“The commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks reported Wednesday there was ‘no credible evidence’ that Saddam Hussein helped al-Qaeda target the United States.”
— Associated Press, June 16
www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0616-01.htm

Vice President Richard Cheney on Saddam Hussein: “He had long established ties with al-Qaeda.”
— Associated Press, June 14
www.cnn.com/2004/US/South/06/14/cheney.terrorism.ap

ANDREW RICE
COLLEEN KELLY
BOB McILVAINE
Rice, Kelly and McIlvaine are members of Peaceful Tomorrows, a group of 9/11 victims’ relatives. Rice, chair of the 9/11 Commission for Sept. 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, said today: “Given that the … 9/11 commission has repudiated any connection between al-Qaeda and Saddam Hussein’s regime, when will the White House put out an apology to the American people for consistently insinuating and stating there was such a relationship? Given that so many lives have been lost in a war based on the idea that Iraq was the ‘frontlines’ in the war on terror, Vice President Cheney especially needs to acknowledge and apologize for his false statements, one as recent as Monday.”

On September 23, 2002, Peaceful Tomorrows sent a letter to President George W. Bush which read: “We are disappointed that you have used the anniversary of our loved ones’ deaths not as a time to mourn and reflect but as a time to call for war on a country unrelated to the events of September 11th. We are concerned that a war in Iraq will divert the necessary resources from the task of apprehending and bringing to justice those responsible for the September 11th attacks. We fear this war could destabilize the Middle East region and cost the lives of countless, innocent civilians in other nations. We are deeply troubled that more killing will only fuel the fires of terrorism and enable terrorist organizations to recruit more easily those who would harm us.”

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SHELDON RAMPTON
Rampton is co-author of the book Weapons of Mass Deception: The Uses of Propaganda in Bush’s War on Iraq. He said today: “As part of its case for war, the Bush administration deliberately attempted to convince the American people that Iraq was not only linked to al-Qaeda but responsible specifically for the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The calculated nature of this deception is evident in the way White House officials repeatedly hinted at such a connection, while taking great care to avoid saying so specifically. The result of this campaign of innuendo is evident in the numerous opinion polls which have repeatedly shown that most Americans continue to believe Saddam Hussein was personally involved in the 9/11 attacks.” [A database of false statements by administration officials on Iraq is available at: www.house.gov/reform/min/features/iraq_on_the_record] More Information

For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; David Zupan, (541) 484-9167