By the Summer of 2004 we knew that Saddam Hussein had no connection to the terrorists of Al Qaida who attacked us on 9/11. The 9/11 Commission’s Report, issued on July 22, 2004 made this very clear when it said that there was no evidence to link the 9/11 attacks to Saddam’s regime in Iraq. Yet, as we all know, the Bush administration has continued to issue public statements which suggest that there was a connection between Saddam, Iraq and the 9/11 terror attacks.
What follows is a timeline of speeches made, and statements issued by, President Bush (with appropriate excerpts) in which he refers to both 9/11 and Iraq, either explicitly or implicitly. It’s limited to Bush’s remarks, but I have no doubt that a similar timeline could be constructed for other Senior Administration officials, including Vice President Cheney, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and (now) Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.
Bush Timeline (with excerpts) after the fold . . .
Be forewarned: much of what follows is highly repetitive.
From President Bush’s Standard Campaign Stump Speech (August 2004 through November 2, 2004 – just review any of them archived at www.whitehouse.gov):
The world changed on that terrible September morning, and since that day, we have changed the world.
. . . Before September the 11th, the ruler of Iraq was a sworn enemy of America. He was defying the world. He was firing weapons at American pilots who were enforcing the world’s sanctions. He had pursued and he had used weapons of mass destruction. He harbored terrorists. He attacked his neighbors. He subsidized the families of suicide bombers. He and his henchmen murdered thousands of his own citizens. He was a source of great instability in the world’s most volatile region. I saw a threat.
After September the 11th — one of the lessons of September the 11th, an important lesson that this country must never forget is that we must take threats seriously before they fully materialize.
Remarks upon signing Defense Appropriations Bill on August 5, 2004:
In the last three years, our military men and women have struck a series of decisive blows against the enemy. They have relentlessly attacked the al Qaeda network. They’ve killed or captured many of its leaders. They’ve destroyed its terror camps. We’re disrupting its plans. We’re doing our duty.
We’ve ended regimes in Kabul and Baghdad that supported and harbored terrorists and threatened America. They have helped to launch the nations of Iraq and Afghanistan on the path to lasting democracy and liberty. They have helped friendly nations build the strength and institutions necessary to fight terror. At this hour, our troops are staying on the offensive against al Qaeda. We’re taking the fight to the enemies . . . . Our troops are making America safer, and we’re grateful for their sacrifices.
Speech to Unity Journalists of Color Convention on August 6, 2004:
I’ve got a duty as your President to work as hard as I can to secure our country. It’s a duty that goes on. September the 11th changed the world. It changed how we must look at our internal security. There is some thinking here in America that says, if you go on the offense against the terrorists, you’re creating more terrorists. That is a woeful misunderstanding of the nature of the terrorist threat.
Remarks at Ask President Bush Event in Annandale VA on August 9, 2004:
As the American people look at this election, they must take a look at the candidates and determine who best understands the lessons to be learned from September the 11th.
Another lesson is, is that we must deal with threats before they fully materialize.
(Applause.) In this world of threats to our homeland, in this world where there are folks who cannot stand our country and our way of life, we must deal with threats. It used to be we didn’t have to. Now you just can’t hope they go away. They must be dealt with — hopefully, diplomatically; hopefully, we can cure things, problems peacefully. That ought to be the first priority of any President. However, if diplomacy fails, we must be a country that is willing to take action to defend ourselves. (Applause.)
I want you to remember — Saddam Hussein was a threat, he was a clear threat. He had used weapons of mass destruction against his own people. He had terrorist organizations in his country. He was a sworn enemy of the United States of America. He is a person that invaded countries in his neighborhood.
. . . My choice was, do I forget the lessons of September the 11th, or do I take actions necessary to defend our country. And given that very difficult choice, I chose to defend America. I will do so every time.
Remarks at Ask President Bush Event in Niceville FL (yes – Niceville) on August 10, 2004:
I never thought I’d be having to say this when I ran in 2000 — John, we campaigned together, I don’t remember saying, I anticipate war. Nobody wants to be the war President. People want to be the peace President. People want to be able to say, gosh, the world is peaceful. But that’s not what happened under my watch. The country changed on September the 11th, 2001, and it’s vital for the President to clearly see the world the way it is. (Applause.) I’ll tell you some lessons I’ve learned that I don’t think the country should ever forget. First of all, these people that killed us, they were training for years. They were preparing for years. They’re evil people who cannot stand what we believe in. You cannot negotiate with these people. You cannot — these are not the kind of people you can reason with. You cannot hope for the best. That’s just the nature of these people. It’s hard for the American people to understand the nature of somebody who’s willing to kill an innocent child to achieve an objective. That’s not the way we think. Nevertheless, we must be realistic about the nature of these folks.
The second lesson after September the 11th is when you say something you better mean it, in order to make the world a more peaceful place. (Applause.) I recognized right after September the 11th we were in a different kind of conflict. I noticed some World War II veterans who are here who fought a different kind of war. Freedom and liberty were at stake, but it was a different kind of war. This is a different kind of war here. This is a war that said not only must we bring justice to our enemies, wherever they hide, we cannot allow nations to provide them safe harbor or training, or to feed or equip them. We just can’t do that. In order to be able to protect ourselves — (applause.)
. . . Another lesson of September the 11th — another lesson of September the 11th is that when we see threats, we must deal with them before they fully materialize. See, prior to September the 11th, we thought if we saw a threat, we could deal with it if we felt like it, or maybe it would go away, maybe it wouldn’t happen, because we felt secure. Remember those days? I do. I also know what it’s like now to be vulnerable to the attacks of enemies that could care less about the rules of warfare. I mean, these are uncivilized people. And probably the most dangerous — not probably — the most dangerous worry that we should have is whether or not these killers are able to get weapons of mass destruction. And where would they get them? Well, they’d get them from people who had the capability of making them, and they’d get them from people that hate us.
So I looked at Iraq and saw a threat. Think — think about Iraq. This is a country that had — were firing at our pilots. This is a country with which we’d already had a war. This is a country which had used weapons of mass destruction against its own people and against its neighbors. This is a country that paid families of suiciders. This is a country that allowed terrorist networks to be in and out of their borders. Remember Abu Nidal? He’s the guy that killed Leon Klinghoffer. His network was in Iraq. Zarqawi, he’s still in there chopping people’s heads off. His network was in Iraq. And they were in and out of the country.
Speech to VFW Convention on August 16, 2004:
Like the Second World War, the war we face today began with a ruthless, surprise attack on America. The world changed on that September morning. And since that day, we have changed the world.
. . . Before September the 11th, the ruler of Iraq was a sworn enemy of America. He was defying the world. He was firing weapons at American pilots who were enforcing the world’s sanctions. He had pursued and he had used weapons of mass destruction. He had harbored terrorists. He invaded his neighbors. He subsidized the families of suicide bombers. He murdered tens of thousands of his own citizens. He was a source of instability in the world’s most volatile region. He was a threat.
One of the lessons of September the 11th, a lesson this nation must never forget, is that we must deal with threats before they fully materialize.
Speech to American Legion on August 31, 2004:
The world changed on that terrible September morning, and since that day, we have changed the world.
. . . Before September the 11th, the ruler of Iraq was a sworn enemy of America. He was defying the world. He was firing weapons at American pilots who were enforcing the world’s sanctions. He had pursued and he had used weapons of mass destruction. He harbored — (applause) — he had harbored terrorists. He invaded his neighbors. He subsidized the families of suicide bombers. He and his henchmen murdered tens of thousands of his own citizens. He was a source of instability in the world’s most volatile region. Saddam Hussein was a threat.
After September the 11th, one of the lessons this country must always remember is that we must take threats seriously before they fully materialize.
. . . So I had a choice to make: Do I forget the lessons of September the 11th and take the word of a madman, or do I take action to defend our country. Given that choice, I will defend America every time.
. . . We will continue to work with friends and allies around the world to aggressively pursue the terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere. You cannot talk sense to these people. You cannot negotiate with them. You cannot hope for the best. We must aggressively pursue them around the world so we do not have to face them here at home.
Speech to GOP Convention on September 2, 2004:
This election will also determine how America responds to the continuing danger of terrorism — and you know where I stand. (Applause.) Three days after September the 11th, I stood where Americans died, in the ruins of the Twin Towers. Workers in hard hats were shouting to me, “Whatever it takes.” A fellow grabbed me by the arm and he said, “Do not let me down.” Since that day, I wake up every morning thinking about how to better protect our country. I will never relent in defending America, whatever it takes. (Applause.)
So we have fought the terrorists across the earth — not for pride, not for power, but because the lives of our citizens are at stake. Our strategy is clear. . . . We are staying on the offensive — striking terrorists abroad — so we do not have to face them here at home. (Applause.)
. . . We knew Saddam Hussein’s record of aggression and support for terror. We knew his long history of pursuing, even using, weapons of mass destruction. And we know that September the 11th requires our country to think differently: We must, and we will, confront threats to America before it is too late. (Applause.)
In Saddam Hussein, we saw a threat.
President Proclaims Patriot Day on September 10, 2004:
Three years ago, our country was ruthlessly attacked, and more than 3,000 innocent people lost their lives.
. . . Since September 11th, America has fought a relentless war on terror around the world. We are staying on the offensive in this war — striking the terrorists abroad so we do not have to face them here at home. We pray that God watch over our brave men and women in uniform and all who are waging this war and working to keep America safe. And we pray for their families. In the face of danger, America is showing its character. Three years after the attack on our country, Americans remain strong and resolute, patient in a just cause, and confident of the victory to come.
Radio address on September 11, 2004:
Three years ago, the struggle of good against evil was compressed into a single morning. In the space of only 102 minutes, our country lost more citizens than were lost in the attack on Pearl Harbor. Time has passed, but the memories do not fade. We remember the images of fire, and the final calls of love, and the courage of rescuers who saw death and did not flee.
. . . The United States is determined to stay on the offensive, and to pursue the terrorists wherever they train, or sleep, or attempt to set down roots.
. . . Our present work in Iraq and Afghanistan is difficult. It is also historic and essential. By our commitment and sacrifice today, we will help transform the Middle East, and increase the safety of our children and grandchildren.
Since that terrible morning three years ago, America has been at war. We fought the terrorists across the earth — not for pride, not for power, but because the lives of our citizens are at stake. . . . We’re staying on the offensive. We will strike the terrorists abroad so they can’t come here and hurt us. (Applause.) We will advance liberty in the broader Middle East and around the world, because freedom will bring a future of hope and peace we all long for. And we will prevail. (Applause.)
Our strategy is succeeding. Four years ago, Afghanistan was the home base of al Qaeda, Pakistan was a transit point for terrorist groups, Saudi Arabia was fertile ground for terrorist fundraising, Libya was secretly pursuing nuclear weapons, Iraq was a gathering threat, and al Qaeda was largely unchallenged as it planned attacks. Because we acted, the government of a free Afghanistan is fighting terror, Pakistan is capturing terrorist leaders, Saudi is making raids and arrests, Libya is dismantling its weapons programs, the army of a free Iraq is fighting for freedom, and more than three-quarters of al Qaeda’s key members and associates have been detained or killed. (Applause.) We have led, many have joined, and America and the world are safer. (Applause.)
All this progress involved careful diplomacy, clear moral purpose, and some tough decisions. And the toughest came on Iraq. We knew Saddam Hussein’s record of aggression and support for terror. Remember, he housed Abu Nidal — he’s the guy that killed Leon Klinghoffer — housed him and his associates. Zarqawi was in and out of Baghdad. He’s the fellow who cuts people’s heads off and hopes we cringe and shirk our duty. Saddam paid the families of suicide bombers. We knew his long history of pursuing, and even using, weapons of mass destruction. And we know that after September the 11th, our country must think differently. We must take threats seriously, before they fully materialize. (Applause.)
First Presidential Debate on October 2004:
President Bush: . . . September the 11th changed how America must look at the world. And since that day our nation has been on a multi-pronged strategy to keep our country safer. We’ve pursued Al Qaeda wherever Al Qaeda tries to hide; 75 percent of known Al Qaeda leaders have been brought to justice. The rest of them know we’re after them.
We’ve upheld the doctrine that said, if you harbor a terrorist, you’re equally as guilty as the terrorist. And the Taliban, no longer in power; 10 million people have registered to vote in Afghanistan in the upcoming presidential election.
In Iraq, we saw a threat and we realized that after September the 11th, we must take threats seriously before they fully materialize. Saddam Hussein now sits in a prison cell; America and the world are safer for it.
Statement regarding the Duelfer report on October 7, 2004:
Based on all the information we have today, I believe we were right to take action, and America is safer today with Saddam Hussein in prison. He retained the knowledge, the materials, the means, and the intent to produce weapons of mass destruction. And he could have passed that knowledge on to our terrorist enemies. Saddam Hussein was a unique threat, a sworn enemy of our country, a state sponsor of terror, operating in the world’s most volatile region. In a world after September the 11th, he was a threat we had to confront. And America and the world are safer for our actions.
September the 11th, 2001 changed all that. We realized that the apparent security of the 1990s was an illusion.
The people of New Jersey were among the first to understand how the world changed. On September the 11th, from places like Hoboken and Jersey City, you could look across the Hudson River and see the Twin Towers burning. We will never forget that day, and we will never forget our duty to defend America.
. . . After September the 11th, we set a new direction for American policy and enforced a doctrine that is clear to all: If you support or harbor terrorists, you’re equally guilty of terrorist murder. (Applause.) . . . We ended the regime of Saddam Hussein, which sponsored terror. (Applause.) Iraq’s new government under Prime Minister Allawi is hunting down terrorists in Iraq.
State of the Union Speech on February 2, 2005:
In the three and a half years since September the 11th, 2001, we have taken unprecedented actions to protect Americans.
. . . Our nation, working with allies and friends, has also confronted the enemy abroad, with measures that are determined, successful, and continuing. The al Qaeda terror network that attacked our country still has leaders — but many of its top commanders have been removed. . . . Our country is still the target of terrorists who want to kill many, and intimidate us all — and we will stay on the offensive against them, until the fight is won. (Applause.)
. . . Our men and women in uniform are fighting terrorists in Iraq, so we do not have to face them here at home.
Speech to Troops at Wiesbaden Germany on February 23, 2005:
On September the 11th, 2001, history brought new responsibilities to our nation, new challenges. That morning, America witnessed the violence and grief that terrorists can inflict. We had a glimpse of the greater destruction the terrorists intend. On behalf of our nation, I made a pledge: We will bring our enemies to justice — or bring justice to our enemies. (Applause.)
. . . You are part of the history of freedom and peace. You know that terrorists will not be stopped by negotiations, or concessions, or appeals to reason. Terrorists must be confronted and they must be defeated. In this war, there is only one option for victory — we must take the fight to the enemy. (Applause.)
. . . The day our nation was attacked, I also made it clear that regimes that support terror would be considered equally guilty of terrorist murder.
. . . [W]e also confronted a growing danger in Iraq. One of the key lessons of September the 11th is that we must confront threats before they fully materialize. In Iraq, we found a threat to the entire world. Saddam Hussein supported terrorists, he pursued deadly weapons, he defied the just demands of the international community, year after year, resolution after resolution.
. . . The sacrifices you have made will change the world for decades to come. By fighting terrorists in places like Baghdad and Karbala and Tikrit, you are making sure we do not face those enemies at home.
Twice in six decades, a sudden attack on the United States launched our country into a global conflict, and began a period of serious reflection on America’s place in the world. The bombing of Pearl Harbor taught America that unopposed tyranny, even on far-away continents, could draw our country into a struggle for our own survival. And our reflection on that lesson led us to help build peaceful democracies in the ruins of tyranny, to unite free nations in the NATO Alliance, and to establish a firm commitment to peace in the Pacific that continues to this day.
The attacks of September the 11th, 2001 also revealed the outlines of a new world. In one way, that assault was the culmination of decades of escalating violence — from the killing of U.S. Marines in Beirut, to the bombing at the World Trade Center, to the attacks on American embassies in Africa, to the attacks on the USS Cole. In another way, September the 11th provided a warning of future dangers — of terror networks aided by outlaw regimes, and ideologies that incite the murder of the innocent, and biological and chemical and nuclear weapons that multiply destructive power.
. . . In three and a half years, the United States and our allies have waged a campaign of global scale — from the mountains of Afghanistan, to the border regions of Pakistan, to the Horn of Africa, to the islands of the Philippines, to the plains of North Central Iraq. The al Qaeda terror network that attacked our country still has leaders, but many of its top commanders have been removed. There are still governments that sponsor and harbor terrorists, but their number has declined. There are still regimes seeking weapons of mass destruction — but no longer without attention and without consequence. Our country is still the target of terrorists who want to kill many, and intimidate us all. We will stay on the offensive against them, until the fight is won.
Radio Address on March 19, 2005
Before coalition forces arrived, Iraq was ruled by a dictatorship that murdered its own citizens, threatened its neighbors, and defied the world. We knew of Saddam Hussein’s record of aggression and support for terror. We knew of his long history of pursuing, even using, weapons of mass destruction, and we know that September the 11th requires our country to think differently. We must, and we will, confront threats to America before they fully materialize.
Speech to Newspaper Editors on April 14, 2005:
Rich was right, obviously, times changed dramatically on September the 11th, 2001, and we’re still at war with terrorists. There are still people there who’d like to create harm to America. The only way to deal with them, in my opinion, is to keep them on the run, is to keep enormous pressure — pressure on their finances, pressure on their safe havens, pressure on their — on people who are willing to accommodate their philosophy.
Commencement Address to Naval Academy Graduates on May 27, 2005:
When I spoke to the Class of 2001, none of us imagined that a few months later we would suffer a devastating surprise attack on our homeland, or that our nation would be plunged into a global war unlike any we had known before. Today, we face brutal and determined enemies — men who celebrate murder, incite suicide, and thirst for absolute power. These enemies will not be stopped by negotiations, or concessions, or appeals to reason. In this war, there is only one option — and that is victory.
. . . Since September 11, 2001, we’ve removed brutal regimes in Kabul and Baghdad that supported and harbored terrorists. We helped launch Afghanistan and Iraq on the path to lasting freedom by liberating over 50 million people.
. . . In Iraq, we captured two senior operatives of the terrorist Zarqawi. And in recent days, our forces have killed or captured hundreds of terrorists and insurgents in Baghdad and Western Iraq and near the Syrian border. Across the world, our military is standing directly between the American people and the worst dangers in the world, and Americans are grateful to have such brave defenders.
. . . The lesson of September 11th is clear: new dangers can arrive on our shores without warning. In this era of surprise, we cannot know for certain who might attack us, or where, or when. But we can anticipate how we might be attacked, and we can transform our capabilities to defend our citizens and deliver justice to our enemies.
Speech at Ft. Bragg on June 28, 2005:
FORT BRAGG, N.C., June 28 — President Bush appealed to the American public Tuesday night to remember “the lessons of September 11th” and not lose faith in the Iraq war effort despite unremitting violence, declaring in a prime-time address that “the proper response is not retreat.”
. . . Bush invoked Sept. 11 five times in his speech and referred to it by implication several more times. Although he has previously agreed with investigators that there is “no evidence” of a link between Saddam Hussein’s government and the attacks masterminded by Osama bin Laden’s al Qaeda, he used much of his speech to depict the militants in Iraq as the same breed of Islamic terrorist who struck the United States. The White House titled his remarks a discussion on the “War on Terror,” not Iraq.
At this hour, our men and women in uniform are defending America against the threats of the 21st century. The war we are fighting came to our shores on September the 11th, 2001. After that day, I made a pledge to the American people, we will not wait to be attacked again. (Applause.) We will bring our enemies to justice, or bring justice to our enemies.
. . . Iraq is the latest battlefield in the war on terror. Our work there is difficult and dangerous because terrorists from across the region are converging on Iraq to fight the rise of democracy. The images of cruelty and suffering we see on television are real, and they are difficult for our compassionate nation to watch. Yet, the terrorist violence has not brought them any closer to achieving their strategic objectives.
Radio address on July 9, 2005:
We experienced this evil in our own country on a clear September morning in 2001. Since that day, terrorists have continued to kill and maim — in Bali, and Casablanca, Riyadh, Jakarta, Istanbul, Madrid, Baghdad, London, and elsewhere.
. . . We are now waging a global war on terror — from the mountains of Afghanistan to the border regions of Pakistan, to the Horn of Africa, to the islands of the Philippines, to the plains of Iraq. We will stay on the offense, fighting the terrorists abroad so we do not have to face them at home.
Speech to FBI Academy on July 11, 2005:
Their aim — the aim of the terrorists is to remake the Middle East in their own grim image of tyranny and oppression by toppling governments, by exporting terror, by forcing free nations to retreat and withdraw.
To achieve these aims, they attacked our country on September the 11th, 2001.
. . . We’re working to protect the homeland. We’re working to improve our intelligence so we can uncover terrorist plots before they unfold. And we’re staying on the offensive. We’re fighting the enemy in Iraq and Afghanistan and across the world so we do not have to face them here at home.
Radio address on August 20, 2005:
“Good morning. In a few weeks, our country will mark the four-year anniversary of the attacks of September the 11th, 2001. On that day, we learned that vast oceans and friendly neighbors no longer protect us from those who wish to harm our people. And since that day, we have taken the fight to the enemy.
. . . We’re fighting the terrorists in Afghanistan, Iraq, and around the world, striking them in foreign lands before they can attack us here at home.
Speech to VFW Convention on August 22, 2005:
“At this hour, a new generation of Americans is defending our flag and our freedom in the first war of the 21st century. The war came to our shores on the morning of September the 11th, 2001. Since then the terrorists have continued to strike — in Bali, in Riyadh, in Istanbul, and Madrid, and Baghdad, and London, and Sharm el-Sheikh and elsewhere. The enemy, the terrorists, are ruthless and brutal. They’re fighting on behalf of a hateful ideology that despises everything America stands for.
. . . After September the 11th, 2001, I made a pledge, America will not be — will not wait to be attacked again. We will go on the offense and we will defend our freedom.
. . . [T]he second part of our strategy is to take the fight to the terrorists abroad before they can attack us here at home. This is the most difficult and dangerous mission in the war on terror. And like generations before them, our soldiers and sailors and airmen and Marines have stepped forward to accept the mission. They’ve damaged the al Qaeda network across the world and we’re going to keep the terrorists on the run. From Afghanistan to Iraq, to the Horn of Africa, our men and women in uniform are bringing our enemies to justice and bringing justice to our enemies.
. . . Iraq is a central front in the war on terror. It is a vital part of our mission. Terrorists like bin Laden and his ally, Zarqawi, are trying to turn Iraq into what Afghanistan was under the Taliban, a place where women are beaten, religious and ethnic minorities are executed, and terrorists have sanctuary to plot attacks against free people. Terrorists are trying to block the rise of democracy in Iraq, because they know a free Iraq will deal a decisive blow to their strategy to achieve absolute power.
Rinse – wash – repeat. They haven’t changed their story once. Bush continues to push this connection between 9/11 and Iraq every time he opens his mouth in defense of this war. Classic brainwashing and propaganda technique.
