THIS WEEK both John Kerry and his senior foreign policy advisor, Susan Rice, have argued that the Bush administration was wrong about Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al Zarqawi. He was not a danger before the war; his contacts with Saddam’s Iraq non-existent; and his relationship to al Qaeda only now cemented.
Their comments appear to be based on a single Washington Post (October 5, 2004) story concerning a leaked CIA reassessment of Saddam’s ties to Zarqawi. According to that news account, “A U.S. official familiar with the new CIA assessment said intelligence analysts are unable to determine conclusively the nature of the relationship,” and that the assessment was “still being worked.” Nevertheless, the same official stated: “What is indisputable is that Zarqawi was operating out of Baghdad and was involved in a lot of bad activities.”
Frankly, the idea that Zarqawi would, first, opt to go to Baghdad and, second, operate there for some time without Iraqi intelligence’s complicity, is pretty fanciful. And the fact that the CIA does not have “conclusive” evidence of that complicity is hardly a surprise given the number of spies it had within Saddam’s inner circle: none.
Moreover, Zarqawi’s activities were hardly benign prior to the Iraq war. As the State Department’s 2003 report on “Patterns of Global Terrorism” points out:
Third, the idea that Zarqawi was not “in any way cooperating with al-Qaeda” is certainly wishful thinking. Although Zarqawi and bin Laden may have had different agendas at times, there is plenty of evidence that they had a mutually supportive relationship.
As Stephen Hayes pointed out yesterday, the Washington Post (September 27, 2004) reported that:
And, as Hayes further notes:
Of course, it is hardly surprising that Sen. Kerry and his campaign team would use a leak to the Washington Post to score a political point. That’s politics today. But their willingness to so readily dismiss the potential threat posed by Zarqawi before the Iraq war, based on one still-in-the-works intelligence report, is more disturbing. Frankly, it smacks of Clinton-era complacency. Absent a notarized statement by Saddam and bin Laden attesting to their ties with Zarqawi, would a President Kerry have given him a pass? And if so, is that the policy judgment Americans want in a post 9-11 world?
Gary Schmitt is executive director of The Project for the New American Century.
Previous Campaign Memos:
Dying for the United Nations, Why is John Kerry no Clinton-Lieberman Democrat? His obeisance to the U.N. October 20, 2004
John Kerry: Germany’s Candidate, The German defense minister says that maybe there’s a possibility that they might, someday, perhaps, depending on future “developments,” send troops to Iraq. October 13, 2004
Not a Diversion, Was Iraq a diversion from the war on terror? Bush and McCain remind us that the answer is: No. October 6, 2004
The No-Nukes Party, The Mondale Democrats are alive and well in the U.S. Senate–does John Kerry still believe in their worldview? October 4, 2004
When Was He For It (Before He Was Against It)?, John Kerry gives a disingenuous defense of why he said he voted for the $87 billion before he voted against it. September 29, 2004
The Kerry-Kennedy Line, It’s a good thing that John Kerry and Ted Kennedy lost the last time they took a stand on Saddam Hussein. September 28, 2004
Kerry’s Phony Foreign Forces, Would President Kerry be able to get France and Germany to help share the burden in Iraq? Chirac says, “Non!” September 22, 2004
Nothing To Do With the Truth, John Kerry continues to insist that Saddam Hussein had “nothing to do with al Qaeda.” And he continues to be wrong. September 22, 2004
Lugar’s Other Comments, The media played up Richard Lugar’s recent remarks about President Bush; will they do the same with his assessment of Senator Kerry? September 21, 2004
For Kerry, It’s Always Vietnam, The subtext of John Kerry’s Monday morning Iraq speech. September 20, 2004
Kerry’s Flip-Flopping on Russia, The senator has two views on promoting democracy in Russia, too. September 16, 2004
Wrong Choices, A look at John Kerry’s record. September 15, 2004
Another New Kerry Position on Iraq . . . and the same one on Vietnam. September 15, 2004
Kerry and the “Direct Link,” The Kerry campaign is distorting Dick Cheney’s words. September 13, 2004
Kerry’s North Korea Non-policy, John Kerry calls the New York Times with complaints, but no plan. September 13, 2004
If John Kerry Were President, . . . Saddam would still be in power. September 8, 2004
Kerry vs. Kerry, What does “the wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time” mean? September 7, 2004
The Kerry Record, What John Kerry about foreign policy and defense in 1984 and 1985. September 3, 2004
It Was This Big . . ., Does John Kerry still believe that the terror threat is an “exaggeration”? September 1, 2004
John Edwards: Disrespecting Our Allies, America isn’t acting alone. September 1, 2004
No Bargain, The “grand bargain” John Kerry and John Edwards are prepared to offer Iran deserves serious scrutiny. September 1, 2004
