Summer Olympics in China... WHY?!?

[aft_lizard01]

Also here is the timeline prior to the war, its a long read so enjoy:

abc report
http://www.mediaresearch.org/rm/cybe...4/segment1.ram
Some snippets:
circa 1/1/1999 Kuwaiti intelligence reports that hundreds of Arab "Afghans" are training in Iraq at the Nasariah camp and elsewhere. The training is being conducted by Iraqi Intelligence. The report also identifies those being trained as members of six different organizations including The World Fonrt for Against the Crusade of Jews and Christians. It is clear that Al Queda's primary groups are being trained in Iraq by Iraqi Intelligence-specifically mentioned is a group of Iraqi Intelligence called Unit 999. The training is described as the final advanced preparation training for "the battle against the US and its allies."
circa 1/1/1999 In January 1999, Iraq began reorganizing and mobilizing intelligence front operations throughout Europe in support of al-Qaeda. 20 Iraq's intelligence service has operated a network of outwardly legitimate businesses across Western Europe, using them as bases for espionage, terrorism and weapons procurement. Hans Josef Horchem, former chief of West Germany's Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (domestic intelligence service) stated that most of the Iraqi intelligence front companies are import-export firms and used-car dealerships. In the Fall of 1990, at least three firms were operating in Hamburg and the German state of Hesse - with roughly seven additional Iraqi front operations in the rest of Europe. 21 Iraq's Unit 999 now increased the intensity of its operations - moving funds and people around Europe and activating previously dormant intelligence contacts and operatives. Together with intelligence officers assigned under diplomatic cover, these activated operatives began scouting safe houses, vehicles, letter drops, communications, arms caches and other logistical requirements for operations. Concurrent with this activation of Iraqi's European intelligence assets, appeared the previously unheard of Armed Islamic Front," who it turned out, were made up of bin-Laden's "Afghans" and "Bosniaks," that would now conduct terror strikes against both bin-Laden's and Hussein's enemies."
circa 1/1/1999 Saddam Hussein dispatched Faruq al-Hijazi to Kandahar, Afghanistan in order to meet with bin-Laden. Hijazi was the former deputy chief of Iraqi intelligence and had first met bin-Laden in 1994. 16 Hijazi offered expanded cooperation and assistance to bin-Laden, as well as a re-extension of the offer of shelter and hospitality in Iraq for al-Qaeda. Bin-Laden agreed in principle to give Iraq assistance in a revenge campaign against the United States, but suggested further study and coordination before committing to a specific course of action or agreeing to a particular terrorist strike. To demonstrate Baghdad's commitment to al Qaeda, Hijazi presented bin-Laden with a pack of blank, genuine Yemeni passports, supplied to Iraqi intelligence from their Yemeni contacts. Hijazi's visit was followed by a contingent of Iraqi military intelligence officials who provided additional training and preparation to the al- Qaeda terrorists in Afghanistan. These Iraqi officials included members of Unit 999 of Iraqi intelligence, who conducted advanced sabotage and infiltration training for seasoned, veteran, al-Qaeda fighters. By January 1999, al-Qaeda terrorists were being trained by Iraqi intelligence and military officers at camps on the outskirts of Baghdad.


...
1/25/1999 The joint Al Queda/Iraqi Unit 999 operation continued as Bin Laden dispatched abu-Ayub al Masri-one of his most trusted lieutenants to meetings in Dubai and Turkey. He travelled with a false Yemeni passport provided by Iraq's Farouq Hijazi and met with Hijazi in Turkey (while Hijazi was stationed there-note: Iraq rotated its embassy officials/operatives regularly to prevent defection and to enable better covert activities-often involving illegal funding, smuggling, payoffs, intel gathering, assassinations, and sometimes terrorist attacks.).

...

3/15/1999 Mid March 1999; Al Queda's Hamoud Abaid al-Anezi showed up in Melbourne, Australia with a Saudi passport. Qusay Hussein-at the direction of Saddam Hussein-had formed a new Iraqi Intelligence unit called the Al-Nida force. It consisted of thousands of Iraqis around the world who were to be called upon in Jihad. al-Anezi met up with 4 Iraqi nationals in Australia, and together they started trying to recruit others in the local Muslim community.
4/1/1999 In April of 1999, the joint Iraq/Al Queda effort to attack the Australian Olympics was exposed and those involved arrested.

[Bubba]

Originally Posted by aft_lizard01

Al Zarqawi's cell was in Iraq before the war

He was there, and the people that became Al Queida in Iraq were there before the war, but they weren't organized yet.

[Army_of_One]

We can argue if or if they weren't there all day long...I want to know though...Jeeze...if we left Iraq do you think that would "end the war" as you say?

[Bubba]

It would allow us to put the focus back on Afghanistan and hunting down Osama Bin Laden.

[Army_of_One]

Originally Posted by Bubba

It would allow us to put the focus back on Afghanistan and hunting down Osama Bin Laden.

Osama who?

My question was would the war end if we "brought the troops home" like JW said?

People are naive...if they think we won't have troops in Iraq 10 years or more from now they are living in a fantasy world. We are building PERMANENT bases there....You can believe Clinton or Obama's lies about "withdrawing troops" but at least McCain is being up front and honest about the situation instead of pandering to the JW's of voter land.

[88-31-10]

Originally Posted by Army_of_One

Osama who?

Give me a break!

Originally Posted by Army_of_One

My question was would the war end if we "brought the troops home" like JW said?

What war? There wasn't a war in Iraq until we went there and made one.

[Bubba]

We started it by going there, I suppose we should end it by leaving there.

[Flying Dutchman]

You can't truly believe that if we leave they will leave too? I'm sorry, but what a bunch of pussies our generation has turned into. I mean seriously, we have turned into a bunch of "why me?" wusses. Got problems? Hell, take a pill to make yourself feel better. Blame this, blame that...........it's not our fault! That is, unless, some bunch of religious nut****s decide they don't like us, then it is obviously our fault. Instead of teaching our kids to stand up for themselves, we have "understanding" of why bullies pick on them. Instead of kicking the shit out of some nut job and his geeks that decide picketing funerals is ok, we have "freedom of speech" mouthpieces that say they should be allowed to do that.
We are at war! It doesn't matter who started it. It doesn't matter which administration dopped the ball. What does matter is that we win, regardless. Our enemy is just that, AN ENEMY. Not misguided individuals. Wether they were in iraq before we got there is irrelevant. They are there now.

[Army_of_One]

Originally Posted by Flying Dutchman

You can't truly believe that if we leave they will leave too? I'm sorry, but what a bunch of pussies our generation has turned into. I mean seriously, we have turned into a bunch of "why me?" wusses. Got problems? Hell, take a pill to make yourself feel better. Blame this, blame that...........it's not our fault! That is, unless, some bunch of religious nut****s decide they don't like us, then it is obviously our fault. Instead of teaching our kids to stand up for themselves, we have "understanding" of why bullies pick on them. Instead of kicking the shit out of some nut job and his geeks that decide picketing funerals is ok, we have "freedom of speech" mouthpieces that say they should be allowed to do that.
We are at war! It doesn't matter who started it. It doesn't matter which administration dopped the ball. What does matter is that we win, regardless. Our enemy is just that, AN ENEMY. Not misguided individuals. Wether they were in iraq before we got there is irrelevant. They are there now.

Very good DUtch....and by the way we were "at war" long before 9/11. How many of our troops were attacked and killed under the Clinton administration? He was just too cowardly and too preoccupied to stand up and do anything about it.

[Bandit]

I was in favor of the Iraq war when it all started. I bought in to all of the stories they were telling us. I'm not in favor of an instant troop withdrawl, but we need to have a plan to get out. W just rushed our troops over there with no plan, no armor, and very few allies. He took advantage of the patriotism that flourished after 9/11 to go after the wrong target. Osama organized the attack on the US, so we go after Saddam? Heck, using that logic, why didn't we go after Canada when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor? The thing I worry about here too is a double standard. We get disgusted and outraged when our troops are tortured or beheded, but yet we are okay with doing that to them. Our congress allowing torture just tells our enemies that its okay that they do it to us also. These people in the middle east have been fighting with each other for long before us or our ancenstors were here and they will continue long after we are gone. We are trying to force our system of government and our ideals onto these people. How would you feel if others tried doing that to us?

It is just so hard to believe anyone anymore. The media lies to us and our president and his administration lie to us. I think there are a lot of dirty secrets out there on both sides that 99.9% of us have no idea about.