In today’s New York Times, under the headline “Bush Distorts Qaeda Links, Critics Assert,” the paper itself greatly distorts the evidence concerning al Qaeda’s presence in Iraq. The paper paints a picture of al Qaeda in Iraq is, in important ways, highly misleading. Here are several reasons why as well as some additional observations: (1) First, an observation: The Times states that when Zarqawi relocated to Iraq he did so “with support from senior Qaeda leaders, American intelligence agencies believe.” This directly contradicts what has been reported at various times over the past several years by the New York Times and other media outlets. A common argument that has been made is that Zarqawi wasn’t really an al Qaeda operative until 2004, when he swore bayat (loyalty) to bin Laden and was made emir of al Qaeda in Iraq. (Of course, many top al Qaeda operatives worked alongside bin Laden for years without swearing bayat. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of 9/11, is a good example.) In an editorial prior to the war (“Elusive Qaeda Connections,” February 14, 2003), for example, the New York Times argued, “…Washington has yet to establish publicly that [Zarqawi] is an important figure in Al Qaeda or maintains active links with Mr. bin Laden.” Daniel Benjamin, one of President Clinton’s former NSC counterterrorism officials, took this argument a step further in a September 2005 piece reviewing Jean-Charles Brisard’s book on Zarqawi. Benjamin argued, “many Western intelligence services saw him less as a lieutenant of bin Laden than a rival – a view now widely accepted.” There was always evidence tying Zarqawi to al Qaeda (for example, he helped plan attacks with top al Qaeda operative Abu Zubaydah at the turn of the millennium). But it is interesting to see that the intelligence officials quoted in this piece recognize the role that al Qaeda played in supporting Zarqawi’s activities in Iraq all along. (2) Unfortunately, the Times muddles the evidence tying Zarqawi to another of his sponsors inside Iraq, Saddam Hussein’s regime: