Recently, Paul Wolfowitz retracted comments in which he stated that "We know it [Iraq] had a great deal to do with terrorism in general and with Al-Qaida in particular ... we know a great many of bin Laden's key lieutenants are now trying to organize in cooperation with old loyalists from the Saddam regime to attack in Iraq." However, in a recent interview he said he misspoke:
"Zarqawi is actually the guy I was referring to — should have been more precise," Wolfowitz said Friday. "It's not a great many — it's one of bin Laden's key associates — probably better referred to that way than a key lieutenant."
Apparently, Vice President Cheney has not read Wolfowitz's retraction, as Cheney appeared on Meet the Press, and made the following accusations:
"We learn more and more that there was a relationship between Iraq and al-Qaeda that stretched back through most of the decade of the '90s.""That it involved training, for example, on biological weapons and chemical weapons, that al-Qaeda sent personnel to Baghdad to get trained on the systems. It involved the Iraqis providing bomb-making expertise and advice to the al-Qaeda organization."
AP: Official Backs Off al-Qaida, Iraq Claim
Middle East Online: Cheney - We will find Iraq's WMD
Also, while the controversy over WMD seems to have been forgotten here in the United States, there are a few new developments on that front. There are reports that a US report on the status of the search for WMD, which was to be released this month, may never be released, while there has been heated debate and threats of censure in Australia over the intelligence failures.
Iraq WMD report shelved due to lack of evidence
