No hard proof of al-Qaida in Iraq

WASHINGTON, Jan 09, 2004 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has admitted there was no proof of a link between the government of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida.

"I have not seen smoking-gun, concrete evidence about the connection," Powell said, in response to a question at a news conference Thursday. "But I think the possibility of such connections did exist, and it was prudent to consider them at the time that we did."

The New York Times said although President Bush finally acknowledged in September there was no known connection between Hussein and the attacks, the impression of a link in the public mind has become widely accepted -- and something administration officials have done little to discourage.

However, Powell offered a vigorous defense of his Feb. 5 presentation before the Security Council, in which he voiced the administration's most detailed case to date for war with Iraq.

"Iraqi officials deny accusations of ties with al-Qaida. These denials are simply not credible," he said at the time.

Copyright 2004 by United Press International.

Source: Info Beat - ((http://www.infobeat.com/index.cfm?action=article&id=121814))