun]

Mccain=Cheney and Palin=Bush
and it scares me more than the gang of thugs we have today.

[blueskybigstar]

About preaching to the chior: I believe that the Obama campaign has been paying very close attention to this website as well as McCain's. This site has been excellent for discourse, furthering discussion in order to come up with solutions. The "if I tell two friends, and you tell two friends, and they tell two friends" does really work. We need to press the people who don't talk politics into talking politics, and when they say "no talking politics" at bars, we need to keep talking politics. The times we are living in are too critical not to.

[blueskybigstar]

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/06/17/randy_scheunemann_mccain_advis.html

[seanseamour]

It is duplicitous and deceitful McCain since the outset, an opportunist of the worst kind ready to go to all ends to meet his ambitions. See for yourself the story of his life now well documented in a just released investigative report - the following link may cure forever any urge to vote McCain, see for yourself "Make-Believe Maverick" by Tim Dickinson. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/make_believe_maverick_the_real_john_mccain/page/1
Even if you only accept a small part of this investigative report, after this you will understand the duplicitous and mischievous construct of John McCain's campaign.

To all the Republicans out there, surely you cannot aspire to let this ticket reach the White House, it would be cause for reckless endangerment of your fellow citizens to facilitate such an outcome. Surely those who are proud of the values and traditions of this badly Bush/Cheney battered party cannot further discredit their heritage with the spectacle offered.

Send the link as afar as possible so other may form a better documented opinion

[grantlingel]

As if that is surprising at all. McCain and Dick are the same thing.. two, crotchety old men who love war.

http://grantlingel.blogspot.com

[Isolated in N GA]

The Iraq war is a McCain/Lieberman war. The historical record is clear. This should be made clear to the American public. After their embarrassing role in helping the NeoCons justify the war, the MSM (MMSM?) has an opportunity to regain their honor and at least partially mitigating damage done by clarifying this relationship.

http://web.archive.org/web/20011215154708/www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/wolf.blitzer.reports/blitzer.report/2001/12/12.07.html

12 December 2007
"Is Iraq next?
By Wolf Blitzer
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A group of influential lawmakers wrote to President Bush the other day with an urgent proposal. "We believe we must directly confront Saddam sooner rather than later," they said. The group included an interesting mix -- ranging from Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman to Republican Senator Jesse Helms -- with others in between, including the Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott and one-time presidential candidate, Senator John McCain. "As we work to clean up Afghanistan and destroy Al Qaeda," they said, "it is imperative that we plan to eliminate the threat from Iraq." .....

"There is no doubt that since that time," the lawmakers wrote, "Saddam Hussein has reinvigorated his weapons programs. Reports indicate that biological, chemical and nuclear programs continue apace and may be back to pre-Gulf War status. In addition, Saddam continues to refine delivery systems and is doubtless using the cover of an illicit missile program to develop longer-range missiles that will threaten the United States and our allies."

[blueskybigstar]

This is a huge story. I remember that he was the first. To me, this means he is part of the inner circle of the newworldorder coporatocracy. He knew we were going into Iraq. He brought this discussion up earlier than everybody else on a late night talk show as well. He started talking about bombing Iran, and I am certain that we were that close to doing this. Not only is McCain a fraud, but he is part and parcel of the crooked Bush family legacy. It is not well known that there is a corporation running the upper levels of the Republican party. What is the name of it? It seems obvious this corporation staged events in Colombia to make it seem like McCain was the leader who solved the problems in Colombia with rebels. The way they caught them was completely underhanded. Also, the events in Georgia seemed very staged to try to make McCain look like he had some leadership in that conflict. What has been happeningiscriminal. The leadership of the Republican party has manipulated events fromanthrax,911,Georgia,Colombia,and now the economy to try to manipulate politics here. The fact that McCain was the first shows that not only he was part of this group whoconspired to do criminalthings, but that he has no patience and is impulsive. Does anybody remember that Bush was making strange references to the name Georgia just before the events happened there? McCain and Bush have more things in common than not.

[seanseamour]

I agree with most everything you say, if you look at the article through the link I have posted above your suspicions will solidify - this is an evil ugly person ready to sacrifice any and all to his ambition. But I am afraid we are all mostly preaching to the choir here inasmuch as the HuffPost audience is largely made up of similar thinking people, we need to disseminate out the institutional knowledge being assembled here. A good staring point is the article.

[blueskybigstar]

I believe that the Obama campaign has been paying very close attention to this website as well as McCain's. This site has been excellent for discourse, furthering discussion in order to come up with solutions. The "if I tell two friends, and you tell two friends, and they tell two friends" does really work. We need to press the people who don't talk politics into talking politics, and when they say "no talking politics" at bars, we need to keep talking politics. The times we are living in are too critical not to.

[stargazer13]

I also get the feeling that he be leaves that he is owed the Presidency

[Isolated in N GA]

One of the names of the corporation is the Carlyle Group.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlyle_Group

http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=14963

The business model involves (in part) purchasing struggling USG contractors, then employing political connections to obtain major contracts. The group is known for its deep DC connections and extremely aggressive legal team.

[blueskybigstar]

Thank you isolated in N GA. I'm trying to get correspondences going with people who are intelligent and with research ability to uncover corruption in Government since Reagan. I opened a new email for this correspondence in order to bring people together.

We need to come up with ideas and plans that will get the information out about corruption in novel and effective ways. This might be the start of something good. Please, bring the things that most concern you about what is going on, ideas, plans, on how to get important and real information out there to prevent this country from being bamboozled again.

write me at [e-mail]

[BethStuart]

McCain was one of the prime movers in going to war with Iraq. His current chief foreign policy advisor Randy Scheunemann was the organizer for the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq in 2002. One of the committee members was none other than John McCain. Here is the link:

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/06/17/randy_scheunemann_mccain_advis.html

[blueskybigstar]

Thank you for this information.

[ThePoliticalAnimalUK]

Lest we forget:
1. Saddam sheltered the Mujahadeen-e-Khalq Organisation (which had killed US soldiers & civilians), the PLF, Abu Abbas (who murdered the US citizen Leon Klinghoffer), the Abu Nidal Organisation, and Abdul Rahman Yassin (who mixed the chemicals involved in the 1993 WTC attack) et al.
2. He paid $25,000 to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers.

Why on earth would you want to keep Saddam in power?

[stargazer13]

well first he was Iran's greatest enemy . and second why would the U.S.A. sell him weapons if he was are greatest enemy just some thing to think about

[Independent voter]

You're a dirt.y lying. mofo McCain